2016 – the European Southern Observatory discovered Proxima Centauri b, an exoplanet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our Sun.
2012 – The first visual proof of the existence of black holes was published, marking a significant milestone in astronomy.
Galileo spacecraft on February 17, 1994.
1996 – Doublet Craters Show That Many Asteroids Have Moons by Jay Melosh and William Bottke. Computer simulations showed that some asteroids, after experiencing a close approach with the Earth, are split into multiple fragments by Earth’s gravitational forces.
1973 – Astronomy Day is founded. It is an annual event to celebrate and raise public awareness about astronomy. These dates are chosen to be on the Saturday closest to the First Quarter Moon during those respective seasons, according to the Astronomical League.
1963 – Berthold Seliger launches a rocket with three stages and a maximum flight altitude of more than 100 kilometres (62 mi) near Cuxhaven. It is the only sounding rocket developed in Germany.
Birthdays
1957 – Dominic Lee Pudwill Gorie, Capitan USN. Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA. Selection: NASA Group 15 (1994). STS-91, STS-99, STS-108, STS-123. Time in space: 49 days, 0 hours, 6 mins.
