Daily Extra :

Quote Of The Day

The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless.
Steven Weinberg (b. 1933)

Today in History:

1967: Mariner 5 - USA Venus Flyby (June 14 to Nov, '67) completed its journey. Mariner 5 arrived at Venus on Oct. 19, '67, one day after Venera 4. It passed within 3,900 km of the planet's surface. It studied the Venusian magnetic field & found that its atmosphere was composed of 85-99% CO2.

It is now in a solar orbit.

1969: Apollo 12 - USA Lunar Manned Lander (Nov. 14-24, '69) splashed down. Crew: Charles Conrad Jr., Alan Bean, Richard Gordon, Jr. was a manned lunar landing which took place on Nov 19, '69. The landing site was Oceanus Procellarum at lat 3°12' S & long 23°23' W. This was the landing site for Surveyor 3. Conrad & Bean retrieved portions of Surveyor 3, including the camera. Samples amounting to 34.4 kg were returned. Astronauts also deployed the Apollo lunar surface experiment package (ALSEP), an automated research station which was also deployed by all subsequent lunar crews.

1971: Mariner 9 - USA Mars Orbiter (May 30, '71 - '72) arrived at Mars & was placed into orbit on Nov. 24. This was the first US spacecraft to enter an orbit around a planet other than the Moon. At the time of its arrival a huge dust storm was in progress on the planet. Many of the scientific experiments were delayed until the storm had subsided. The first hi-resolution images of the moons Phobos & Deimos were taken.

River & channel like features were discovered. Mariner 9 is still in Martian orbit.

1995: Pioneer 11 - USA Jupiter/Saturn Flyby - 259 kg - (Apr 6, '73 - Nov '95) left the solar system. Pioneer 11 flew by Jupiter on Dec 1, '74 passing 42,900 km from Jupiter's cloud tops. It took better pictures than Pioneer 10, & measured Jupiter's intense charged-particle & magnet field environment. As it flew by Jupiter it was given a gravity assist which swung it onto a course for Saturn. On Sep. 1, '79, Pioneer 11 flew past the outer edge of Saturn's A ring at a range of 3,500 km. It traveled underneath the ring system & passed 20,930 km from Saturn's cloud tops.