Daily Extra :
Astronomy & Space Word of The Day
Photosphere: The visible surface of the Sun; sunspots and faculae are observed in the photosphere.
Who Was Born Today?:
1938: Vladimir Grigoryevich Fartushny, Russia, cosmonaut
1939: Vladimir Yevgenyevich Preobrazhensky, Russian cosmonaut
1958: Joe Frank Edwards, Jr., Richmond, Virginia, Cmdr USN/astronaut, STS 89
1939: Vladimir Yevgenyevich Preobrazhensky, Russian cosmonaut
1958: Joe Frank Edwards, Jr., Richmond, Virginia, Cmdr USN/astronaut, STS 89
Who Died Today?:
1862: Jean-Baptiste Biot, French physicist/astronomer, dies at 87
Today in History:
1965: Orbiting Solar Observatory 2 launches into Earth orbit (552/636 km)
1966: 1st operational weather satellite, ESSA-1 launched US
1966: 1st soft landing on Moon (Soviet Luna 9)
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.
1984: 10th Space Shuttle Mission (41B)-Challenger 4 launched
1994: STS-60 (Discovery) launches into orbit
1995: STS 63 (Discovery 19), launches into orbit