Patsy Cline releases "I Fall To Pieces" 1961

The Queen of country music, Patsy Cline released her first #1 hit I Fall to Pieces, January 30, 1961.  It was mainly ignored by radio stations at first, but soon found an audience.  It entered the Billboard Country charts in April and made a slow rise to #1, to #12 on the Billboard Pop chart and #6 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart.  Cline proved that a female could have cross-over hits on both charts. 

The success of I Fall to Pieces gained Cline an invitation to  join the Grand Ol'  Opry.  Rolling Stone magazine ranked it #238 of the top 500 Songs of All Time.  RIAA ranked it as 107 on the list of Songs of the Century.

Phobos 2, Russian probe, enters orbit around Phobos, discovers UFO, alien base and monolith!

Phobos 2, the Soviet probe launched in July 1988, entered orbit around Phobos, Martian moon, January 29, 1989.  It studied the Martian atmosphere and took 37 pictures of Phobos.  In March 1989, contact with the probe was lost, and the official explanation was an on-board computer malfunction.

However, an investigation of some of the pictures show that Phobos 2 might have been destroyed by a UFO after the Soviet probe took pics of the alien base, their monolith, their flying saucer and its shadow.

Happy birthday, Japanese astronaut Mamoru Mohri!

Mamoru Mohri, born January 29, 1948 in Japan, is a veteran of two space shuttle missions. He was selected as astronaut by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) which is now the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

His first flight was on board Endeavour (STS-47) as mission specialist in September 1992.  It was a joint venture between NASA and NASDA, using a Spacelab module to conduct life and material sciences experiments.

Mohri's second and final flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-99) in February 2000 as mission specialist again.  The Smithsonian Networks aired a documentary Oasis Earth in 2007, which featured Mohri shooting video of the moon and Mount Fuji.

Challenger (STS-51-L) explodes 73 seconds after launch 1986

STS-51-L crew 

Back row (L-R): Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik. 

Front row (L-R): Michael J. Smith, Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ronald McNair.

STS-51-L Mission patch

Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-51-L), launched January 28, 1986, exploded 73 seconds after launch.  The cause of the disaster was determined to have been a failure of an O-ring seal on the starboard Solid Rocket Booster.  The disaster grounded the space shuttle program for 32 months.  Its crew consisted of Commander Francis Scobee, Pilot Michael Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnick, Ronald McNair, Gregory Jarvis and Christa McAuliffe.  All crew perished in the disaster.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut John Fabian!

John McCreary Fabian, born January 28, 1939 in Goose Creek, Texas, is a veteran of two space shuttle missions.  He joined the US Air Force in 1962, and received flight training at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona.

His first mission into space was aboard Challenger (STS-7) in June 1983 as mission specialist.  Sally Ride was on board as the first U.S. female astronaut.  Ronald Reagan, then President, sent Jelly Belly jelly beans with the astronauts, the first jelly beans in space.

Fabian's second and final mission was aboard Discovery (STS-51-G) in June 1985 as mission specialist.  It was the first flight for Shannon Lucid and the only flights for Patrick Baudry (CNES) and Sultan Salman al Saud, the first Arab, first Muslim and first royal astronaut.

Ranger 3 launched 1962

Ranger 3, launched January 26, 1962, was a NASA spacecraft meant to study the moon.  Due to a number of malfunctions, Ranger 3 missed the moon by 22,000 miles and is now in a heliocentric orbit.

NASA continued to send signals to Ranger 3 in the hope of salvaging something of the mission, but all attempts were futile.  The mission was officially terminated on January 31.

"The Raven" released 1963

The Raven, a horror-comedy movie produced and directed by Roger Corman, was released January 25, 1963.  It was loosely based on the poem by Edgar Allan Poe and starred horror icons Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff.  It also starred a young Jack Nicholson.

This production of The Raven had more comedy than horror and, in my opinion, made it much more enjoyable. 

Soyuz TM-16 launched 1993

Soyuz TM-16 crew (L-R): Gennadi Manakov, Alexander Poleshchuk

Soyuz TM-16 mission patch

Soyuz TM-16, launched January 24, 1993, was the sixteenth expedition to the space station Mir.  Its crew consisted of  Commander Gennadi Manakov and Alexander Poleshchuk.  They made up the crew of expedition Mir EO-13.  They remained in space for 179 days and returned to Earth in July with Jean-Pierre Haignere, a French astronaut. 

Hiten, Japan's first lunar spacecraft, launched 1990

The Hiten spacecraft, launched January 24, 1990, was Japan's first lunar spacecraft.  It was also the first lunar spacecraft from a country other than the United States and the Soviet Union.  It was the first lunar probe since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976. 

Hiten was manufactured by Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, which later became a division of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). 

Hiten experienced some problems after launch, but the issues were solved and Hiten entered a lunar orbit.  It released a small orbiter, Hagoromo, on its first flyby of the moon.  Hagoromo's transmitter failed but its orbit was confirmed visually from Earth.

Hiten was deliberately crashed onto the lunar surface in April 1993.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Robert Cabana!

Robert Cabana, born January 23, 1949 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a veteran of four space shuttle flights.  He became a naval aviator in the US Marine Corps.

His first flight was on Discovery (STS-41) in October 1990 as pilot.  The primary objective of the mission was to launch the Ulysses probe which was to study the polar regions of the sun. 

His second flight was again on Discovery (STS-53) and as pilot in December 1992.  It was a mission for the US Department of Defense.

Cabana's third flight was aboard Columbia (STS-65) in July 1994 as commander.  The crew conducted experiments from the space agencies from Japan, Canada, Germany and France as well as NASA and the ESA.

His fourth and final mission was on Endeavour (STS-88) in December 1998 as commander.  It was the first space shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

After he retired from being an astronaut he became director of the John F. Kennedy Space Center.

Happy birthday, Flash!

Handsome actor John Wesley Shipp, born January 22, 1955 in Norfolk, Virginia, is probably best known for his work on the Emmy-nominated television series, The Flash, which ran for one season in 1990-1991.  He is starring in the current series The Flash as Henry Allen, the Flash's father.

Shipp has won two Daytime Emmy awards:  One for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series for Santa Barbara.  The second was for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for As the World Turns.

Discovery (STS-42) launched 1992

STS-42 crew (L-R): Stephen Oswald, Roberta Bondar, Norman Thagard, Ronald Grabe, David Hilmers, Ulf Merbold, William Readdy

STS-42 mission patch

Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-42), launched January 22, 1992, carried seven astronauts into space to study the effects of microgravity on different organisms.  Its crew consisted  of Commander Ronald Grabe, Pilot Stephen Oswald, Norman Thagard, William Readdy, David Hilmers, Roberta Bondar (CSA) and Ulf Merbold (ESA).

Merbold, Germany's first astronaut, made his second flight on STS-42.  Roberta Bondar was Canada's first female astronaut and this was her only space flight.

They landed January 30.

Would-be cosmonaut Valentin Filatyev born 1930

Valentin Filatyev, born January 21, 1930 in Russia, was selected as an original cosmonaut in March 1960 in the same class as Yuri Gagarin. About three years later, Filatyev and fellow cosmonauts Grigori Nelyubov and Ivan Anikeyev got drunk and arrested for disorderly conduct by militia.  Since they were cosmonauts, the patrol was willing to let them go if they apologized.  Filatyev and Anikeyev agreed but Nelyubov did not and they were reported.  Since they had previous incidents they were dismissed.  Filatyev never went into space.

The Soviets made efforts to cover up Filatyev's dismissal and his image was airbrushed out of cosmonaut photos.

Filatyev passed away in September 1990.

Styx releases "Paradise Theatre" 1981

Uber-rock group Styx released Paradise Theatre January 19, 1981, their tenth studio album.  It went to #1 on the Billboard Album Chart and stayed for 3 weeks.  It's the only album to reach #1 in the U.S. and the fourth consecutive triple-platinum.

It generated five singles, three of which made it to the top 10 on several charts.  Too Much Time on My Hands (my favorite) reached #2 and Rockin' the Paradise made it to #8 on the Mainstream Rock chart.  Too Much Time on My Hands went to #9 and Best of Times went to #3 on the Pop Singles Chart.

Dennis DeYoung wrote Best of Times and sang lead.  Tommy Shaw wrote and sang lead on Too Much Time on My Hands.  James Young wrote Snowblind with DeYoung and sang lead with Tommy Shaw.

Chuck Panozzo played bass guitar and his twin brother John played drums.

 

"Terror From the Year 5000" released 1958

Another black & white cinematic masterpiece of horror, Terror From the Year 5000 was released January 18, 1958.  It's more like A Big Annoyance from the Year 5000 but I wasn't asked.  Mike and the bots from Mystery Science Theatre 3000 were also underwhelmed.

A scientist has managed to invent a machine that can capture objects from the future.  Of course, things don't go as planned and a mysterious woman comes through the machine with deadly consequences.

They try to build up suspense but it takes almost an hour into the movie before something exciting actually happens.

Lead actor Ward Costello appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation as Admiral Quinn.  The evil woman shapeshifter was played by Salome Jens, who also starred as a shapeshifter in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

It was released as a double bill with The Screaming Skull, another horror movie classic!  If you enjoy these low-budget C or D movies, you can't miss this one.

When comedy becomes reality

The other day, I watched an episode of Not Necessarily the News, an HBO comedy that poked fun at the government during the 1980s.  I enjoyed this series because of its satire, snarky attitude and political commentary disguised as comedy.  (Also Mitch Laurence was gorgeous!). This episode aired in April 1983 and I was expecting that although still funny, that it had not aged well either.

To my utter surprise, I realized how many things HAVE NOT changed.  Among the skits in this episode:

1. A celebrity for president, who has trouble pronouncing words and reading teleprompters
2. A vacuous first lady who though pretty, doesn't have much going on upstairs.
3. Dioxin Dolly, a character formulated after then EPA Administrator Anne Gorusch who gutted the program in favor of corporate interests
4. A news flash about Russian missiles heading to the US that turns out to be a false alarm.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  And it's scary

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Daniel Brandenstein!

Daniel Brandenstein, born January 17, 1943 in Watertown, Wisconsin, is a veteran of four space shuttle flights.  After college, he went in the US Navy and became a naval aviator.

His first flight was on Challenger (STS-8) as pilot in August-September 1983.  One of the mission's objective was to test the use of the Canadarm remote manipulator system to do some testing on the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, which had been launched previously.

He served as commander on his second flight, Discovery (STS-51-G) in June 1985.  It was also the first flight for Shannon Lucid and Sultan Salman Al Saud of the Royal Saudi Air Force.

His third flight was aboard Columbia (STS-32) as commander in January 1990.  This mission deployed and captured satellites during its time in space.

Brandenstein's fourth and last flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-49) as commander in May 1992.  It took three astronauts in EVA to retrieve a communications satellite.

"Gone with the Wind" released 1940

Although Atlanta, New York City and Los Angeles got to see it in December 1939, the rest of the US saw the Civil War era pic Gone With the Wind in theaters January 17, 1940.  It won 8 (or 10, depending upon who you believe) Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director (Victor Fleming) and Best Actress in a Leading Role for Vivien Leigh.

Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to be nominated for and win an Academy Award, Best Supporting Actress.

Adjusted for inflation, Gone With the Wind is the highest-grossing movie of all time.  It is in the top 100 movies on about 8 different lists by American Film Institute. In 1989, Gone With the Wind was chosen for preservation by the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Michael Coats!

Michael Coats, born January 16, 1946 in Sacramento, California, is a veteran of three space shuttle flights. 

His first mission was aboard Discovery (STS-41-B) as pilot in August-September 1984.  The  mission involved deploying three commercial communications satellites.

His second flight was again aboard Discovery (STS-29) as commander in March 1989.  The primary mission was the third and final component of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS).

His third and final flight was aboard, of course, Discovery (STS-38) as commander in April-May 1991.  This payload was for the Department of Defense, so not much info about this flight.

"Star Trek: Voyager" premieres 1995

Star Trek: Voyager, the fourth live-action Star Trek series, premiered January 16, 1995.  In the first episode, Caretaker, the star ship Voyager is thrown 70,000 light-years away into the Delta Quadrant along with a Maqui ship full of rebels, some of whom were in Star Fleet.  They have to join an uneasy alliance to make it back home.

It is the first series to have a female captain, Capt. Kathryn Janeway played by Kate Mulgrew.  Robert Beltran played Starfleet-turned-outlaw-turned-Starfleet Commander Chakotay.  I thought he was the coolest second-in-command of all the series and the most under-appreciated.  Voyager also introduced the first character that I really did not like: Neelix.  He was the most annoying of ALL Star Trek characters.

The rest were pretty awesome people.  Garret Wang (Ensign Kim), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine),  Roxann Dawson (B'Elanna Torres), Robert Duncan McNeill (Lt. Paris), Robert Picardo (the Doctor) and Tim Russ (Lt. Tuvok).

I stopped watching the show after the third season when it became The Janeway/Seven of Nine Show, but I did watch the last season.

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Anatoli Ivanishin!

Anatoli Ivanishin, born January 15, 1969, is a cosmonaut who has been into space twice. 

His first trip into space was aboard Soyuz TMA-22 to the International Space Station in November 2011.  He participated in Expeditions 29 and 30.  He spent 165 days in space, returning to Earth in April 2012.

His second mission was aboard Soyuz MS-01 to the ISS in July 2016.  He was a part of Expeditions 48 and 49.  He was commander of Expedition 49.  He returned to Earth in October. 

Ivanishin has spent 280 days total in space.

Soyuz 5 launched 1969

Soyuz 5 crew (L-R): Boris Volynov, Yevgeny Khrunov, Aleksei Yeliseyev

Soyuz 5 mission patch

Soyuz 5, launched January 15, 1969, participated in the first docking between two manned spacecraft.  Its crew consisted of Commander Boris Volynov, Flight Engineer Aleksei Yeliseyev and Research Engineer Yevgeny Khrunov.

The following day Soyuz 5 successfully docked with Soyuz 4, and crew members Yeliseyev and Khrunov transferred to Soyuz 4 for re-entry.

Volynov remained in Soyuz 5.  Upon return, the service module did not separate  when the retrorockets fired.  It was too late to abort and the module turned to find the best aerodynamic position available, which was nose first.  Basically, upside down.  Volynov was pressed against his restraining harness instead of the cushions of his seat.

Fortunately, the struts connecting the service module and descent module burned through before the hatch did, and the modules separated.  The lander corrected its position, with the heat shield taking the friction of re-entry.

Then the parachutes got tangled and the soft-landing rockets failed to fire, resulting in a hard landing, which broke several of Volynov's teeth.  The temperature was about 40° below zero and Volynov knew it would be hours before the rescue units would find him, so he left the capsule and walked several kilometers to find shelter at a local peasant's house.

Volynov did not go into space for another 7 years.

"The Bionic Woman" premieres 1976

The Six Million Dollar Man spinoff series The Bionic Woman premiered January 14, 1976, starring Lindsay Wagner as Jamie Sommers in the title role. The Bionic Woman was an episode of the Six Million Dollar Man, in which Steve Austin (Lee Majors) visits his home town and rekindles a relationship with his high school sweetheart.  Jamie is seriously injured in a skydiving accident and is given life-saving cybernetic implants, known as bionics.

She had meant to be in one episode but it was so popular, she was given her own series.  The Bionic Woman lasted only three seasons but Lindsay Wagoner won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

Huygens probe lands on Saturn's moon Titan 2005

The Huygens space probe, the atmospheric entry lander of the Cassini-Huygens mission, landed on Saturn's moon, Titan, January 14, 2005.  It was the farthest landing of any spacecraft and the first landing on Titan. Built and operated by the European Space Agency, the spacecraft was launched August 1997.

It sent data for about 90 minutes after landing.

Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-81) launched 1997

STS-81 crew

Front row (L-R):  Front: Brent Jett, Michael Baker; 

Back Row (L-R): John Grunsfeld, John Blaha, Peter Wisoff, Jerry Linenger, Marsha Ivins

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-81), launched January 12, 1997, was the fifth mission to the space station Mir.  Its crew consisted of Commander Michael Baker, Pilot Brent Jett, Peter Wisoff, John Gunsfeld, Marsha Ivins and Jerry Linenger.

Linenger stayed on board Mir as part of Expedition EO-22 and John Blaha returned with the rest of the crew January 22. Linenger became the third American to live on Mir.  Blaha had spent 118 days aboard.

Happy birthday, Godzilla actor Masahiro Matsuoka!

Gorgeous Japanese action actor Masahiro Matsuoka, born January 11, 1977,  starred in Godzilla: The Final Wars as Earth Defense Force Soldier Shin'ichi Ozaki.  He received top billing for his role.

He is also a drummer for the rock band Tokio.

"The Relic" released 1997

Director Peter Hyams horror movie The Relic was released January 10, 1997, based on a novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.  I enjoyed it because it was rather sciencey and, in the end, chemistry saves the day!

It starred Penelope Ann Miller, Linda Hunt and James Whitmore.  Audra Lindley (Mrs. Roper from Three's Company) plays a scene-stealing forensic pathologist in her last feature film. 

The Relic opened at #1 at the box office the weekend it was released, and although it got mostly so-so reviews, Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel both gave it a 'thumbs-up'!

Soyuz 27 launched 1978

Soyuz 27 crew (L-R): Vladimir Dzhanibekov, Oleg Makarov

Soyuz 27 mission stamp

Soyuz 27, launched January 10, 1978, was the third manned flight to Salyut 6.  It was the first time three spacecraft were docked together and the first visitation mission to the space station. Its launch crew consisted of Commander Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Oleg Makarov.  They were the crew of the expedition EP-1.  They stayed for 6 days before returning to Earth in Soyuz 26.

Soyuz 27 remained docked with Salyut 6 until March when it returned with the crew of EO-1, Commander Yuri Romanenko and Georgi Grechko.

"Renegade" by Styx released 1979

Renegade by the rock group Styx was released January 9, 1979.  It was the third single to be released from their eighth studio album Pieces of Eight, which had been released the September before.  Renegade reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring.  Tommy Shaw sang the lead and James Young played lead guitar.

The song is a first-person narrative of an outlaw who is about to be executed by hanging for the crimes he has committed.

George, the last Hawaiian tree snail, dies; species extinct

"Lonesome" George, the last known member of the Hawaiian tree snail species has died, the the species is now extinct.  He was raised in a breeding facility at the University of Hawaii in Manoa in the early 2000s.  George died January 1, 2019.

Hawaiian tree snails feed on the "gunk" that grows on leaves, which reduces the abundance of fungi and that helps protect the host tree from diseases.  Biologists think healthy snail populations could have helped prevent a new fungal pathogen that is currently wiping out native trees.

The reason for the snails' decline is an invasive species, the rosy wolfsnail, introduced to Hawaii to eat other the giant African snails in 1995.  Unless this invasive species is eliminated, there will not be a safe place for the indigenous species.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/01/george-the-lonely-snail-dies-in-hawaii-extinction/?cmpid=org=ngp::mc=social::src=twitter::cmp=editorial::add=tw20190108animals-lonelytreesnail::rid=&sf205602434=1

Agatha Christie's "Poirot" premieres 1989

ITV's long-running series Poirot starring the amazing David Suchet premiered January 8, 1989.  The Adventure of Clapham Cook, based on a short story published in September 1974, was the first episode and the series ran until 2013 when they ran out of Agatha Christie's works.

Book review - "The Mosaic Crimes" by Giulio Leoni

I’m not sure how to review this novel.  It was very well-written and its subject matter – historical mysteries – is a favorite of mine.  However, Giulio Leoni’s novel The Mosaic Crimes focuses a bit more on philosophical discussions than the murder investigation.

The main character in this novel is Dante Alighieri, who will eventually write The Inferno.  He is poet and prior of Florence, Italy in which the novel is set.  The year is 1300 and a mosaicist is found murdered in front of his work, constructing a mosaic in the stadium.  Dante meets seven scholars who have a keen interest in the stadium and all of them knew the murdered man. 

Here is where the novel veers off into intellectual discussion and philosophy.  Also, Leoni introduces other aspects of early fourteenth century Florence, such as a riot during the climax of the story.  Maybe I wasn’t following along as diligently as I should have but it was not an easy read. 

If one has an interest in or is knowledgeable in Italian history, perhaps this would be a more enjoyable took to read.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Frederick Gregory!

Frederick Gregory, born January 7, 1941 in Washington, DC, is a veteran of three space shuttle flights and is the first African-American to pilot a space shuttle.  He was in NASA's astronaut selection class with Ronald McNair and Guy Bluford. 

His first flight was aboard Challenger (STS-51-B) as pilot April-May 1985.  It was the second flight for the European Space Agency's Spacelab. 

His second flight was on Discovery (STS-33) as commander in November 1989.  The mission was for the Department of Defense so we know very little of what the objectives were.

Gregory's third and final flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-44) as commander November-December 1991, which was also a DoD flight.

Sakigake, Japanese space probe to Halley's Comet, launched 1985

Japan launched its first interplanetary spacecraft Sakigake on January 7, 1985 to explore Halley's Comet during its 1986 visit to Earth.   It was the first deep space probe to be launched by a country other than USA or the Soviet Union.

Sakigake was developed by two entities who became part of the Japanese Exploration Agency (JAXA).  It made a flyby of the comet in March 1986 at just under 7 million kilometers.  It did not carry any imaging instruments. 

Japan planned for it to do a flyby of comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner but the idea was abandoned due to lack of propellant.

Telemetry was lost in November 1995 but its beacon signal was received until January 7, 1999.

Cosmonaut Oleg Makarov born 1933

Oleg Grigoryevich Makarov, born January 6, 1933 in the former Soviet Union, was a veteran of four trips into space. 

His first trip into space was aboard Soyuz 12 in September 1973.  After the tragedy of Soyuz 11, the Soviets reduced crew capacity of the capsule to two (from three) to allow pressure suits to be worn during take off, re-entry and landing.  Makarov and fellow cosmonaut Vasily Lazarev spent two days testing the new suits.

His second mission was the unsuccessful launch of Soyuz 18a in April 1975.  The mission was scheduled to dock with Salyut 4 space station, but the crew failed to make orbit, due to the failure of the launch vehicle.

His third attempt was successful.  He flew as flight engineer for Soyuz 27, which docked with Salyut 6 space station in January 1978.  Makarov and cosmonaut Vladimir Dzhanibekov made up the crew of expedition EP-1.  They spent five days aboard the space station and returned in Soyuz 26.

Makarov's fourth and final flight was aboard Soyuz T-3 November-December 1980 as flight engineer.  The mission flew to the Salyut 6 space station and was the first Soyuz spacecraft to carry three cosmonauts since Soyuz 11 in 1971.

He died May 2003 in Moscow from a heart attack.

Eris, the most massive dwarf planet, discovered 2005

Eris, discovered January 5, 2005, is the most massive dwarf planet in our solar system, but slightly smaller than Pluto.  The team of Mike Brown, Chad Trujillo and David Rabinowitz discovered Eris from pictures taken in October 2003 and made the announcement in July 2005.

It has an orbit of 558 years and at its closest approach to the sun it is 37.91 astronomical units.  At its maximum, it is almost three times that distance at 97.65 AU.  Eris has one moon named Dysnomia, which, in Greek mythology, is the daughter of Eris.

Although more massive than Pluto, Eris is slightly smaller.

China's Chang'e 4 probe lands on the dark side of the moon!

Early this morning, China's Chang'e 4 landed on the far side of the moon, becoming the first spacecraft to touch down on the 'dark side'.  The lander and rover were launched last month, a follow-up to Chang'e 3, China's very first lunar lander in 2013.

Chang'e 4 landed in the Aitken Basin, created by an ancient collision.  The rover will measure the lunar surface temperature, measure chemical compositions of rocks and soils and study cosmic rays.

Stardust encounters comet Wild 2 2004

Comet Wild 2 as seen from Stardust

NASA's Stardust spacecraft encountered the comet Wild 2 January 2, 2004.  That's pronounced "vilt" since it was named after Paul Wild, the Swiss astronomer who discovered it in January 1978 and that's how his name is pronounced.

Stardust was launched in February 1999 to collect dust samples from the coma of the comet, but it also flew by and studied asteroid 5535 Annefrank.

The Sample Return Capsule separated from Stardust and entered Earth's atmosphere January 2006.  Samples from Wild 2 were sent to Johnson Space Center in Houston for analysis.  Scientists announced that glycine, an amino acid which is a fundamental chemical in building blocks of life, was detected for the first time in material ejected from a comet.

Stardust was given an extension and made a flyby of comet Tempel 1 in February 2011, although no samples were collected.  The spacecraft was decommissioned March 2011.

2019 - International Year of the Periodic Table

2019 has been designated the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT2019), the 150th anniversary of Dmitry Mendeleev developing the Periodic Table of the Chemical Elements.  This is a partnership of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), European Association for Chemical and Molecular Science (EuCheMS), the International Council for Science (ICSU), International Astronomical Union (IAU), and the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IUHPS).

They plan to have celebrations all over the globe.




https://www.iypt2019.org/about

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Vladimir Titov!

Vladimir Georgiyevich Titov, born January 1, 1947 in the former Soviet Union, is a veteran of four space flights.

His first trip into space was aboard Soyuz T-8 as commander to Salyut 7 in April 1983 but the spacecraft failed to dock and they had to return to Earth two days later.

His second mission was aboard Soyuz T-10-1, which was also a planned trip to Salyut 7 in September 1983, but the spacecraft exploded on the launch pad, and he and fellow cosmonaut Gennady Strekalov had to use the escape system.

His next attempt was successful.  He blasted off in Soyuz TM-4 as commander in December 1987 to the Mir space station, as part of Mir EO-3 expedition.  He remained aboard for a year and returned to Earth on Soyuz TM-6 in December 1988.

His third mission was aboard Discovery (STS-63) as mission specialist in February 1995 to Mir.

His fourth and final mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-86) to Mir September-October 1997 as mission specialist.  He performed an EVA with fellow astronaut Scott Parazynski for about 5 hours.

"Frankenstein" published 1818

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, a novel of science fiction and horror by Mary Shelley was published January 1, 1818.  The story is told in retrospect as a letter written by a captain of a icebound ship to his sister.  The main character is Victor Frankenstein, but the name Frankenstein has become synonymous with the monster himself.

It gained popularity in the 20th century with numerous films, television shows, and novels featuring the monster have been produced.