Astrognome Scrapbook Solar Eclipse and the Tourist Industry

Solar Eclipse 1970

A total solar eclipse seen over Mexico and the east coast of the USA on March 7^th 1970 was seen by millions pf people and is widely considered as being the eclipse largely responsible for beginning today’s eclipse tourist industry.

Astrognome Scrapbook James Francis Tennant

James Francis Tennant

On March 6^th 1915 James Francis Tenant astronomer and solider died. He was born in Calcutta to Scottish parents on 10^th January 1929.  His military career stared with the Bengal Engineers. It was clear with his schooling that he was very good at maths and was part of the team which undertook the great Trigonometric survey of India. The survey was interrupted due to the Indian mutiny.

After the mutiny he became Director of the Madras observatory, he observed the solar eclipses of 1868 and 1871 that were seen across the Indian subcontinent and into Indonesia. Being an expert in photography he used his knowledge extensively during these eclipses. He also was the first to study the prominence's with spectroscopes and shown them to be composed mostly of Hydrogen.  

He also observed the Transit of Venus in 1874.

Atrognome Scrapbook Metis

Jovian moon Metis

On March 4^th 1979 the US spacecraft Voyager 1 discovered Metis which is the innermost of the moons of Jupiter. Metis is the third largest of the inner moons of Jupiter.  The moon is small being only around 35 miles across.

Astrognome Scrapbook Pioneer 4

Pioneer 4

The Pioneer 4 mission which was launched on March 3rd 1959 was the second of two early attempts by the United States to send a spacecraft to the moon. The probe was primarily designed to photograph the Moon. Pioneer 4 did in fact fly past the moon, but at a much farther distance than planned, because of the trajectory error, the camera sensor failed to trigger.

Pioneer 4 then went into orbit around the Sun becoming the first spacecraft to do so, contact was lost on March 6, 1959.

Astrognome Weather, Halifax Town FC and the Ice Rink

Halifax Town FC and the Ice Rink

It might be cold today, but during the great freeze of 1962-63, it was so difficult for football clubs to play their matches that many were postponed for weeks on end. However on March 2^nd 1963, Halifax Town Football Club opened there ground not to play football on but to use it as an ice rink!  

Astrognome Scrapbook Rosetta Mission

Rosetta Mission

The European Space Agency Rosetta mission that so successfully reached comet 67P and landed the Philae probe onto the surface of the comet in November 2014 was actually launched on March 2^nd 2004.

Astrognome Scrapbook Venera 13

Venera 13 and the first colour photo from Venus

On March 1^st 1982 the Russian spacecraft Venera 13 landed on the surface of Venus and sent back the first colour photograph from the surface of the planet. 

Launched on October 30^th 1981 the probe was only expected to last for about one hour but in fact it survived for around two hours. This is due to the very hostile environment on the surface of Venus.