April 22, 2023 The bright star Arcturus is visible by 8 pm low in the eastern sky. Owing to its distinct orange color, you should have no problem spotting this star which is found in the constellation Boötes. The eastern sky as it will appear tonight at 8 pm. Although it won’t be fully dark… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: April 21, 2023
April 21, 2023 The Lyrid meteor shower peaks on April 22/23, 2023, this year. Tomorrow is the peak of Lyrid activity; however, the Lyrids usually have three nights of increased activity centered on its peak date. The radiant for the Lyrids is in the constellation Lyra, which rises around 10 pm. Start looking northeast by… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: April 20, 2023
April 20, 2023 On this date in 1967, Surveyor 3 landed on the Moon. This was the third lander of the Surveyor program and the first to sample the surface material. Five years later on April 20/21, 1972, Apollo 16 landed in the Descartes Highlands. Surveyor 3 was photographed 2 years after it landed by… Continue reading
Bronze Elephant Sculpture
Bronze Elephant Sculpture – ca. 1920s Did you know that you can tell the three species of elephant apart by looking at their ears? It’s true! The ears of the African elephant species (Savanna and Forest) are much larger than their Asian elephant cousins. Also, the shape of African elephant ears looks like the African… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: April 19, 2023
April 19, 2023 Salyut 1 was the world’s first space station which launched on this date in 1971. Salyut 1 was designed for a 6-month mission. In June, Salyut 1 was visited by the Soyuz 11 crew which ended in tragedy as the crew would perish before reentry due to sudden depressurization of their spacecraft.… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: April 18, 2023
April 18, 2023 New moon occurs tomorrow just after 11 pm. If new moon occurs when the Moon’s orbital plane crosses Earth’s ecliptic, a solar eclipse occurs. This will happen tomorrow, but the solar eclipse is not visible in North America as it occurs during our evening hours. To see this hybrid solar eclipse, you… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: April 17, 2023
April 17, 2023 On this date in 1970, the Apollo 13 mission safely returned home splashing down in the South Pacific Ocean. Apollo 13 was intended to be the third to land on the Moon, but due to complications a few days into the mission Apollo 13 reached the Moon but was not able to… Continue reading
Night Sky Update: April 14 – 22, 2023
This is the Saint Louis Science Center’s NIGHT SKY UPDATE for the week of Friday, April 14, 2023. Information updated weekly or as needed. Times given as local St. Louis time which is Central Daylight Time (CDT). For definitions of terminology used in the night sky update, click the highlighted text. If relying on times… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: April 16, 2023
April 16, 2023 On this date in 1963, the McDonnell Planetarium opened. 60 years ago, the McDonnell Planetarium became the first publicly funded major planetarium to open in the United States. During the James S. McDonnell Planetarium’s first year, admission was just 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children. Image credit: SLSC/McDonnell Planetarium
Astronomy Fact of the Day: April 15, 2023
April 15, 2023 The first eclipse season of the year begins this month on April 20, 2023, when a hybrid solar eclipse occurs. An eclipse season is a 35-day period in which two or three eclipses will occur. Eclipses seasons occurs in cycles of 173.3 days which is just shy of six months. The second… Continue reading