BellaOnline Forums Education Astronomy 2017: Astronomy and Space on this day

On this day in 1680 – November 14th – German astronomer Gottfried Kirch discovered the comet C/1680 V1.


It was the first comet to be discovered using a telescope, and became one of the brightest comets of the 17th century.

On this day in 1738 – November 15th – William Herschel was born in Hannover, now part of modern Germany.

Herschel, a naturalized Englishman, was the first person in history to discover a new planet (Uranus). Working in partnership with his sister Caroline, he helped to lay the foundations of modern astronomy.

On this day in 1970 – November 17th – Soviet Mission Luna 17 landed on the Moon.

Luna 17 contained the Lunokhod 1 rover, the first wheeled vehicle on Moon.

On this day in 1995 – November 17th – ESO's Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) was launched.

It was the first ever true orbiting infrared observatory that allowed astronomers to make sensitive observations at infrared wavelengths.

On this day in 1923 – November 18th – American astronaut Alan Shepard was born.

He was the first American in space, but not the first to orbit. He commanded the Apollo 14 mission and was the oldest person to walk on the Moon.

On this day in 1989 – November 18th – the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) was launched.

COBE was a cosmology satellite that investigated the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB). It provided key pieces of evidence that supported the Big Bang theory of the Universe.

On this day in 1989 – November 18th – NASA's MAVEN spacecraft was launched.

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN) is a space probe designed to study the Martian atmosphere while orbiting Mars.

On this day in 1956 – November 19th – NASA astronaut Eileen Collins was born.

Collins, a retired NASA astronaut and former military test pilot, was the first woman to pilot a space shuttle and the first woman commander of a space shuttle.

On this day in 1889 - November 20th - Edwin Hubble was born.

His work showed that the Universe was much bigger than our own Galaxy and provided evidence for an expanding universe.

On this day in 1998 – November 20th – the Zarya module was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.

Zarya was the first module of the International Space Station. A much expanded space station is still operating with crews made up of astronauts from many nations.