Type: Astronomy Fact of the Day

On this date in 2007, Walter Marty “Wally” Schirra Jr. died of natural causes.  He was a member of the first crew to rendezvous in space and was commander of the first Apollo manned flight.

Look for the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter together in the southeast tomorrow morning during predawn hours. The moon will be exhibiting a waning gibbous phase with about 53% of the lunar disk illuminated.

In 1936 on this date, Wernher von Braun joined the Luftwaffe, the German air force. He later became the leading figure in the development of rocket technology in Germany and a pioneer of rocket and space technology in the United States.

After the Sun, the best-known star in the sky is Polaris. For another 1000 years, Polaris will be the North Star. Long famous for helping determine the cardinal directions, Polaris’s altitude also informs your latitude in the northern hemisphere. From St. Louis, Polaris is 38.6° above the horizon which is also our latitude.

On this date in 1985, Space Shuttle Flight 51-B (Challenger) launched into orbit. Its seven crew members then carried out experiments in 12-hour shifts aboard Spacelab 3 in Challenger’s payload bay.

Cirrus clouds this time of year often precede thunderstorms. When near full moon, you will sometimes see a ring around the moon as reflected sunlight is refracted through 6-sided ice crystals in these clouds. These rings are a type of atmospheric optic called halos.

In 1972 on this date, Apollo 16, carrying astronauts John W. Young, Thomas K. Mattingly II, and Charles M. Duke Jr., safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.

Full moon occurs today at 10:32 pm. Tomorrow the Moon will reach perigee which is when the Moon is nearest the Earth. Often April’s full moon is known as the Full Pink Moon.

On this date in 1961, Mercury MA-3, carrying a ‘mechanical astronaut,’ was launched in a failed attempt to orbit the spacecraft. The spacecraft was successfully recovered and was shipped back to McDonnell Aircraft for refitting.

Rising in the southeast at midnight is the bright red super giant star Antares. This is the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion which is a sign that summer is approaching.