Daily Extra :
Astronomy & Space Word of The Day
conjunction: Inferior planet (closer to sun than Earth) is "in inferior conjunction" when directly between Earth & Sun. It's "in superior conjunction" when on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth. Superior planets (6 planets farther from Sun than Earth) are "in conjunction" when on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth. A superior planet obviously cannot have an inferior conjunction.
Today in History:
1969: Apollo 10, USA Lunar Manned Orbiter, (May 18-26, 1969) launched. Crew: Thomas Stafford, Eugene A. Cernan, John W. Young. Manned lunar fly-around and Earth return. Stafford and Cernan tested the Lunar Module, separating it from the Command and Service Module and descended to within 50,000 feet of the lunar surface. The astronauts acquired a large number of excellent 70-mm photographs.