Type: Astronomy Fact of the Day

January 23, 2024 On this date in 1965, the Department of Defense requested proposals for the design and development of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL).  The MOL program was intended as a manned reconnaissance satellite supporting national defense. However, the MOL program was canceled in June 1969 without any crewed missions being flown. A 1967… Continue reading →

January 22, 2024 On this date in 2003, NASA received the last signal from Pioneer 10. This was the first space probe to explore beyond the asteroid belt, becoming the first mission to visit Jupiter. The Pioneer 10 mission was planned to last 21-months, however the spacecraft continued to operate for over 30 years. Artist… Continue reading →

January 21, 2024 On this date in 1960, a rhesus monkey, ‘Miss Sam,’ was launched aboard a Mercury spacecraft and returned safely to Earth 30 minutes later. This was not the first-time animals had been used to test conditions in space. This practice dates back to 1783, when the Montgolfier brothers – French aviation pioneers,… Continue reading →

January 20, 2024 Tonight at 6 pm, the Moon can be found high in the east-southeast. It exhibits a waxing gibbous phase and can be found in the constellation Taurus the Bull. Just northeast of the Moon is the Pleiades star cluster, which marks the shoulder of Taurus. The east-southeastern sky as it will look… Continue reading →

January 19, 2024 On this date in 2006, the New Horizons spacecraft was launched, with the primary objective to explore Pluto and its moons. New Horizons reached Pluto in 2015, sending back the first detailed images of this object. In early 2019, New Horizons sent back images of the Kuiper Belt Object Arrokoth. The New… Continue reading →

January 18, 2024 Tonight at 7 pm, both the Moon and Jupiter will be visible high overhead in the south. Both objects are found in the constellation Aries. The Moon exhibits a waxing gibbous phase. The southern sky as it will look tonight at 7 pm. Both the Moon and Jupiter are found in the… Continue reading →

January 17, 2024 At 8:30 pm, the constellation Orion should be clearly visible in the southeastern sky. This constellation hosts the Orion Nebula, which is the closest star forming region to us at only 1,500 light-years away. Due to its proximity to Earth, it is possible to see this nebula with the naked eye. It… Continue reading →

January 16, 2024 Tonight at 10 pm, the constellation Leo will be rising in the east. This zodiacal constellation is part of the spring sky and is home to several interesting targets for telescopes. A good place to start is near Leo’s back legs where you can find the Leo Triplet – comprised of the… Continue reading →

January 15, 2024 On this date in 1908, Edward Teller, a Hungarian-American physicist, was born. He was part of the Manhattan Project – the United States’ push to develop the nuclear bomb during World War II. Known colloquially as the “Father of the H-Bomb,” he did not care for the title, considering it to be… Continue reading →

January 14, 2024 Tonight at 8 pm look for the bright orange star, Aldebaran. Aldebaran is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus the Bull and typically represents his eye. This bright star will be nearly straight overhead at this time. The southern sky as it will look tonight at 8 pm. Aldebaran, the brightest… Continue reading →