Type: Astronomy Fact of the Day

In 1958 on this date, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in a message to Congress, proposed the establishment of a National Aeronautics and Space Agency into which the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics would be absorbed. Learn more about NASA

On this day in 1960, the TIROS-1 satellite transmits the first television picture from space. Learn more about the TIROS Science Mission

#OTD in 1966, the unmanned Soviet lunar probe, Luna 10, was launched toward the Moon from an Earth-orbiting platform. It later entered lunar orbit for 460 lunar orbits and 219 active data transmissions before radio signals were discontinued on May 30, 1966. Learn more about the Luna Program

Tomorrow morning the planets Mars and Saturn will be in conjunction. This is when they will share the same right ascension and will appear close together. Look southeast after 5am to see this. What is right ascension?

On this date in 1974, the unmanned probe Mariner 10 made its flyby of Mercury, passing at an altitude of 756 km. Photographs taken during the pass revealed an intensely cratered, Moon-like surface and a faint exosphere made mostly of helium. Learn more about Mariner 10. Image courtesy of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)… Continue reading →

Tonight at 8pm you will find the brightest star in the night sky due south. This star is called Sirius and is part of the constellation Canis Major. Learn more about Sirius. Image courtesy of Torsten Bronger. derivative work: Kxx / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

In 1968 on this date, Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin, the first person in space, died in an airplane crash. Due to his fame following his space flight, the Soviet leadership did not want to risk him on another flight, but they later relented; while requalifying for flight status, he crashed his MiG-15 trainer, and was killed… Continue reading →

In our solar system, planets closer to the sun are called inferior. Planets that are further from the sun are called superior. Superior planets are always at their best during what is called opposition. This is when they are closest to Earth for the year. Learn more opposition planets.

On this date in 1655, Christiaan Huygens discovered Titan, one of Saturn’s moons. Learn more about Titan Image courtesy of NASA / Public domain

Today both Venus and Mercury reach greatest elongation. This is when they will be seen as far from the sun and as such will be at their best for viewing. Venus will be seen in the west after sunset. Mercury will be seen in the east before sunrise Learn more elongation