Today in the History of Astronomy | Page 4 of 30 | Astronomy.com

A white space shuttle attached to a large rust-orange fuel tank and white booster rockets stands upright on a launch pad next to a tall, grey metal service tower. A billowing plume of thick white smoke erupts from the base of the tower on the left, contrasting against the pale grey sky background. Daytime lighting brightly illuminates the shuttle and the tan, sloped concrete ramp leading up to the launch platform in the foreground.

Human Spaceflight, Today in the History of Astronomy

Aug. 30, 1984: Space Shuttle Discovery launches

A grainy astronomical photograph shows three bright glowing shapes arranged in a slight horizontal arc across a dark blue background. At the center, a fuzzy, pale yellow oval ring encircles a small, bright red dot. Flanking the ringed shape on either side are two bright, soft-edged blue-white spheres, with high contrast separating the luminous central objects from the surrounding dark expanse.

Today in the History of Astronomy

Aug. 29, 1990: Hubble sees Supernova 1987A clearly

A monochrome photograph shows an elongated, heavily cratered grey asteroid floating in the left center of a solid black background. Bright, direct sunlight illuminates its pitted, irregular surface, while deep shadows cover its lower edge and back side. To the far right, a tiny, round grey object appears isolated against the dark space, echoing the texture of the larger main body.

Today in the History of Astronomy

Aug. 28, 1993: An asteroid harbors a surprise

Two side-by-side full-disk views of a round, reddish-orange planet are set against a solid black background. Both spheres feature mottled dark grey and brown surface markings across their centers, a thin blue atmospheric rim along their edges, and a bright white ice cap at the bottom pole. Soft lighting illuminates the terrain, creating sharp contrast between the bright orange surface and the dark void surrounding each planet.

Today in the History of Astronomy

Aug. 27, 2003: Mars zooms in

A medium shot shows a man in a dark suit leaning down with both hands resting gently on the shoulders of an elderly woman seated in the center foreground. The smiling woman wears a dark jacket, a bright orange shirt, and a gold medal around her neck attached to a blue ribbon, looking up toward the man. Other seated guests surround them against a cream-colored background, all under bright interior lighting that creates sharp detail throughout the frame.

Human Spaceflight, Today in the History of Astronomy

Aug. 26, 1918: The birth of Katherine Johnson

A grid of twelve brightly colored images displays various deep-space formations against dark, star-filled backgrounds. Each panel features distinct shapes and vibrant hues, including spiraling red and blue light, glowing green gas clouds, ring-like structures, and scattered clusters of tiny stars. High contrast throughout the grid highlights the brilliant, luminous centers and delicate wisps of light in each scene.

Robotic Spaceflight, Today in the History of Astronomy

Aug. 25, 2003: The Spitzer Space Telescope launches

A detailed, full-disk view of a celestial body fills almost the entire frame against a solid black background. The textured surface displays a patchwork of distinct colors, featuring a large, smooth, light cream-colored region in the lower center bordered by heavily cratered, deep rust-red terrain to the left and pale bluish-grey areas near the top and right. Soft lighting across the sphere highlights fine surface crevices and crater rims, creating gentle shadows near the lower-right edge.

Today in the History of Astronomy

Aug. 24, 2006: Pluto is demoted

A bright, pixelated circle of mottled yellow and green glowing hues sits centered against a dark, speckled blue-and-black background. Small red-orange spots mark the top, bottom, and center of the bright sphere, with a tiny, isolated red dot floating just off its top edge. High contrast separates the vibrant yellow-green disc from the surrounding cool-toned background.

Today in the History of Astronomy

Aug. 23, 1991: Water on Mercury

A monochrome, high-contrast image shows two thin, glowing white concentric rings arching across a black, star-speckled background. In the lower-right corner, a bright, solid white crescent curves upward toward the inner ring. Tiny, distant points of white light dot the dark space inside and around the rings, giving the scene high visual contrast.

Today in the History of Astronomy

Aug. 22, 1989: Voyager 2 reveals Neptune

A vintage black-and-white photograph captures a crowd of adults and children standing gathered outdoors, looking up toward the sky. Most individuals hold small rectangular cards, dark glass plates, or paper up to their eyes to shield their vision. Bright daylight illuminates the figures in the foreground, contrasting against the darker storefront with a large white awning and signage in the background.

Today in the History of Astronomy

Aug. 21, 1914: Total solar eclipse tensions

A black-and-white portrait shows a man wearing thick-rimmed glasses, a dark suit jacket, and a tie, smiling broadly in the center of the frame. Direct daylight illuminates his face and the front of his white shirt, creating clear contrast against his dark jacket. In the blurred background, trees and a multi-story building featuring a domed tower stand under a bright sky.

Today in the History of Astronomy

Aug. 20, 2001: Cosmologist Fred Hoyle dies

Today in the History of Astronomy

Aug. 19, 1646: The birth of John Flamsteed