Astronomy Tonight

On August 29th, 1864, a remarkable event took place in the field of astronomy. A comet named Comet Tempel-Tuttle, also known as 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, reached its perihelion—the point in its orbit closest...

29 Aug 20242min

On August 28, 1789, German-born British astronomer William Herschel made a groundbreaking discovery that would forever change our understanding of the Solar System. While observing the night sky with ...

28 Aug 20241min

On August 27, 1783, an event occurred that would change our understanding of the cosmos and our place within it. On this day, the French astronomer Charles Messier observed a small, fuzzy object in th...

27 Aug 20242min

On August 26, 1989, NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft made a historic flyby of Neptune, becoming the first and only spacecraft to visit the distant ice giant. This incredible journey marked a significant mi...

26 Aug 20242min

On August 25, 2012, a monumental event took place that sent shockwaves through the astronomical community and sparked the imagination of space enthusiasts worldwide. NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, launc...

25 Aug 20242min

On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) made a historic and controversial decision that shook the astronomical community and sparked heated debates among scientists and the publ...

24 Aug 20243min

On August 23rd in the year 1966, a truly astronomical event took place that would forever change our understanding of the moon and its composition. The Lunar Orbiter 1, a spacecraft designed to captur...

23 Aug 20242min

On August 22, 1989, a cosmic event that would change our understanding of the solar system took place. The Voyager 2 spacecraft, launched by NASA in 1977, made its closest approach to the distant, eni...

22 Aug 20242min