2015 – 5:51 a.m. EDT – LIGO makes the first direct observation of gravitational waves with an instrument on Earth, using the twin interferometers, located in Livingston, Louisiana and Hanford, Washington. The program announced its findings on February 11, 2016.
1999 – NASA announces its NASA Art Program.
In-residence programs for writers, musicians, poets, and possibly dancers will bring art to the most incredible human adventure yet. Gary Soto from Berkley, California, was announced as NASA’s first poet. His task will bring poetry to a future launch. His poem “The Boys’ First Flight” brings young and old alike to the dreams and adventures of space exploration. Judy Collins wrote and performed “Beyond the Sky” to commemorate Eileen Collins’ mission, STS-93, which marked the first time a woman commanded a spacecraft.
1978 – Venera 12 launch from Baikonur 81/23.
1974 – Charles Kowal discovered Jupiter’s irregular, prograde moon Leda at the Mount Palomar Observatory.
Birthdays
1958 – John Bennett Herrington was born in Wetumka, Oklahoma. He was an American test pilot and mission specialist astronaut, 1996-2005. 1 spaceflight, 13.8 days in space. Flew to orbit on STS-113 (2002).
1950 – Dr Eugene Huu-Chau ‘Gene’ Trinh – Vietnamese-American biochemist, payload specialist, astronaut 1983-1992. 1 spaceflight, 13.8 days in space. Flew to orbit on STS-50 (1992)
1915 –John Dobson was born in Beijing, China. Founder of the Sidewalk Astronomers. He taught many how to make telescopes affordably and how to use those
telescopes: “We have a responsibility to show others what our universe looks like through a telescope–and explain what we’re seeing.” John Dobson died on January 15, 2014.