Showing results for "The Rare" in Astronomy & Space Science

Carl Edward Sagan (November 9, 1934-December 20, 1996), born in Brooklyn, NY, was an American astronomer and astrophysicist. His best-known scientific contribution was his research on the possibility of extraterrestrial life, including experimental demonstration of the production of amino acids from basic chemicals by exposure to light. The following is a lecture Sagan gave in 1977 during which he discussed the place, scale and geometry of earth–the third planet from the Sun, formed 4.5 billion years ago–in our solar system.

Apollo 11 was the first spaceflight to land humans on the Moon, conducted by NASA from July 16 to 24, 1969. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin landed the Lunar Module Eagle on July 20th at 20:17 UTC. Armstrong became the first person to step onto the surface about six hours later, at 02:56 UTC on July 21st. Aldrin joined him 19 minutes afterward, and together they spent about two and a half hours exploring the site they had named Tranquility Base upon landing. They collected 47 pounds of lunar material to bring back to Earth before re-entering the Lunar Module.

Edwin Powell Hubble (November 20, 1889 - September 28, 1953), born in Marshfield, MO, was an American astronomer who played a crucial role in establishing the fields of extragalactic astronomy and observational cosmology. Hubble proved that many objects previously thought to be clouds of dust and gas and classified as "nebulae" were actually galaxies beyond the Milky Way. Hubble's name is most widely recognized for the Hubble Space Telescope, which was named in his honor. The following is a 1945 recording of Hubble's lecture at the New York Philharmonic.

Amelia Mary Earhart, an American aviation pioneer and author, was born on July 24, 1897. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set numerous other aviation records, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences, and was instrumental in the formation of The Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots. The following is a recording of her famous 1935 radio-broadcast speech: A Woman's Place in Science.