Monday, 23 December 2013

Astronomy Scrapbook 24th December 2013

On This Day (1)
December 24th 1965
Barwell Meteorite

part of the Barwell Meteorite.

The biggest meteorite to land in Britain in recorded history; an L6 ordinary chondrite, it fell in pieces on the Leicestershire village of Barwell in England on Christmas Eve 1965. The meteor fragments hit buildings and even a car. When the fragments were put together, the Barwell Meteorite proved, appropriately, to be about the size of a Christmas turkey.
On This Day (2)
December 24th 1968
Apollo 8, First Manned Mission to the Moon.

Earthrise seen from the Moon


Apollo 8 became the first manned mission to orbit the Moon, launched on December 21st 1968.  On December 24, 1968, while watching Earth Rise from the Moon  the crew of  Apollo 8 Bill Anders, Jim Lovell and Frank Borman read in turn from the Book of Genesis verses 1 through 10, using the King James Version.

Borman then said, "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas and God bless all of you - all of you on the good Earth."

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