Tag Archives: Neil deGrasse Tyson

February 2, 1962

On February 2, 1962, Neptune and Pluto aligned for the first time in 400 years. It would be the only time when Pluto was in the big leagues and considered a planet. I bet when Pluto looks back at this event, it thinks to itself, ‘Back when I was a planet, people were excited when … Continue reading

Posted in 20th Century, Historical Facts | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

June 22, 1978

On June 22, 1978, James W. Christy and Robert S. Harrington discovered, at that time, the only known moon of Pluto. They named it Charon. In August 2006, when Pluto lost its planetary status, Charon asked for a divorce. It claimed that Pluto had lied about its status and that it could not stay in … Continue reading

Posted in 20th Century, Historical Facts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

March 26, 1859

On March 26, 1859, amateur French astronomer, Edmond Modeste Lescarbault, discovered the planet Vulcan, which was believed to orbit inside the orbit of Mercury, which until that point in time was believed to be the closest planet to the Sun. Mercury had a little wobble in its orbit that under Newtonian rules of planetary understanding, … Continue reading

Posted in 19th Century, Historical Facts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment