Today in the History of Astronomy | Astronomy.com

A man with long, curly dark hair is depicted from the waist up, facing left. He rests one hand on a large celestial globe while gesturing with his other hand toward an outdoor scene visible through a window behind him. The background shows a large stone building and several figures operating long telescopes on a grassy field, all rendered in detailed monochrome linework.

Today in the History of Astronomy

Oct. 25, 1671: Iapetus is discovered

A black-and-white engrave-style illustration depicts a man with a mustache, beard, ruffled collar, and a feather-adorned hat centered in the frame. He wears a heavy coat over a buttoned jacket with long chains resting on his chest, while a small metal skeletal globe sits near his left hand. Tiny five-pointed stars are scattered loosely across the plain white background behind him.

Today in the History of Astronomy

Oct. 24, 1601: The death of Tycho Brahe

A horizontal diagram displays planets aligned along a white baseline extending from a glowing yellow Sun on the left into a black, star-filled space on the right. A large, curved orange bubble shaded with a blue border encloses the solar system region, with vertical text labels and numbers marking distances along the line. A small illustration of a spacecraft appears near the border, pointed toward a dense band of white speckles labeled across the dark background.

Today in the History of Astronomy

Oct. 23, 1893: Birth of Ernest Opik

A stark, high-contrast photograph captures a solid black circle perfectly centered against a jet-black background. A bright, glowing ring of white light radiates outward from behind the dark circle, creating a soft, hazy halo with faint streaks extending into the surrounding darkness.

Today in the History of Astronomy

Oct. 22, 2137 B.C.E.: An eclipse darkens skies over ancient China

A large, tan stone building with intricate ornate detailing spans the frame under a clear, pale blue sky. On the left stands a prominent circular structure topped with a massive silver-grey dome, connected to an elongated wing featuring arched windows and a central entrance steps leading up from a paved walkway. Well-manicured green lawns, bushes, and a white bench sit in the foreground under bright, direct sunlight.

Today in the History of Astronomy

Oct. 21, 1897: Yerkes Observatory is dedicated

A multi-part white spacecraft floats in the center against a black space background filled with faint stars. Large, dark solar panel wings extend outward to the sides, while a long thin boom projects to the left. The craft's metallic white body features a conical upper shade, textured insulation layers, and two glowing blue thruster plumes at the bottom.

Robotic Spaceflight, Today in the History of Astronomy

Oct. 20, 2018: BepiColombo launches

An elongated, dark grey rock with a rough, cratered surface floats diagonally across the center of the frame against a black space background filled with distant stars. A bright star shines in the upper right, casting strong highlights along one side of the object while leaving the other in deep shadow. Faint, pale streams of haze drift away from the sunlit edge of the rock into the surrounding darkness.

Today in the History of Astronomy

Oct. 19, 2017: The discovery of ‘Oumuamua

A small, bright white point of light shines directly in the center of a dark, square black background. A soft, dim glow fades outward around the central point, creating high contrast against the surrounding dark space. The overall image has a grainy texture with dark, subtle noise throughout.

Today in the History of Astronomy

Oct. 18, 1977: The enigma of Chiron

A woman in a yellow top and blue trousers floats mid-air in the center of a narrow, tunnel-like spacecraft corridor lined with modular white panels, equipment racks, and yellow handrails. Bright, even interior overhead lights illuminate her and the surrounding laboratory modules, creating clear visibility throughout the enclosed space. She smiles toward the camera as she hovers freely above the metallic floor grid.

Human Spaceflight, Today in the History of Astronomy

Oct. 17, 1956: Birth of Mae Jemison

A large, complex satellite floating diagonally across the frame features a metallic main body on the upper left equipped with circular lenses, antennas, and reflective panels. Extending down and to the right is a wide, five-panel solar wing that reflects an artwork-style view of the Earth with a bright sunburst rising over the horizon. The satellite stands out with high contrast and bright specular highlights against a dark background filled with faint distant stars.

Robotic Spaceflight, Today in the History of Astronomy

Oct. 16, 1975: The first GOES satellite launches

A tall, vertical rocket launches at night, its base surrounded by a massive, brightly glowing cloud of white smoke and intense yellow exhaust flames. The rocket is flanked by four tall, metal lattice lightning towers standing vertically against the solid black night sky. The brilliant white glare from the launch engines casts high-contrast light over the surrounding launchpad structures and ground.

Robotic Spaceflight, Today in the History of Astronomy

Oct. 15, 1997: Cassini-Huygens launches

A black-and-white photograph shows a pilot standing proudly next to the nose of an airplane, holding a helmet in his left hand and a parachute pack slung over his shoulder. The text "GLAMOROUS GLENNIS" is painted in large letters on the aircraft's curved nose just ahead of the open cockpit door. Bright daylight illuminates the scene, creating a sharp contrast between the dark flight suit and the light background.

Human Spaceflight, Today in the History of Astronomy

Oct. 14, 1947: Flying faster than sound