360Space
Rockets, astronauts, eclipses and comets, past and future.
News · 3
- 31 October 2026
SpaceX flies its 700th Falcon 9 rocket
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg in California just after midnight Eastern time on 31 October, carrying 27 Starlink internet satellites. It was the 700th Falcon 9 launch since the rocket first flew in 2010, and the 118th this year. The first stage landed on a drone ship in the Pacific minutes later.
- 30 October 2026
India launches a satellite to restore its own navigation system
India's space agency ISRO launched the NVS-03 navigation satellite at 23:51 India time on 30 October from Sriharikota. Its GSLV rocket placed it in the planned orbit. The launch brings NavIC, India's own alternative to GPS, back to its minimum of four working satellites. ISRO says it came just 56 days after its previous GSLV mission.
- 29 October 2026
Spacewalkers give the space station a power upgrade
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk spent 7 hours and 11 minutes outside the International Space Station on 29 October, installing and unrolling a new solar array. It is the seventh of eight. When the last one goes up, in a spacewalk planned for 5 November, the station will have up to 30% more power.
History · 16
- 21 May 2023
Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni fly to the space station
On 21 May 2023, Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni launched from Florida on the Ax-2 mission and became the first Saudis to visit the International Space Station. Barnawi, a biomedical researcher, became the first Saudi woman in space. During about eight days on the station, they carried out 14 scientific experiments.
- 25 December 2021
The James Webb Space Telescope is launched
On 25 December 2021, an Ariane 5 rocket launched the James Webb Space Telescope from Kourou, French Guiana. Built by NASA with the European and Canadian space agencies, it unfolded a 6.5 m gold-coated mirror on its way to a point 1.5 million km from Earth. Its first images, in July 2022, showed the early universe in astonishing detail.
- 10 April 2019
Astronomers reveal the first picture of a black hole
On 10 April 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope team released the first image of a black hole: a glowing ring around a dark shadow at the centre of the galaxy M87, about 55 million light-years away. It is about 6.5 billion times the mass of the Sun. Eight radio observatories worked together as one Earth-sized telescope.
- 20 November 1998
The first part of the International Space Station is launched
On 20 November 1998, a Russian Proton rocket launched Zarya from Baikonur, the first module of the International Space Station. Weeks later, a US shuttle attached the Unity module. The first crew moved in on 2 November 2000, and people have lived aboard ever since. Built by five space agencies, it is the largest structure in orbit.
- 24 April 1990
The Hubble Space Telescope is launched
On 24 April 1990, the space shuttle Discovery carried the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit, and astronauts released it the next day. Above the blurring atmosphere, Hubble could see further and more sharply than telescopes on the ground. A flaw in its mirror was fixed by astronauts in 1993, and it has since made more than 1.5 million observations.
- 17–24 June 1985
Prince Sultan bin Salman becomes the first Arab in space
On 17 June 1985, Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, becoming the first Arab astronaut. During the seven-day mission, the crew deployed a communications satellite for Arabsat. The flight was a proud moment for Saudi Arabia, and he later led the Saudi Space Commission.
- 1980–1989
The 1980s: the first Arab in space and the personal computer
King Fahd began his reign in 1982, and in 1985 Prince Sultan bin Salman became the first Arab in space. The IBM PC brought computers into offices and homes, the space shuttle began flying, and in 1989 the Berlin Wall fell and Tim Berners-Lee proposed the World Wide Web.
- 20 August and 5 September 1977
NASA launches the two Voyager spacecraft
In August and September 1977, NASA launched Voyager 2 and Voyager 1 to explore the outer planets, using a rare alignment that occurs every 175 years. Together they visited Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Both have since entered interstellar space and are the most distant human-made objects. Each carries a golden record of sounds from Earth.
- 20 July 1969
Humans walk on the Moon for the first time
On 20 July 1969, NASA's Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. Hours later, Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on its surface, followed by Buzz Aldrin, while Michael Collins orbited above. Hundreds of millions of people watched on television. The crew returned safely to Earth on 24 July, completing one of humanity's greatest journeys.
- 24 December 1968
Apollo 8 orbits the Moon and photographs 'Earthrise'
On 24 December 1968, Apollo 8 became the first crewed spacecraft to orbit the Moon. Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders were the first people to see the far side with their own eyes. Anders photographed the Earth rising over the lunar horizon. 'Earthrise' became one of the most famous photographs ever taken.
- 16 June 1963
Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space
On 16 June 1963, the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova launched aboard Vostok 6 and orbited the Earth 48 times in almost three days. A former textile factory worker and amateur parachutist, she was 26. Her call sign was 'Chaika', meaning seagull. She remains the only woman to have flown a space mission alone.
- 12 April 1961
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person in space
On 12 April 1961, the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth once in the spacecraft Vostok 1, becoming the first human in space. The flight lasted 108 minutes. As he lifted off, he said, 'Poyekhali!', meaning 'Let's go!' His journey opened the era of human spaceflight.
- 1960–1969
The 1960s: the first astronaut and the Moon landing
Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space in 1961, and Apollo 11 landed on the Moon in 1969. Saudi Arabia co-founded OPEC in 1960, and King Faisal began his reign in 1964, launching major development and the Kingdom's first television service. Satellites began relaying television across oceans.
- 4 October 1957
Sputnik, the first satellite, starts the space age
On 4 October 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite. The metal sphere, about 58 centimetres wide, orbited the Earth every 96 minutes, sending radio beeps that people around the world could hear. It started the space age and the space race.
- 13 March 1781
William Herschel discovers Uranus
On 13 March 1781, the musician and amateur astronomer William Herschel spotted a faint disc through his home-made telescope in Bath, England. It was a new planet, Uranus, the first discovered with a telescope and the first unknown to ancient astronomers. It doubled the known size of the solar system.
- 22 June 1675
The Royal Observatory is founded at Greenwich
On 22 June 1675, King Charles II of England signed a warrant to build an observatory at Greenwich, near London, to chart the stars and help sailors find their longitude at sea. John Flamsteed became the first Astronomer Royal. Two centuries later, the line through Greenwich became the world's Prime Meridian, longitude zero.
On this day · 68
- 21 May 2023
Saudi astronauts launch to the International Space Station
On 21 May 2023, the Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni launched from Florida on the Ax-2 mission. They became the first Saudis to visit the International Space Station, and Barnawi became the first Saudi woman in space. They carried out 14 experiments in about eight days.
- 12 July 2022
The James Webb Space Telescope's first images are revealed
On 12 July 2022, NASA released the first full-colour images from the James Webb Space Telescope, including the deepest, sharpest infrared view of the distant universe yet. Thousands of galaxies, some of whose light set out more than 13 billion years ago, filled a patch of sky the size of a grain of sand held at arm's length.
- 25 December 2021
The James Webb Space Telescope launches
On 25 December 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope lifted off from French Guiana on an Ariane 5 rocket. The largest space telescope ever built, it sees in infrared light and can observe some of the first galaxies formed after the Big Bang. Its first images were released in July 2022.
- 30 May 2020
The first crewed launch by a private spacecraft
On 30 May 2020, NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken launched to the International Space Station on SpaceX's Crew Dragon, the first time a privately built spacecraft carried people into orbit. It was also the first crewed launch from the United States since 2011.
- 10 April 2019
The first image of a black hole is revealed
On 10 April 2019, astronomers of the Event Horizon Telescope released the first picture of a black hole: a ring of glowing gas around a dark shadow, in the galaxy M87. Eight radio observatories around the world worked together as one telescope the size of the Earth.
- 11 February 2016
Scientists announce they have detected gravitational waves
On 11 February 2016, scientists of the LIGO observatory announced the first direct detection of gravitational waves, ripples in space-time predicted by Einstein a century earlier. The signal came from two black holes colliding about 1.3 billion light-years away. Three leading scientists shared the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics.
- 12 November 2014
A spacecraft lands on a comet for the first time
On 12 November 2014, the European Space Agency's Philae lander touched down on Comet 67P after a ten-year journey aboard the Rosetta spacecraft. It was the first landing on a comet. Philae bounced and came to rest in a shadow, but still sent back valuable measurements.
- 15 February 2013
A meteor explodes over Chelyabinsk
On 15 February 2013, a space rock about 20 m wide exploded in the sky over Chelyabinsk in Russia, shining brighter than the Sun. Its shock wave shattered windows across the city and injured about 1,500 people, mostly from flying glass. It was the largest such event recorded in more than a century.
- 5 November 2013
India launches its first mission to Mars
On 5 November 2013, India launched the Mars Orbiter Mission, also called Mangalyaan. It reached Mars orbit in September 2014, making India the first Asian nation to reach Mars and the first country to succeed on its first attempt. The mission cost less than many Hollywood films.
- 8 July 2011
The last space shuttle mission launches
On 8 July 2011, the space shuttle Atlantis lifted off from Florida on STS-135, the 135th and final flight of NASA's space shuttle programme. The shuttles had flown for 30 years, launching the Hubble Space Telescope and building the International Space Station.
- 19 January 2006
New Horizons sets off for Pluto
On 19 January 2006, NASA launched the New Horizons spacecraft, the fastest ever to leave Earth. After a journey of more than nine years, it flew past Pluto in July 2015 and sent back the first close-up pictures, revealing icy mountains and a vast heart-shaped plain.
- 24 August 2006
Pluto is reclassified as a dwarf planet
On 24 August 2006, the International Astronomical Union, meeting in Prague, adopted a new definition of a planet. Pluto did not qualify, because it has not cleared its orbit of other objects, and was reclassified as a dwarf planet. The solar system now officially has eight planets.
- 14 January 2005
The Huygens probe lands on Titan
On 14 January 2005, the European Space Agency's Huygens probe parachuted onto Titan, Saturn's largest moon. It sent back pictures of river channels and pebbles of ice. It remains the most distant landing ever made by a spacecraft, about 1.2 billion km from Earth.
- 4 January 2004
The rover Spirit lands on Mars
On 4 January 2004, NASA's rover Spirit bounced to a landing on Mars, cushioned by airbags. Planned to work for 90 days, it explored for more than six years and found strong signs that water once flowed there. Its twin, Opportunity, landed three weeks later and drove more than 45 km.
- 23 July 1999
The Chandra X-ray Observatory is launched
On 23 July 1999, the space shuttle Columbia launched the Chandra X-ray Observatory, under the command of Eileen Collins, the first woman to command a space shuttle. Chandra sees X-rays from exploding stars, black holes and hot gas in galaxy clusters, and is still working.
- 11 August 1999
A total solar eclipse crosses Europe and Asia
On 11 August 1999, the Moon's shadow swept from the Atlantic across Europe, the Middle East and South Asia to the Bay of Bengal, in what may have been the most-watched total solar eclipse in history. Hundreds of millions of people lived in or near its path.
- 11 September 1997
Mars Global Surveyor reaches Mars
On 11 September 1997, NASA's Mars Global Surveyor arrived at Mars and went into orbit. Over nine years, it mapped the whole planet in detail and found gullies that suggested water had flowed on its surface in recent times. It helped choose landing sites for later rovers.
- 15 October 1997
The Cassini spacecraft is launched to Saturn
On 15 October 1997, the Cassini spacecraft was launched to Saturn, carrying the European Huygens probe. It orbited Saturn for 13 years, finding geysers of water on the moon Enceladus, before ending its mission by diving into the planet in 2017.
- 29 June 1995
An American shuttle docks with the Russian space station Mir
On 29 June 1995, the US space shuttle Atlantis docked with the Russian space station Mir, forming the largest spacecraft then in orbit. Crews shook hands through the hatch. The partnership led directly to the International Space Station.
- 24 April 1990
The Hubble Space Telescope is launched
On 24 April 1990, the space shuttle Discovery carried the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit. A flaw in its mirror was fixed by astronauts in 1993. Since then, Hubble has helped measure the age of the universe and captured some of the most famous images in astronomy.
- 17 June 1985
Prince Sultan bin Salman becomes the first Arab in space
On 17 June 1985, HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz launched aboard the space shuttle Discovery, becoming the first Arab and first Saudi in space. During the seven-day mission, he helped deploy the Arabsat satellite and carried out experiments.
- 7 February 1984
An astronaut flies free in space
On 7 February 1984, the American astronaut Bruce McCandless flew about 100 m away from the space shuttle Challenger using a jet-powered backpack, with no safety line. It was the first untethered spacewalk. A famous photograph shows him floating alone against the blackness of space.
- 13 June 1983
Pioneer 10 passes beyond the outer planets
On 13 June 1983, NASA's Pioneer 10 crossed the orbit of Neptune, then the most distant planet from the Sun, becoming the first spacecraft to pass beyond all the known planets. It carries a plaque with a message for anyone who might find it.
- 30 August 1983
Guion Bluford becomes the first African American in space
On 30 August 1983, the astronaut Guion Bluford launched aboard the space shuttle Challenger, becoming the first African American to travel into space. A US Air Force pilot and aerospace engineer, he flew four shuttle missions.
- 5 March 1979
Voyager 1 flies past Jupiter
On 5 March 1979, NASA's Voyager 1 made its closest approach to Jupiter. It revealed volcanoes erupting on the moon Io, the first active volcanoes seen beyond Earth, and faint rings around the planet. Voyager 1 later left the solar system and is the most distant human-made object.
- 10 March 1977
Astronomers discover the rings of Uranus
On 10 March 1977, astronomers watching from an aircraft-mounted telescope over the Indian Ocean saw a star blink on and off several times as Uranus passed in front of it. The flickers revealed thin, dark rings around the planet. Voyager 2 photographed them in 1986.
- 20 August 1977
Voyager 2 is launched
On 20 August 1977, NASA launched Voyager 2. It became the only spacecraft to visit all four giant planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, and later entered interstellar space. It carries a golden record of sounds and greetings from Earth.
- 5 September 1977
Voyager 1 is launched
On 5 September 1977, NASA launched Voyager 1. It flew past Jupiter and Saturn, and in 2012 became the first spacecraft to enter interstellar space. More than 24 billion km away, it is the most distant human-made object, and still sends faint signals home.
- 3 September 1976
Viking 2 lands on Mars
On 3 September 1976, NASA's Viking 2 lander touched down on Utopia Planitia, a plain on Mars, weeks after its twin, Viking 1. The landers photographed the red, rocky surface, measured the weather and tested the soil for signs of life. Viking 2 worked for more than three and a half years.
- 29 March 1974
Mariner 10 makes the first visit to Mercury
On 29 March 1974, NASA's Mariner 10 flew past Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun, and sent back the first close-up pictures. They showed a cratered world that looks much like the Moon. Mariner 10 was also the first spacecraft to use a planet's gravity, Venus's, to change course.
- 7 December 1972
Apollo 17 launches and photographs the 'Blue Marble'
On 7 December 1972, Apollo 17, the last Apollo mission to the Moon, lifted off. On the way, the crew took a photograph of the whole Earth fully lit by the Sun, known as 'The Blue Marble'. It became one of the most reproduced images in history.
- 19 December 1972
The last crewed Moon mission returns
On 19 December 1972, the Apollo 17 crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, ending the last crewed mission to the Moon. Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt had spent about three days on the surface. No one has walked on the Moon since, though new missions are planned.
- 14 November 1971
Mariner 9 becomes the first spacecraft to orbit another planet
On 14 November 1971, NASA's Mariner 9 entered orbit around Mars, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit another planet. After waiting out a planet-wide dust storm, it mapped most of the Martian surface, revealing giant volcanoes, a huge canyon system and ancient riverbeds.
- 11 April 1970
Apollo 13 launches towards the Moon
On 11 April 1970, Apollo 13 lifted off for the Moon. Two days later, an oxygen tank exploded, and the crew radioed: 'Houston, we've had a problem.' The landing was abandoned. Using the lunar module as a lifeboat, the three astronauts swung around the Moon and returned safely on 17 April.
- 15 December 1970
The first successful landing on another planet
On 15 December 1970, the Soviet spacecraft Venera 7 landed on Venus and sent back data from its surface, the first successful landing on another planet. It recorded a temperature of about 475 degrees Celsius, showing that Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system.
- 16 July 1969
Apollo 11 launches for the Moon
On 16 July 1969, a Saturn V rocket launched Apollo 11 from Florida, carrying Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. About a million people watched nearby. Four days later, Armstrong and Aldrin became the first people to walk on the Moon.
- 20 July 1969
Humans walk on the Moon for the first time
On 20 July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon in the lunar module Eagle. Stepping onto the surface, Armstrong said: 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.' About 600 million people watched on television.
- 24 February 1968
Astronomers announce the discovery of pulsars
On 24 February 1968, the journal Nature published the discovery of the first pulsar, a source of radio pulses arriving every 1.3 seconds. It was spotted by the graduate student Jocelyn Bell Burnell in Cambridge. Pulsars turned out to be spinning neutron stars, the collapsed cores of dead stars.
- 21 December 1968
Apollo 8 sets off to orbit the Moon
On 21 December 1968, Apollo 8 launched with Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders, the first people to leave Earth's orbit. Three days later, they became the first humans to orbit the Moon and see its far side with their own eyes.
- 24 December 1968
The Earthrise photograph is taken
On 24 December 1968, Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders photographed the Earth rising over the Moon's horizon. The image, known as 'Earthrise', showed our planet as a small, colourful world in the darkness of space, and it inspired many people to care for the environment.
- 3 February 1966
Luna 9 makes the first soft landing on the Moon
On 3 February 1966, the Soviet probe Luna 9 became the first spacecraft to land gently on the Moon, on the Ocean of Storms. It sent back the first pictures from the lunar surface and showed that the ground was firm enough to support a lander, not covered in deep dust.
- 23 August 1966
The first photograph of Earth from the Moon
On 23 August 1966, NASA's Lunar Orbiter 1 took the first photograph of the Earth from near the Moon, showing a crescent Earth above the lunar horizon. Two years later, the Apollo 8 crew took the famous colour photograph 'Earthrise'.
- 18 March 1965
Alexei Leonov makes the first spacewalk
On 18 March 1965, the Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov left his Voskhod 2 spacecraft and floated in space for about 12 minutes, tied by a tether. His suit ballooned in the vacuum, and he had to let out air to squeeze back inside. He later became a celebrated space artist.
- 3 June 1965
Ed White makes the first American spacewalk
On 3 June 1965, the astronaut Ed White floated outside the Gemini 4 spacecraft for about 23 minutes, using a hand-held gas gun to move around. He enjoyed it so much that he was reluctant to go back inside, calling it 'the saddest moment of my life'.
- 16 June 1963
Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space
On 16 June 1963, the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova launched aboard Vostok 6 and orbited the Earth 48 times in almost three days. A former textile worker and amateur parachutist, she was 26. She remains the only woman to have flown a space mission alone.
- 20 February 1962
John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit Earth
On 20 February 1962, the astronaut John Glenn circled the Earth three times in the Friendship 7 capsule, in a flight of almost five hours. He was the first American to orbit the planet. In 1998, aged 77, he flew in space again on the shuttle Discovery.
- 12 September 1962
Kennedy says 'We choose to go to the Moon'
On 12 September 1962, US President John F. Kennedy gave a speech at Rice University in Houston, promising to land astronauts on the Moon before the end of the decade, 'not because they are easy, but because they are hard'. Apollo 11 landed in July 1969.
- 12 April 1961
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
On 12 April 1961, the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth once in Vostok 1, in a flight of 108 minutes. As he lifted off, he said: 'Poyekhali!', 'Let's go!' The date is marked every year by the United Nations as the International Day of Human Space Flight.
- 5 May 1961
Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space
On 5 May 1961, the astronaut Alan Shepard flew into space aboard Freedom 7, a 15-minute flight that rose about 187 km before splashing down in the Atlantic. Ten years later, he walked on the Moon with Apollo 14, and famously hit two golf balls there.
- 2 January 1959
Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to escape Earth's gravity
On 2 January 1959, the Soviet Union launched Luna 1 towards the Moon. It missed its target by about 6,000 km, but it became the first spacecraft to escape Earth's gravity and go into orbit around the Sun. It also found the solar wind, a stream of particles flowing from the Sun.
- 9 April 1959
NASA introduces its first astronauts
On 9 April 1959, NASA introduced the 'Mercury Seven', the first American astronauts, chosen from military test pilots. They included Alan Shepard, the first American in space, and John Glenn, the first to orbit Earth. They became national heroes.
- 28 May 1959
Two monkeys return safely from space
On 28 May 1959, the monkeys Able and Baker flew about 480 km high on a US rocket and returned safely, becoming the first primates to survive a flight into space. Their journey helped show that living creatures could withstand launch, weightlessness and re-entry.
- 7 August 1959
The first photograph of Earth from orbit
On 7 August 1959, the United States launched the satellite Explorer 6. A week later, it sent back the first photograph of Earth taken from orbit, a crude, blurry image of sunlit clouds over the Pacific. Today satellites photograph the whole planet every day.
- 7 October 1959
The first photographs of the Moon's far side
On 7 October 1959, the Soviet probe Luna 3 photographed the far side of the Moon, the side never seen from Earth. The blurry images showed fewer dark plains than the near side. One of the features was later named the Sea of Moscow.
- 31 January 1958
Explorer 1, America's first satellite, is launched
On 31 January 1958, the United States launched Explorer 1, its first satellite. An instrument designed by James Van Allen detected belts of radiation trapped around the Earth by its magnetic field. They are now known as the Van Allen belts.
- 29 July 1958
NASA is created
On 29 July 1958, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the law creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, in response to the Soviet Sputnik. NASA put astronauts on the Moon and has since sent robotic explorers to every planet in the solar system.
- 4 October 1957
Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, is launched
On 4 October 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, a metal ball about 58 cm across with four long aerials. It circled the Earth every 96 minutes, sending out radio beeps that people around the world could hear. It began the space age.
- 3 November 1957
Laika becomes the first animal to orbit the Earth
On 3 November 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2, carrying a dog named Laika. She was the first animal to orbit the Earth. The mission showed that a living creature could survive launch and weightlessness, helping prepare the way for human spaceflight four years later.
- 18 February 1930
Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto
On 18 February 1930, the young astronomer Clyde Tombaugh found Pluto by comparing photographs of the night sky at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona. The name was suggested by an 11-year-old girl in England, Venetia Burney. Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006.
- 16 March 1926
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fuelled rocket
On 16 March 1926, the American physicist Robert Goddard launched the first rocket powered by liquid fuel, from a farm in Auburn, Massachusetts. It flew for about two and a half seconds and rose about 12 m. Modern space rockets use the same basic idea.
- 19 May 1910
Earth passes through the tail of Halley's Comet
On 19 May 1910, the Earth passed through the tail of Halley's Comet. Newspapers had reported that the tail contained poisonous gas, and some people panicked and bought 'comet pills'. Scientists explained the gas was far too thin to harm anyone, and nothing happened. Halley's Comet returns in 2061.
- 30 June 1908
A huge explosion flattens a Siberian forest
On 30 June 1908, a huge explosion over the Tunguska region of Siberia flattened about 80 million trees across more than 2,000 square kilometres. Scientists think a space rock exploded in the air. The date is now marked as Asteroid Day, to raise awareness of the need to watch the skies.
- 13 October 1884
Greenwich is chosen as the Prime Meridian
On 13 October 1884, delegates from 25 countries at the International Meridian Conference in Washington voted to make the meridian through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, London, longitude zero. The world's time zones are still counted from it.
- 10 October 1846
Triton, Neptune's largest moon, is discovered
On 10 October 1846, just 17 days after the planet Neptune was discovered, the English astronomer William Lassell found its largest moon, Triton. Triton orbits backwards, against Neptune's spin, and has geysers of nitrogen, seen by Voyager 2 in 1989.
- 2 April 1845
The first photograph of the Sun is taken
On 2 April 1845, the French physicists Hippolyte Fizeau and Léon Foucault took the first detailed photograph of the Sun, a daguerreotype exposed for a fraction of a second. Sunspots are visible on it. Today telescopes in space watch the Sun around the clock to forecast space weather.
- 1 January 1801
Ceres, the first asteroid, is discovered
On 1 January 1801, the Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi spotted a faint moving point of light from his observatory in Palermo. It was Ceres, the first object found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Today Ceres is classed as a dwarf planet, and NASA's Dawn spacecraft orbited it from 2015.
- 13 March 1781
William Herschel discovers Uranus
On 13 March 1781, the musician and astronomer William Herschel spotted a faint disc through his home-made telescope in Bath, England. He first thought it was a comet. It proved to be a new planet, Uranus, the first discovered with a telescope, doubling the known size of the solar system.
- 22 June 1675
King Charles II founds the Royal Observatory, Greenwich
On 22 June 1675, King Charles II signed a warrant to build an observatory at Greenwich, near London, to chart the stars and help sailors find their longitude. In 1884, the line through Greenwich was chosen as the Prime Meridian, longitude zero.
Future · 17
- Mid-2027 · Planned
Artemis III tests moon landers in Earth orbit
NASA plans Artemis III for mid-2027: a crewed mission of about two weeks in Earth orbit to practise meeting and docking with the two lunar landers being built by SpaceX and Blue Origin. NASA has said the mission is running behind schedule, so the date may slip. Its results will help decide which lander goes to the Moon first.
- 2 August 2027 · Predicted
The century's longest total solar eclipse on land
On 2 August 2027, the Moon will completely cover the Sun along a path crossing Spain, North Africa, Egypt and western Saudi Arabia, including Jeddah and Makkah. Near Luxor in Egypt, totality will last about six minutes and 23 seconds, the longest total eclipse on land this century.
- 2028 · Planned
Artemis IV aims to land astronauts on the Moon
NASA plans Artemis IV in 2028 as the first crewed Moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. Astronauts would travel on the Orion spacecraft and descend to the surface near the lunar south pole in a SpaceX or Blue Origin lander. Space schedules often slip, so the date is a target, not a promise.
- 22 July 2028 · Predicted
A total solar eclipse crosses Australia and New Zealand
On 22 July 2028, the Moon's shadow crosses Australia from the Kimberley in the northwest to Sydney in the southeast, then passes over New Zealand's South Island. Along the path, day will turn to twilight for several minutes. Sydney will see its first total solar eclipse in more than 150 years.
- 13 April 2029 · Predicted
Asteroid Apophis passes close to Earth
On 13 April 2029, the asteroid Apophis, about 340 metres wide, will pass about 32,000 kilometres above Earth's surface, closer than many satellites. It poses no danger. It will be visible without a telescope from parts of Europe, Africa and Asia, and a NASA spacecraft will study it afterwards.
- Around 2030–2031 · Planned
The International Space Station is retired
NASA and its partners plan to retire the International Space Station around the end of 2030 and guide it to a controlled re-entry over a remote part of the Pacific Ocean in 2031. Commercial space stations are being developed to take over its role in orbit.
- 22 December 2032 · Predicted
Asteroid 2024 YR4 passes close to the Moon
On 22 December 2032, asteroid 2024 YR4, about 60 m wide, will pass about 21,000 km from the Moon's surface. Soon after its discovery, it briefly had a small chance of hitting Earth, which was ruled out in 2025. In March 2026, James Webb Space Telescope observations also ruled out a Moon impact. It poses no danger.
- 2 September 2035 · Predicted
A total solar eclipse crosses China, Korea and Japan
On 2 September 2035, a total solar eclipse will sweep across northern China, including near Beijing, then the Korean Peninsula and central Japan, before heading out over the Pacific. Hundreds of millions of people live close to the path of totality.
- Around 2035 · Planned
LISA, an observatory for ripples in space, is due to launch
Around 2035, the European Space Agency, working with NASA, plans to launch LISA: three spacecraft flying in a triangle 2.5 million km on each side. Lasers between them will detect gravitational waves, tiny ripples in space-time from colliding giant black holes across the universe.
- 12 August 2045 · Predicted
A great total solar eclipse crosses the United States
On 12 August 2045, a total solar eclipse will cross the United States from northern California to Florida, then continue over the Caribbean and South America. At its longest, the Sun will be hidden for more than six minutes, one of the longest total eclipses seen from the US.
- Mid-2061 · Predicted
Halley's Comet returns
Halley's Comet, which returns about every 76 years, will next pass closest to the Sun in mid-2061. Edmond Halley first predicted its return using Newton's laws in the 1700s. Its last visit was in 1986, so for many people alive today, 2061 will be their first chance to see it.
- 22 June 2075 · Anniversary
400 years of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich
On 22 June 2075, it will be 400 years since King Charles II founded the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. The line of longitude zero, the Prime Meridian, still runs through it, and the world's time zones are still counted from it.
- 10–11 December 2117 · Predicted
Venus crosses the face of the Sun
On 10 and 11 December 2117, Venus will pass directly between Earth and the Sun, appearing as a small black dot crossing the Sun's disc. These transits come in pairs more than a century apart. The last was in 2012, and the next after 2117 will be in December 2125.
- 2134 · Predicted
Halley's Comet returns again
After its 2061 visit, Halley's Comet will return again around 2134. Astronomers expect it to pass much closer to Earth than in 1986, which could make it a brighter sight in the night sky.
- Around 2178 · Predicted
Pluto completes its first orbit since its discovery
Pluto takes about 248 Earth years to travel once around the Sun. Discovered in February 1930, it will complete its first full orbit since its discovery around 2178, returning to roughly the same point in the sky where Clyde Tombaugh first spotted it.
- 16 July 2186 · Predicted
The longest total solar eclipse for thousands of years
On 16 July 2186, a total solar eclipse will darken the sky for up to about seven minutes and 29 seconds, near the coast of South America. Astronomers calculate it will be one of the longest total eclipses in thousands of years, close to the maximum length possible.
- 28 August 2287 · Predicted
Mars comes closer to Earth than in nearly 60,000 years
In August 2003, Mars came closer to Earth than at any time in nearly 60,000 years. Astronomers calculate that this record will be beaten on 28 August 2287, when Mars will be slightly closer still and shine brightly in the night sky.