Type: Astronomy Fact of the Day

September 14, 2022 On this date in 1968, the Soviet spacecraft Zond 5 was launched and later became the first spacecraft to orbit the Moon and return to Earth. Zond 5 carried a large biological payload, including two Steppe tortoises. The two tortoises survived their flight around the Moon and were alive upon their return… Continue reading →

September 13, 2022 Tonight at 10 pm, it is possible to find the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn in a line across the southeastern sky. By 11:30, Mars will have also risen above the east-northeastern horizon. The sky as it will appear tonight at 10 pm. The Moon, Jupiter and Saturn are all visible above the… Continue reading →

September 12, 2022 On this date in 1959, the Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 launched. Less than 48 hours after launch, the probe intentionally crashed into the surface of the Moon. Luna 2 became the first spacecraft to reach the surface of the Moon, and the first human-made object to contact another celestial body. The image… Continue reading →

September 11, 2022 On this date in 1985, NASA’s International Cometary Explorer (ICE) made its programmed flyby of Comet Giacobini-Zinner. ICE performed both a flyby of the comet nucleus and a pass through the comet’s plasma tail. ICE was the first spacecraft to directly investigate a comet, and after an encounter with Halley’s Comet, became… Continue reading →

September 10, 2022 The Moon rises this evening at 8:03pm. Officially this month’s full moon occurred at approximately 4 am this morning; however, the Moon will still appear almost entirely illuminated when it rises tonight. At approximately 2 am tomorrow morning, the Moon will pass very close to Jupiter in the southern sky. The sky… Continue reading →

September 9, 2022 On this date in 1892, Edward Barnard discovered Jupiter’s Moon Amalthea. Amalthea is the fifth largest moon of Jupiter, following the four Galilean moons. It orbits within the orbital path of Io, the innermost of the Galilean moons. Dust from micrometeorite impacts on the surface of Amalthea is thought to be responsible… Continue reading →

September 8, 2022 Tonight there is a conjunction of the Moon and Saturn. The pair will appear highest in the sky at approximately 11:18 pm. Additionally, the ɛ-Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak tonight and will be visible from 8:05 pm to dawn. This meteor shower isn’t a particularly bright or prolific event, with… Continue reading →

September 7, 2022 Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all have rings. Although only the gas giant planets currently have rings, that may not always be the case. It is proposed that in 30 to 50 million years, the Martian moon Phobos will either collide with Mars or break apart into a planetary ring. The ring… Continue reading →

September 6, 2022 Tonight at 9:30 pm, it is possible to find Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon spanning the southeastern sky. The moon will exhibit a waxing gibbous phase as it moves toward full moon, which occurs on September 9. By midnight, Mars will have risen in the East to join the group. The sky… Continue reading →

September 5, 2022 On this date in 1977, Voyager 1 launched from Cape Canaveral. Voyager 1 was originally planned to be part of the Mariner missions, but as the program progressed the probe’s design changed significantly from the Mariner missions and the name was changed. Voyager 1 is currently the most distant artificial object from… Continue reading →