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Dutch eyeglass maker Hans Lippershey invents the refracting telescope.
Dutch eyeglass maker Hans Lippershey invents the refracting telescope. The invention spreads rapidly across Europe, as scientists make their own instruments. Their discoveries begin a revolution in astronomy. -
Galileo observes Rings
Galileo is the first person to observe Saturns rings through a telescope. -
As the power and the quality of the telescopes increase, Christiaan Huygens studies Saturn and discovers its largest satellite, Titan.
As the power and the quality of the telescopes increase, Christiaan Huygens studies Saturn and discovers its largest satellite, Titan. He also explains Saturn's appearance, suggesting the planet is surrounded by a thin ring. -
Spuntik 1
Russians launch first artificail satellite, Spuntik 1 -
Ham
The chimpanzee Ham is launched in Mercury rocket -
Marina 2 scans venus
NASA's Marina 2 scans the surface of Venus -
Fire on launch pad
A fire on the launch pad of Apollo 1 kills three US atronauts -
Neil Armstrong
US astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to walk on the moon -
Space shuttle explodes
The space shuttle Challernger explodes on launch killing 7 crew -
Twin Mars Exploration Rover mission
Twin mars Exploration Rover missions Spirit and opportunity land on mars -
IAU changes definition of a planet
International Astronomical Union (IAU) adopted a new definition of planet. A new distinct class of objects called dwarf planets was also decided. Pluto was redefined as a dwarf planet along with Ceres and Eris, formerly known as (2003) UB313. Eris was named after the IAU General Assembly in 2006. -
Extrasolar asteroid detected around white dwarf star.
In October 2013, the first extrasolar asteroid is detected around white dwarf star GD 61. It is also the first detected extrasolar body which contains water in liquid or solid form.
