1972 -The Soviet unmanned spaceship Luna 20 lands on the Moon.
1901 – The first bright nova of the 20th century and the first
to be subjected to detailed spectroscopy and photometry, Nova Persei 1901 flared Mag.0,2 on Feb. 23. Scottish amateur astronomer T. D. Anderson was the first observer. During decline of brightness, about 100 days, brightness fluctuated.
1995 – Steve Fossett lands in Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada becoming the first person to make a solo flight across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon.
1632 – Ferdinando II de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, the dedicatee, receives the first printed copy of Galileo‘s Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems.
Birthdays
1556 – Sethus Calvisius in his Opus Chronologicum (Leipzig, 1605, 7th ed. 1685) he expounded a system based on the records of nearly 300 eclipses.
1964 – Scott Kelly, American astronaut. NASA Selection Group 16 (1996). Time in Space 520 days. STS-103, STS-118, Soyuz TMA-01M (Expedition 25/26), Soyuz TMA-16M/Soyuz TMA-18M (Expedition 43/44/45/46, ISS year-long mission)
1964 – Mark Kelly, American astronaut and politician. Time in Space 54d 2h 4m. NASA Selection Group 16 (1996). Missions STS-108, STS-121, STS-124, STS-134
