April 17, 2024 Today in 1970, the Apollo 13 mission safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. Their mission to land on the Moon was aborted after the No. 2 tank carrying liquid oxygen burst. On April 17, 1970, Apollo 13 safely return to Earth splashing down in the South Pacific. Image credit: NASA, Johnson… Continue reading
Bats
Bats Native to Missouri Did you know that April 17th is International Bat Appreciation Day? These furry winged friends of the sky play a key role in our ecosystems and this day is meant to raise awareness about the need for bat conservation. Bats are vital to healthy ecosystems because they eat insects like mosquitos… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: April 16, 2024
April 16, 2024 Asteroids are rocky remnants left over from the formation of the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. To date, the known asteroid count is up to 1,351,400. Most of these are found in orbits between the planets Mars and Jupiter. Mosaic of asteroid Bennu made by NASA’s OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft. The OSIRIS-Rex… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: April 15, 2024
April 15, 2024 First quarter moon occurs today at 2:13 pm. You can look for the Moon in the south as the Sun sets. First quarter moon as it will appear on April 15, 2024. The best views of the lunar surface are found near the terminator. This is the line that appears to separate… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: April 14, 2024
April 14, 2024 Today in 1981, the space shuttle Columbia landed at Edward’s Airforce Base in southern California completing the STS-1 mission. Onboard were astronauts John W. Young and Robert L. Crippen. This was the first of 135 missions completed by NASA’s space shuttle program. The space shuttle orbiter Columbia landing at Edwards Airforce Base… Continue reading
Night Sky Update: April 13, 2024
This is the Saint Louis Science Center’s NIGHT SKY UPDATE for the week of Saturday, April 13, 2024. Information updated weekly or as needed. Times given as local St. Louis time this week will be in Central Daylight Time (CDT). For definitions of terminology used in the night sky update, click the highlighted text. If… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: April 13, 2024
April 13, 2024 A star that is gaining attention this year is the variable star T Coronae Borealis. This is a recurring nova star that suddenly increases in brightness, becoming visible to the unaided eye every 80 years or so. It is impossible to predict the exact date, however scientists believe it is likely to… Continue reading
Mastercard Team Members Share Career Pathways, Job Skills, and More with Teens in the Youth Exploring Science Program
Help us inspire a curiosity for STEM. Make a gift to the Science Center’s Curiosity Fund to help support STEM education programs in St. Louis. On Saturday, April 6, local teens in the Science Center’s Youth Exploring Science (YES) Program met and heard from five special guests from Mastercard® at the Taylor Community Science Resource… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: April 12, 2024
April 12, 2024 Today in 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to enter space and orbit Earth. The Vostok 1 mission would last just 108 minutes. Launch of Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961. Image credit NASA. On right is Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1 televised to ground control. Image credit: Soviet Space… Continue reading
Photograph, Halley’s Comet
Photograph, Halley’s Comet ca. 1910 The most famous comet in history, Halley’s Comet, returns near the Earth on its path through the solar system about every 75 or 76 years. In 1910, the comet flew by Earth about 13.9 million miles away and was captured on film for the first time. This photograph shows 14… Continue reading