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Astronomical Events Calendar - Updated 3/1/2005
Use this handy calendar to discover eclipses, meteor showers, planetary transits and other celestial events. We'll update this calendar regularly with these and other events, including comet schedules.

Mercury 13
On June 16, 1963, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. It wasn't until 1983 that an American woman, Sally Ride, finally made the trip. But, did you know that there was a group of women preparing to join the astronaut program as early as 1960? Read about the "Mercury 13."

Women's History Month
Women's History Month can trace its roots to 1911 in Europe, where March 8 was first celebrated as International Women's Day. Today, we celebrate the contibutions of women throughout history during the month of March. Here at About Astronomy and Space, we salute the many women who have been an integral part of the history of astronomy and space exploration.

MESSENGER Mission to Mercury
Mercury is the least explored of our solar system's inner planets. MESSENGER is only the second spacecraft sent to Mercury (right) . The last one - Mariner 10 - completed its mission in 1975.

Ulysses Mission to the Sun - Jupiter - Comets
The Ulysses mission was an outgrowth of the abandoned International Solar Polar Mission (ISPM) that involved two spacecraft flying over opposite solar poles to investigate the Sun in three dimensions.

Constellation in a Cannister
People have looked at the stars for many, many years. They could imagine pictures in stars. Those pictures are called constellations. After you do this activity, see if you can find the constellations in the night sky.

NASA Spinoffs - Apollo Inventions
Every day, in a variety of ways, American lives are touched by space technology. Since 1976, about 1,400 documented NASA inventions have benefited U.S. industry, improved the quality of life and created jobs for Americans. The Apollo program has helped change the way of life in America, especially in health care. Here are some of the inventions contributed by the Apollo program.

Lunar Prospector Model
Try your hand at being a spacecraft engineer. Build this simple model of the Lunar Prospector.

10 Things You Should Know About the Sun
Our Sun has inspired mythology in almost all cultures, including ancient Egyptians, Aztecs, Native Americans, and Chinese. Our Sun is actually the closest star to Earth. The Sun is a massive shining sphere of hot gas. The connection and interaction between the Sun and the Earth drive the seasons, currents in the ocean, weather, and climate.

Top 10 People I Would Like to Meet
Here is a list of the top 10 people of astronomy and space I would like to meet and/or have dinner with. Unfortunately, it probably will not happen. Several names on my list are now dead and the odds are against my meeting the living members as well.

This Date in Astronomy & Space
Learn what happened on any specific date in the history of astronomy and space exploration.

About Astronomy & Space Archive
Discover all the articles and features highlighted on the home page.

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Find all articles and features on the About Astronomy & Space site.

The Loss of The Columbia - Updated
The Loss of The Columbia - The Final Hours of STS-107 - Columbia's Seven Lost Heroes - Investigating The Disaster

Laurel Blair Salton Clark, M.D. (Captain, USN) - Updated
Laurel Blair Salton Clark, M.D. (Captain, USN) - NASA Astronaut died aboard SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-107 Columbia (January 16 to February 1, 2003). The 16-day flight was a dedicated science and research mission. Working 24 hours a day, in two alternating shifts, the crew successfully conducted approximately 80 experiments. The STS-107 mission ended abruptly on February 1, 2003 when Space Shuttle Columbia and her crew perished during entry, 16 minutes before scheduled landing.

Sun Information - Updated
The Sun - Pictures and Astronomy Facts - Solar System Planetary Astronomical Data & Pictures of The Sun. The Sun. Astronomy Guide to Space exploration close to home. Our Sun is actually the closest star to Earth. The Sun is a massive shining spheres of hot gas. It is by far the largest object in the solar system, and contains more than 99.8% of the total mass of the Solar System. Its strong gravitational pull holds Earth and the other planets in the solar system in orbit.

About Astronomy/Space In The Classroom - Free Lesson Plans - Updated
Free lesson plans from About Astronomy and Space In The Classroom. Check out these free lesson plans, in Association With NASAExplore, a NASA Education Initiative. About Astronomy and Space In The Classroom provides new astronomy and space free lesson plans every week. These free lesson plans include more than just science lessons, you can also find plans for language arts, social studies, mathematics, and more.

Caution Urged on NASA's Mars Life Claim - New
News report said that 2 NASA scientists had announced at a private space event that they had found strong evidence that life may exist today on Mars. As much as I am interested in learning of life outside our own atmosphere, I have urged caution over too much enthusiasm. While methane may be a biproduct of life, it should be noted that life may not be the only possible explanation for the existence of methane.

Space Firsts - Basics - Updated
Space Firsts - Space Basics - Firsts In Space exploration - Space Firsts - Basics Series; What You Need To Know About Space. Discover who did what and when in these space firsts. From the first Earthling in space to the first man on the moon.

Space Day - Updated
Since its 1997 launch, the Space Day educational initiative, held on the first Thursday of each May, has evolved into a massive grassroots effort dedicated to the extraordinary achievements, benefits and opportunities in exploration & use of space. The ultimate goal is to promote math, science, technology and engineering education by nurturing young peoples' enthusiasm for the wonders of the universe and inspiring them to continue the stellar work of today's space explorers. Space Day.

Williamina Fleming Biography - New
Williamina Paton Stevens was born on May 15, 1857 in Dundee, Scotland, to Robert Stevens and Mary Walker Stevens. She attended public schools in Dundee until the age of 14, then taught as a pupil-teacher until her marriage to James Fleming in 1877. Soon after, she was appointed honorary fellow in astronomy of Wellesley College. Shortly before her death, the Astronomical Society of Mexico awarded her the Guadalupe Almendaro medal for her discovery of new stars.

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe Statement About FY06 Budget - New
Statement by NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe about the Administration's fiscal year 2006 budget proposal and the Vision for Space Exploration. "The fiscal 2006 NASA budget reaffirms the President's commitment to the Vision for Space Exploration and provides us the next step in implementing it. The exploration Vision provides a historic opportunity to focus NASA for the long term, and the process is well under way. We are transforming NASA and making great progress.

Mary Somerville Biography - New
On Dec 26, 1780 Mary Fairfax was born in Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, Scotland. The daughter of William George Fairfax and his second wife Margaret Charters, Mary was born in the church manse in Jedburgh, the home of her mother's sister Martha Charters and Martha's husband Thomas Somerville. William, a naval officer, was at sea at the time of her birth. Margaret, having seen her husband off in London was returning home when she stopped her trip short to give birth to Mary.

Hypatia of Alexandria - New
Hypatia of Alexandria was a mathematician, astronomer, and Platonic philosopher. "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all," she is credited with saying. "To teach superstitions as truth is a most terrible thing."

New Space and Astronomy Pictures - Updated
New Space and Astronomy pictures, including: the Featured Space Astronomy Image of the Week, formerly Space and Astronomy Picture of the Day, Saturn Pictures, Mars Pictures, NASA Television, Sky Maps, and Space Computer Desktop Wallpaper.

Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster - A NASA Tragedy - Updated
When the space shuttle Challenger disaster occurred, it exploded killing all aboard, it shocked the nation, started a NASA investigation, and led to many changes in the shuttle program. Here, we look back at the Challenger disaster to see what happened. Most of us remember where we were when we learned of the Challenger disaster.

Blue Moon - Updated
Once in a blue moon. You have probably heard this expression before. It usually means not very often. But, is there really such a thing as a blue moons? Well, yes, but it’s probably not what you may think, and it’s definitely not what it used to be.

The Moon - Luna Information - Updated
Moon - Pictures and Astronomy Facts - Solar System Planetary Astronomical Data & Pictures of the Moon. The Moon. Astronomy Guide to Space exploration close to home. The Moon is the only natural satellite of the planet Earth. It was known as Luna to the Romans, Selene and Artemis to the Greeks, and many other names in other languages. Detailed Information.

Martian Meteorite - New
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has found an iron meteorite, the first meteorite of any type ever identified on another planet. The pitted, basketball-size object is mostly made of iron and nickel according to readings from spectrometers on the rover. Only a small fraction of the meteorites fallen on Earth are similarly metal-rich. Others are rockier. As an example, the meteorite that blasted the famous Meteor Crater in Arizona is similar in composition.

Astronomy and Space Timeline - Updated
Astronomy and Space History Timeline. The history of astronomy and space exploration timeline.

African-Americans in Astronomy and Space - New
African-American History Month has its origins in the early part of the 20th Century. The first "Negro History Week" was celebrated in 1926. This event, which would later evolve into "Black History Month," was the brainchild of Dr. Carter G. Woodson. African-Americans have played a major role in the history of the United States of America and have much to be proud of. Here, we would like to celebrate just a few of the achievements of African-Americans in the fields of astronomy and space.

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson Biography - New
Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson Biography. Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson is the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History and Visiting Research Scientist and Lecturer at Princeton University.

Musical Tribute to Columbia Crew Nominated for Grammy - New
On Sunday, Feb. 1, 2004, international star Josh Groban honored the NASA Space Shuttle Columbia crew with a performance of his new hit "You Raise Me Up" from his multi-platinum CD "Closer" at Super Bowl XXXVIII at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Now "You Raise Me Up", the song performed by Josh Groban as a tribute to Columbia, has been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only).

Benjamin Banneker Biography - New
Benjamin Banneker was an African-American astronomer, clockmaker, & publisher who was instrumental in surveying the District of Columbia. Banneker taught himself astronomy & advanced mathematics. He turned his attention to both subjects. His study of astronomy enabled him to make the calculations to predict solar & lunar eclipses, even correctly contradicting experts of the day, & to compile an ephemeris for his Benjamin Banneker's Almanac. He became known as the Sable Astronomer.

Featured Astronomy Image of the Week: Former Space- Astronomy Picture of the Day - Updated
Welcome to this new feature, Featured Astronomy Image of the Week, Formerly Space - Astronomy Picture of the Day. From now on, this will take the place of our old Space - Astronomy Picture of the Day. We're sorry for any inconvenience, but we hope you'll enjoy this new format, with expanded information. This feature was known as Space - Astronomy Picture of the Day. Featured Astronomy Image of the Week - Formerly Space - Astronomy Picture of the Day.