| 1967 |
 |
|
|
Jocelyn Bell and Antony Hewish discover
pulsar. Bell and Hewish discovered regular pulses of radio radiation from a point in the sky. The pulses were later attributed to beams of radiation emitted by a rotating neutron star. p. 419, F 14.6
|
| 1969 |
|
|
Astronauts Edwin Aldrin and Neil Armstrong land
on Moon. On July 20, 1969 Aldrin and Armstrong became the first people to land on the Moon.
|
| 1972 |
|
|
Last Apollo mission
to Moon. Apollo 17 concluded the series of lunar landings in which a dozen astronauts explored the Moon.
|
| 1973 |
|
|
Voyagers 1 and 2 reach
Jupiter. The Voyagers used gravitational boosts from their encounters with Jupiter to speed outward to encounters with other planets in the outer solar system. p. 276, F 9.5
|
| 1974 |
|
|
Mariner 10 encounters Mercury. After passing Venus, Mariner 10 encountered Mercury four times, sending back pictures of Mercury's surface. Mariner 10 is the only spacecraft that has flows past Mercury.
|
| 1976 |
|
|
Vikings land
on Mars. The two Viking landers safely touched down on Mars's surface and, for several years, returned images of the surface, as well as meteorological and seismic data. The Vikings also carried life-detection experiments. p. 262.
|
| 1978 |
|
|
International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) launched. IUE
has been in operation for over 20 years, sending back ultraviolet spectra of celestial objects. p. 168-169, F 5.21
|
| 1978 |
|
|
James Christy discovers Pluto's moon,
Charon. Chrisy noticed that Pluto's image had a bump on it. The bump proved to be a satellite, Charon. p. 292-293, F 9.27
|
| 1981 |
|
|
Very Large Array begins operations. The Very Large Array (VLA) is an array of 27 radio telescopes that work together to produce radio images that are comparable to those of traditional optical telescopes.
|
| 1981 |
|
|
Alan Guth proposes early period of
inflation of universe. Guth proposed that the a number of difficulties with the standard model of the expanding universe could be explained by an enormous expansion very early in the history of the universe. p. 522-523.
|
| 1986 |
|
|
Fleet of space probes encounters Comet Halley.
A fleet of five space probes flew past Comet Halley at distances as small as 600 km. Images sent back by the spacecraft showed that the nucleus of Halley is very dark and larger than anticipated. p. 306, F 10.10.
|
| 1986 |
|
|
Kamiokande neutrino telescope
begins operating. Shortly after it was completed, the Kamiokande telescope was one of two neutrino telescopes to detect neutrinos from a supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
|
| 1987 |
|
|
Supernova
detected in Large Magellanic Cloud. The supernova, which occurred in one of the nearest galaxies, was the first supernova in almost 400 years that could be seen without the aid of a telescope. p. 404.
|
| 1989 |
|
|
Hipparcos satellite begins
making observations. Hipparcos made highly accurate measurements of the positions and parallaxes of stars. p. 509.
|
| 1990 |
|
|
Magellan begins radar mapping of Venus Magellan
produced an almost complete radar map of the surface of Venus. p. 250-251, F 8.12, F 8.13
|
| c1990 |
|
|
CCDs become the detector of choice in astronomy. CCDs are much
more sensitive than photographic plates and allow astronomers to detect very faint objects.
|
| 1990 |
|
|
Hubble
Space Telescope launched. The
HST has produced images of breathtaking clarity and has allowed astronomers to see light from more distant objects than ever before. p. 168-170, F 5.21, F 5.22
|
| 1990 |
|
|
ROSAT launched. ROSAT produced X-ray images of hot, X ray emitting objects. p. 168
|
| 1990 |
|
|
First Keck 10-m
telescope completed. The Keck telescope, unlike most earlier large optical telescopes, has a mirror made of many hexagonal segments. There are now twin Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea. p. 154
|
| 1991 |
|
|
Gamma Ray Observatory
(GRO) launched. The GRO is much more sensitive than earlier gamma ray telescopes.
|
| 1991 |
|
|
Galileo obtains first up-close images of asteroid (Gaspra).
The Galileo spacecraft passed Gaspra at a distance of only 1,600 km. Images from Galileo showed craters and groovelike cracks. p. 301, F 10.5
|
| 1993 |
|
|
Very Long Baseline Array completed. The Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) is an array of ten radio telescopes that work together to yield radio images with even better resolution than optical telescopes can achieve.
|
| 1994 |
|
|
Fragments of Comet
Shoemaker-Levy 9 strike Jupiter. Tides due to Jupiter broke Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 into at least 18 fragments that later struck Jupiter, producing bright fireballs and new cloud features. p. 283
|
| 1995 |
|
|
Galileo probe
enters Jupiter's atmosphere. An entry
probe detached from the Galileo spacecraft and parachuted into Jupiter's atmosphere. The probe sent back data for about an hour before it was destroyed by high pressure and temperature. p. 272, p. 279
|
| 1995 |
|
|
Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) launched.
ISO obtained high resolution infrared spectra and images of cool bodies and clouds of dust in the solar system, galaxy, and beyond. p. 168-169, F 5.21
|
| 1995 |
|
|
Planets found orbiting
stars like the Sun. Astronomers in the United States and Switzerland reported the first detections of Jupiter-like planets orbiting nearby Sun-like stars.
|
| 1996 |
|
|
Claim of evidence for fossil life
in Martian meteoroid. A meteorite blasted from Mars by an asteroidal impact was found to contain possible fossil traces of ancient biological activity and life-like structures. p. 535
|
| 1997 |
|
|
Pathfinder lands on Mars,
Mars Global
Surveyor begins mapping of Mars. The Pathfinder lander and the Sojourner rover it carried landed in an ancient Martian riverbed. The Mars Global Surveyor is sending back pictures of Mars that have unprecedented clarity and detail. p. 535
|
