Astronomy Tonight

On September 18, 1977, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft took an iconic photograph of Earth from a distance of about 7.25 million miles (11.66 million kilometers). This image, known as the "Pale Blue Dot," ...

18 Sep 20242min

On September 17, 1789, the German-born British astronomer William Herschel discovered a new moon orbiting Saturn, which he named Mimas. This discovery was particularly exciting because Mimas was the f...

17 Sep 20241min

On September 16, 1976, NASA's Viking 2 lander successfully touched down on Mars, becoming the second spacecraft to land on the Red Planet and perform scientific experiments on its surface. This histor...

16 Sep 20242min

On September 15, 1977, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on an epic journey that would take it to the outer reaches of our solar system and beyond. This intrepid e...

15 Sep 20242min

On September 14, 1959, the Soviet Union's Luna 2 spacecraft made history by becoming the first human-made object to reach the surface of the Moon. This momentous event marked a significant milestone i...

14 Sep 20242min

On September 13, 1922, a groundbreaking discovery was made by American astronomer Edwin Hubble. While observing the night sky at the Mount Wilson Observatory in California, Hubble spotted a Cepheid va...

13 Sep 20241min

On September 12, 1959, the Soviet Union's Luna 2 spacecraft made history by becoming the first human-made object to reach the surface of the Moon. This monumental achievement marked a significant mile...

12 Sep 20242min

On September 11, 1985, a remarkable astronomical event took place that left stargazers and scientists in awe. The International Cometary Explorer (ICE) spacecraft, originally known as the Internationa...

11 Sep 20242min