On This Date in History - February 2

Daily Extra :

Astronomy & Space Word of The Day

Crater Density: The number of craters on a surface per unit area.

Who Was Born Today?:

Who Died Today?:

Today in History:

1962: 8 of 9 planets align for 1st time in 400 years (Note: In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided that Pluto is not a planet, reducing the number of known planets in our solar system to 8.)

1971: Apollo 14 - USA Lunar Manned Lander (January 31 to February 8, 1971) Crew: Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, Stuart A. Roosa. Shepard and Mitchell landed on the moon on February 5, 1971, in the Fra Mauro highlands, located at 3°40' S and longitude 17°28' E. They collected 42.9 kilograms of lunar samples and used a hand-held cart to transport rocks and equipment.

1977: Burn up of Salyut 4 Space Station (U.S.S.R.)

1995: U.S. space shuttle Discovery launched

Featured Astronomy Image of the Week

Check out the former Astronomy Picture of the Day. See what surprises await you this week.