2004 – Mars Exploration Rover Spirit lands in Gusev Crater on Mars. (MER A)


1959 – Luna 1 (Soviet Union) passed within 5995 km of the Moon’s surface after 34 hours of flight. It went into orbit around the Sun, between the orbits of Earth and Mars.

1958 – Sputnik 1, launched on October 4, 1957 and the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth,  reenters the Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrates.

1610 – January 4 – 15 Possibly the most important days in the history of astronomy. Galileo Galilei, Italy, points his telescope to the sky and observes craters and mountains on the Moon, moving spots on the Sun, four moons revolving around Jupiter , the phases of Venus, and the stars of the Milky Way.

Birthdays

1643 – Sir Isaac Newton born in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England.