Daily Extra :
Astronomy & Space Word of The Day
planum: A plateau or high plain.
Who Was Born Today?:
Who Died Today?:
Today in History:
1964: Echo 2, U.S. communications satellite launched
1983: Infrared telescope satellite launched into polar orbit
1992: Hubble space telescope optics finds NGC3862/3C264
1994: Clementine - USA Lunar Orbiter launched. The official name for Clementine is Deep Space Probe Science Experiment (DSPSE). It was a Department of Defense program used to test new space technology. Clementine was a new design using lightweight structure and propellant systems. It spent 70 days (between February 6 and May 5, 1994) in lunar orbit. Its four cameras mapped the surface of the Moon at 125-250 meters/pixel resolution. Clementine also used a laser to gather altimeter data which will make it possible to generate the first lunar topographic map.
