Astronomy timeline
1-30000 Bone carvings keep track of phases of the Moon More about: Moon phase
2-8000 Early astronomical constructions
3-4800 First evidence of astronomical calendar stones near the Egypt-Sudan border
4-4500 Megalithic stone structures built at Carnac, France; these may have been astronomical in nature
5-4236 Egyptians institute the 365 day calendar
6-3200 Construction of the Newgrange tomb in County Meath, Ireland; this had some astronomical alignment
7-2680 Estimated completion date of the Egyptian Great Pyramid - opinion is divided as to its astronomical significance
8-2350 En Hedu'anna, an Egyptian priestess, may be the first female astronomer and scientist ever recorded; she traced the history and progressions of the Moon and stars
9-2300 Chinese astronomers start to observe the sky, and in 2296BC, a comet is observed for the first time More about: comet
10-2136 Solar eclipse recorded by Chinese
11-2000 Temple of Amen-Ra at Karnak, Egypt, built so that its main axis points to the sunset at the summer solstice
12-2000 The oldest known recording of a lunar eclipse took place at Ur, Mesopotamia More about: lunar eclipse
13-1860 Estimated construction of Stonehenge, Wiltshire, UK. Its astronomical significance is as yet undetermined
14-1800 Babylonians begin to keep observational records
15-1600 Chaldean astronomers identify and establish the zodiac
16-1450 Egyptians use the sundial to measure time
17-1223 Solar eclipse recorded by Babylonians on clay tablet More about: solar eclipse
18-800 First recorded sunspot observation, noted by Chinese in their "Book of Changes" More about: sunspot
19-763 Babylonians observe and record a Solar eclipse More about: solar eclipse
20-750 Mesopotamian astronomers started to record lunar and solar eclipses
21-650 Royal Library established by Ashurbanpial at Nineveh, including an estimated 20,000 cuneiform tablets
22-610 Birth of Anaximander, a later pupil of Thales and one of the principal instigators of astronomy in ancient Greece
23-585 Solar eclipse predicted by Thales More about: solar eclipse
24-500 Pythagoras suggests that the Earth is a sphere and not flat, as was previously assumed
25-450 An explanation for eclipses was put forward by Athenian teacher Anaxagoras
26-432 Observatory at Lycabettus Hill used by ancient astronomers More about: observatory
27-387 Greek scholars establish the "Academy" to promote scientific and philosophical discussions
28-365 Chinese spot first moons of Jupiter unaided by any device More about: Jupiter moon
29-350 Chinese astronomer Shin Shen makes a star catalogue with 800 entries More about: star catalogue
30-335 Aristotle established the Greek Lyceum as a focal point for philosophical, scientific and logical thinking
31-330 Heraclides suggests that the Earth rotates on its axis, and that neighbouring planets also move round the Sun in spherical orbits
32-330 Aristotle publishes an astronomical work, De Caelo (On the Heavens)
33-300 Euclid's "Elements" published, pulling together mathematical and philosophical thinking
34-280 Aristarchus estimates the radius of the Moon to be about one third that of the Earth, based on the Earth's lunar shadow More about: Moon
35-270 Aristarchus says that the Sun is at the centre of the Solar System; this is generally dismissed More about: Solar system
36-260 Aristarchus estimates the distance from the Earth to the Sun is approximately 19 times that to the Moon; the true figure is closer to 397
37-240 What would later become known as Halley's comet is observed by the Chinese More about: comet
38-220 Eratosthenes made an accurate measurement of the circumference of the Earth. He plotted the angles between the perpendicular and the Sun's rays at two locations (Syene and Alexandria, Egypt) on the same meridian, which gave him a measure of the Earth's curvature between the two locations More about: Eratosthenes
39-150 Hipparchus estimates the distance to the Moon as being 380,000 km (the mean distance is 384,000 km) More about: Moon
40-150 Principles of the astrolabe understood, by Hipparchus and Ptolemy; Hipparchus may have built a device, though it was not until circa 390 AD that the first true instruments were made; the device is used to show the positions of the Sun and other bright stars; it was used in astronomy and as a navigational tool
41-150 Observatory set up at Rhodes More about: observatory
42-134 Hipparchus discovers and reports the precession of the equinoxes
43-130 Star charts and measurements developed by Hipparchus; his first catalogue contained around 850 stars
44-60 Introduction to Celestial Phenomena published by Geminus
45-140 Ptolemy's geocentric theory of the Solar System is published in the "Algamest" and widely accepted; his star catalogue contains more than 1,000 entries More about: geocentric theory More about: Ptolemy
46-185 Chinese astronomers record short-lived star, probably a supernova More about: supernova
47-386 Chinese astronomers record short-lived star, probably a supernova More about: supernova
48-393 Chinese astronomers record short-lived star, probably a supernova More about: supernova
49-415 Female astronomer, mathematician, inventor and philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria killed by an angry mob; rumours suggest her death was a political assassination
50-640 A Chinese scholar discovers that the tail of a comet always points away from the Sun More about: comet
51-646 Observatory set up in South Korea More about: observatory
52-813 School of astronomy set up in Iraq by Al Mamon
53-827 Arabic translations of Ptolemy's Almagest appear
54-831 Observatory set up near Damascus More about: observatory
55-840 "Compendium of the Science of the Stars" compiled by al-Farghani
56-860 Cyrillic alphabet is devised by Greek missionary Cyril
57-963 al-Sufi compiles "Book of the Fixed Stars" More about: stars
58-968 Diaconus made the first definitive mention of the Solar corona, in the publication "Annales Sangallenses"
59-988 Baghdad observatory established by al-Quhi More about: observatory
60-1006 Chinese astronomers record short-lived star, probably supernova SN1006, the brightest supernova recorded More about: supernova
61-1045 Chinese inventor Bi Sheng invens moveable type, four hundred years before Gutenberg's device
62-1066 Halley's comet observed during the Norman Conquest and recorded on the Bayeux Tapestry More about: comet More about: Halley
63-1079 Omar Khayyam computed the length of the year as 365.24219858156 days, which approaches the accuracy of the late 16th century Gregorian Calendar
64-1088 First European university established at Bologna, Italy
65-1101 Death of Su Song, a Chinese astronomer who invented a water clock accurate to 2 minutes a day
66-1120 Observatory constructed in Cairo; it was destroyed within 5 years
67-1126 Latin translations of Greek and Arabic scientific publications carried out by Adelard
68-1128 John of Worcester made the earliest sunspot drawing which still survives
69-1185 Russian "Chronicle of Novgorod" includes a description of Solar prominence
70-1230 "Speculum majus", a compilation of philosophical and scientific knowledge, was produced by Vincent of Beauvais
71-1252 Alfonsine astronomical tables published; these were used to predict eclipses and planetary positions
72-1259 Persian astronomer Nasir al-Din al-Tusi constructed observatory in Iran
73-1348 Giovanni de'Dondi develops a complex astronomical clock, showing planetary motion and religious festivals
74-1350 Distinction between a body's (and thus Earth's) centre of gravity and its geometric centre made by Albert of Saxony
75-1350 Oresme describes the "Galilean" relativity that the daily motion of the stars could be explained either by the rotation of the Earth or the rotation of the celestial sphere More about: relativity
76-1420 Construction of observatory at Samarkand; used proficiently by Ulugh Beg in the creation of a star catalogue
77-1444 Cusa refuted the belief that Earth is at the centre of the Universe
78-1465 Johannes Regiomontanus uses printing to produce astronomy books and tables
79-1472 First officially recorded observation of Halley's Comet by Johannes Regiomontanus More about: Halley's Comet
80-1510 Leonardo da Vinci produced notebooks filled with his notes on astronomy, ideas for inventions and mechanics
81-1512 Nicolaus Copernicus published "Commentariolus", in which he began his planetary theories and stated that the Earth orbits the Sun
82-1521 Magellanic Clouds (distant galaxies) observed by Magellan
83-1543 Nicolaus Copernicus revives interest in Aristarchus' heliocentric Solar System model, in his great publication "De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium" More about: Solar system More about: Copernicus
84-1551 The "Prussian Tables", an expanded version of Nicolaus Copernicus' planetary tables, published by Reinhold
85-1552 Many astronomical books are burned in Britain
86-1572 Supernova witnessed by Tycho Brahe More about: supernova More about: Tycho Brahe
87-1576 Tycho Brahe establishes a great observatory at Uraniborg
88-1578 Tycho Brahe published a series of observations on the 1577 comet
89-1596 David Fabricius records the first non-nova, non-supernova variable star discovered; it is named Mira
90-1598 Tycho Brahe publishes many astronomical observations and experiments
91-1600 Dominican monk and philosopher Giordano Bruno is executed by the inquisition for failing to recant his belief in a Copernican heliocentric Solar system
92-1603 Bayer designation of stars established by German astronomer Johann Bayer
93-1604 Kepler observes a supernova More about: supernova
94-1608 Hans Lippershey invents the telescope More about: telescope
95-1609 Galileo Galilei constructs his own telescope and starts his series of discoveries, including the four largest moons of Jupiter, craters on the Moon and the "handles" of Saturn (later shown to be rings) More about: telescope More about: Galileo
96-1609 Johannes Kepler publishes his first two laws of planetary motion More about: planetary motion More about: Kepler
97-1610 Galileo Galilei observes that the Milky Way is composed of many faint stars
98-1610 Thomas Harriot makes the first recorded observation of sunspots using a telescope; he is swiftly followed by Fabricius, Scheiner and Galileo Galilei (1613)
99-1613 Galileo Galilei publishes "Letters on Sunspots", the first major work on the topic More about: Galileo
100-1616 Early form of reflecting telescope developed by Italian astronomer Zucchi More about: telescope
101-1619 Johannes Kepler publishes his third law of planetary motion More about: planetary motion More about: Kepler
102-1619 Johannes Kepler suggests that comet tails are caused by a solar wind More about: comet More about: Kepler
103-1620 Scientific method analysed by Francis Bacon
104-1630 Christoph Scheiner's epic "Rosa Ursina" contains many records of sunspots, but is condemned for its numerous attacks on Galileo Galilei
105-1631 The transit of Venus across the Sun was observed by Pierre Gassendi More about: Venus
106-1632 First official observatory is established at Leiden (Netherlands) More about: observatory
107-1633 Galileo Galilei's published belief in Nicolaus Copernicus' model condemned by the Roman Catholic Inquisition; he is forced to recant More about: Galileo
108-1639 The first transit of Venus is observed in England, and is only the 2nd such event recorded More about: Venus transit
109-1640 The elliptical nature of the Moon's orbit was observed and published by Jeremiah Horrocks
110-1641 Telescopic cross-hairs invented by William Gascoigne More about: telescope
111-1645 Female astronomer Marie Cunitz provided simplified versions of Johannes Kepler's planetary theories and laws for many scientists
112-1650 Church leaders announce date of Earth's creation as October 23, 4004 BC
113-1650 First recorded observation of a double star (Mizar) by Giovanni Riccioli More about: double star
114-1655 Saturn's largest moon, Titan, discovered by Christiaan Huygens More about: Titan More about: Christiaan Huygens
115-1656 Christiaan Huygens discovers that Saturn's "handles" are in fact rings More about: Saturn rings
116-1663 James Gregory's "The Advance of Optics" describes the first practical reflecting telescope More about: telescope
117-1664 The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is observed by Robert Hooke; its discovery is attributed to either Hooke or Giovanni Cassini More about: Jupiter More about: Hooke
118-1665 First true scientific journal publication: Philosophical Transactions (of the Royal Society of London)
119-1666 Giovanni Cassini discovers the polar ice caps on Mars More about: Mars water
120-1668 Isaac Newton designs and constructs a reflecting telescope More about: telescope More about: Newton
121-1669 Italian astronomer Geminiano Montanari recognises the first variable star, Algol
122-1670 First nova observed by Western astronomers (Johannes Hevelius and, independently, Pere Dom Voiture Anthelme)
123-1671 Over the next 15 years, Giovanni Cassini studied Saturn, discovering several moons, and also the division which would come to bear his name More about: Cassini
124-1671 Cassini discovers Iapetus More about: Iapetus
125-1672 Astronomical unit estimated at approximately 138,370,000 km by Richer and Cassini
126-1672 Cassini discovers Rhea More about: Rhea
127-1675 Foundation of the Royal Greenwich Observatory More about: Greenwich observatory
128-1675 Giovanni Cassini observes the Cassini division (the split between Saturn's rings) More about: Saturn More about: Cassini
129-1676 Speed of light estimated at 140,000 miles per second by Danish physicist and mathematician Ole Roemer More about: light speed
130-1678 First major systematic Southern sky survey compiled by Edmund Halley More about: sky survey
131-1679 Probable date of last supernova explosion in our galaxy; may also have been 1667 More about: supernova
132-1680 First publication of "Old Moore's Almanack", later known as "Vox stellarum" More about: stars
133-1684 Cassini discovers Tethys and Dione More about: Tethys
134-1687 "Principia" published. Isaac Newton's great work includes his 3 laws of motion and also the law of universal gravitation More about: Newton law More about: Newton
135-1699 Edmund Halley performs the first magnetic survey
136-1705 Edmund Halley predicts that the comet observed in 1682 will return to pass the Earth in 1758 More about: comet More about: Halley
137-1725 The most accurate star catalogue compiled to date is published by John Flamsteed More about: star catalogue
138-1727 Celsius and Graham observed activity on the surface of the Sun and showed that it was a magnetic storm
139-1728 Speed of light newly esimated by Bradley to be 183,000 miles per second More about: light speed
140-1731 John Hadley invents the quadrant navigational aid
141-1740 Magnets made by Gowen Knight become available to navigators and scientists
142-1750 Discussion of the shape of the Milky Way and other galaxies promoted by Thomas Wright
143-1754 The heliometer is invented by John Dollond. It is used to measure distances between stars, and the diameter of the Sun
144-1757 Navigation is enhanced by John Campbell's invention of the sextant
145-1758 As predicted by Edmund Halley, the 1682 comet returns; it becomes known as Halley's Comet More about: comet More about: Halley
146-1761 "Albedo" introduced as an astronomical concept by German astronomer Johann Lambert More about: albedo
147-1762 The measured positions of 60,000 stars are published by James Bradley More about: star catalogue
148-1766 Joseph-Louis Lagrange publishes work on the orbits of Jupiter's moons More about: Jupiter More about: Lagrange
149-1771 Charles Messier publishes a list of nebulae More about: nebula More about: Messier
150-1772 Johann Bode publishes Titius-Bode rule for planetary distances, discovered by Johann Titius in 1766
151-1781 William Herschel discovers Uranus
152-1784 John Michell makes first suggestion of bodies from which light might not escape; this is the first mention of what would become known as black holes
153-1787 William Herschel identified the two largest satellites of Uranus More about: Uranus More about: Herschel
154-1788 First observatory established in Australia by William Dawes
155-1789 Herschel completes work on a giant optical reflecting telescope More about: William Herschel
156-1789 Herschel discovers Enceladus and Mimas, both satellites of Saturn
157-1795 Pierre Laplace follows Michell's earlier comments by raising idea of black holes More about: black hole
158-1796 Pierre Laplace develops the theory of the origin of the Universe More about: Universe origin
159-1798 The existence of black holes is first predicted by Laplace More about: black hole
160-1800 Herschel discovers that sunlight has an infra red region
161-1801 Giuseppe Piazzi identifies Ceres, the first asteroid to be discovered More about: asteroid
162-1801 Wollaston discovers dark absorption lines in the solar spectrum
163-1802 Pallas becomes the second known asteroid, after its discovery by Olbers More about: Pallas
164-1817 Joseph von Fraunhofer independently rediscovers Wollaston's earlier observations of dark lines in the Solar spectrum, beginning the era of Solar physics and Solar spectroscopy More about: solar physics
165-1818 The Edinburgh Observatory is founded
166-1819 Encke calculated the orbital period of the comet later named after him to be just 3.3 years More about: comet
167-1820 The Royal Astronomical Society is founded More about: Royal Astronomical Society
168-1821 Astronomische Nachrichten (Astronomical Notes, AN)published for the first time; this may be the oldest astronomical journal still published
169-1825 "Mecanique Celeste" published by Laplace, in which he summarised his work on gravitation, equinoxes, Saturn's rings and related fields
170-1826 Olbers Paradox put forward
171-1834 First use of the term scientist, coined by William Whewell
172-1838 Friedrich Bessel calculates the distance of 61 Cygni from the Earth at approximately 6 light years away; the real value is nearer 12 light years
173-1839 Development of the daguerreotype image; these are produced by the effect of sunlight on treated silver-coated copper
174-1839 Thomas Henderson announded that he had calculated the distance to Alpha Centauri - he had actually established this several years previously
175-1840 John Draper makes the first daguerreotype image of the Moon More about: Moon
176-1845 Lord Rosse discovers a spiral shaped nebula
177-1845 Fizeau and Foucault make the first successful daguerrotype image of the Sun More about: Sun
178-1845 John Couch Adams submitted his calculations for the position of a new planet (Neptune) to George Airy, but the work was not followed through More about: Neptune More about: George Airy
179-1846 Neptune is discovered by Johann Galle More about: Neptune
180-1846 William Lassell discovers Triton, the largest moon of Neptune More about: Triton
181-1846 Urbain Le Verrier mathematically predicts the position of Neptune, leading to its discovery More about: Urbain Le Verrier
182-1848 'Science' magazine first published
183-1848 Maria Mitchell became the first woman appointed to the US Academy of Arts and Sciences. She later earned the first advanced degree awarded to a woman and became the first female professor of astronomy in the US
184-1849 Astronomical Journal is started - the first US astronomical publication
185-1849 11 year solar sunspot cycle is determined by Schwabe
186-1850 William Bond takes the first photographic image of a star; he chooses Vega
187-1850 First Australian university established in Sydney; the focus was initially on science
188-1851 First daguerrotype image of a Solar eclipse made by Berkowski
189-1852 Edward Sabine links the sunspot cycle to geomagnetic activity
190-1856 James Clerk Maxwell shows that Saturn's rings are composed of many small particles, rather than large solid rings More about: Saturn
191-1858 A comet is photographed for the first time
192-1859 Carrington and Hodgson independently make the first recorded observation of a solar flare
193-1860 Huggins begins to study the spectral analysis of stars
194-1861 Lassell dicovers Ariel and Umbriel, satellites of Uranus More about: Uranus
195-1863 US National Academy of Sciences initiated by Abraham Lincoln
196-1864 Publication of Herschel's "General Catalog" of star clusters and nebulae More about: Herschel
197-1865 In his fictional novel "From the Earth to the Moon", Jules Verne describes scientists shot into space from a launch base at Cape Canaveral!
198-1866 Great Leonid meteor showers More about: Leonids
199-1869 'Nature' journal first published
200-1872 Draper takes a photograph of the stellar spectrum of the star Vega
201-1877 Martian moons Phobos and Deimos discovered by Hall More about: Phobos More about: Deimos
202-1877 Martian canals observed by Shiaparelli More about: Mars
203-1877 Hall discovers Deimos and Phobos, both satellites of Mars More about: Mars
204-1881 American scientist Michelson invents the interferometer More about: interferometer
205-1884 An international committee establishes the meridian through the Royal Greenwich Observatory More about: Greenwich observatory
206-1885 Supernova SN1885A (S Andromeda) is first such phenomenon studied in several centuries More about: supernova
207-1885 Spectral lines of hydrogen observed by Balmer More about: hydrogen spectrum More about: Johann Jakob Balmer
208-1887 Michelson and Morley run experiments which show that the speed of light remains constant
209-1887 First photographic star charts produced More about: star chart
210-1887 Carte du Ciel project set up in Paris to map the sky to 14th magnitude More about: sky map
211-1890 The British Astronomical Association is founded
212-1892 Spectroheliograph invented by George Hale to take pictures of the Sun
213-1894 Percival Lowell founds an observatory in Arizona, where he studies Mars for over two decades More about: Lowell
214-1895 Space flight is described in papers published by Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky More about: space flight
215-1895 George Hale and James Keeler found the Astrophysical Journal
216-1896 The "Zeeman effect", whereby the application of a magnetic field to a substance causes a spectral line to split into a series of closely-spaced lines, is first observed More about: Zeeman effect
217-1899 American Astronomical Society (AAS) formed
218-1902 First publication of Draper star catalogue More about: star catalogue
219-1902 Heaviside and Kennedy independently discover the ionosphere More about: ionosphere
220-1903 Russia Konstantin Tsiolkovsky develops new ideas about space travel, including the multi-stage rocket. More about: space travel
221-1903 Idea of polar magnetic storms proposed by Birkeland
222-1904 Hartmann discovers interstellar matter More about: interstellar matter
223-1905 Solar observatory established at Mount Wilson, California
224-1906 Trojan asteroid Achilles discovered by Max Wolf; over 1,200 similar asteroids have since been spotted
225-1906 Major explosion in Tunguska, Siberia; it may well have resulted from comet fragments hitting the Earth
226-1906 William Morgan suggests that the Milky Way has a spiral structure More about: Milky Way
227-1907 Arrhenius suggested that life on Earth began with interstellar micro-organisms
228-1908 Cosmic distance scale formulated by Henrietta Leavitt More about: cosmic scale
229-1908 Huge explosion at Tunguska, Siberia, attributed to fragments of comet More about: comet
230-1908 Hale reflector telescope at Mount Wilson, California, completed More about: reflector telescope
231-1908 Danish astronomer Hertzsprung details dwarf and giant stars
232-1908 Henrietta Leavitt observes "breathing" stars, which become known as the Cepheid variables
233-1908 Hale shows that sunspots are highly magnetic
234-1914 First rocket experiments begun by Robert Goddard More about: rocket
235-1914 Arthur Eddington suggests that the spiral nebulae are galaxies
236-1915 Discovery of Proxima Centauri, the nearest non-Solar star to the Earth
237-1916 Edward Barnard discovered a star with the fastest known "proper motion"; this was later named Barnard's Star More about: Barnard's Star
238-1917 Mount Wilson astronomical telescope is installed - with a mirror size of 100 inches, it remains the world's largest for three decades More about: telescope
239-1918 American astronomer Harlow Shapley discovers the shape and size of the Milky Way
240-1919 Foundation of International Astronomical Union More about: International Astronomical Union
241-1919 The bending of starlight, caused by the gravity of the Sun, is measured during a Solar eclipse More about: Solar eclipse
242-1919 Edward Barnard publishes a catalogue of dark nebulae More about: nebula
243-1920 First studies of interstellar matter performed by Arthur Eddington More about: interstellar matter
244-1922 The possibility of an expanding Universe is predicted by general relativity More about: expanding Universe
245-1924 Edwin Hubble's studies prove that galaxies are independent of the Milky Way More about: galaxy More about: Hubble
246-1924 Hermann Oberth demonstrates that rockets could generate enough thrust to escape the gravitation pull of the Earth More about: gravity
247-1924 Arthur Eddington suggests that white dwarf stars are made of degenerate matter More about: stars
248-1925 The relationship between the mass of a star and its radiated energy is determined by Eddington
249-1925 Walter Adams identified Sirius B as a white dwarf star
250-1926 First liquid-fuel rocket launched by Goddard
251-1927 Big Bang theory begins, as Georges Lemaitre proposes that the Universe must have begun to expand from what he describes as a small "cosmic egg". More about: Big Bang
252-1927 The surface temperatures of Mars and Mercury were accurately measured by Menzel
253-1927 Dutchman Oort demonstrates that the centre of our Milky Way galaxy lies in Sagittarius More about: Milky Way
254-1929 As predicted in 1922, the expansion of the Universe is confirmed by Edwin Hubble More about: expanding Universe More about: Edwin Hubble
255-1930 Pluto, the 9th planet from the Sun, discovered by Clyde Tombaugh More about: Pluto
256-1930 Surface temperature of the Moon measured by Seth Barnes Nicholson using a vacuum thermocouple More about: Moon
257-1931 Karl Jansky invents radioastronomy More about: radioastronomy
258-1932 Chandrasekhar describes a possible mechanism for the collapse of stars and the formation of white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes More about: star collapse
259-1932 Jansky discovers radio noise emitted from the centre of the Milky Way
260-1933 The existence of "dark matter" proposed by Zwicky More about: dark matter
261-1937 First radio telescope constructed in the US by Grote Reber
262-1938 Hans Bethe describes the production of energy in stars via nuclear fusion reactions More about: nuclear fusion
263-1938 Compton demonstrated that cosmic radiation consists of charged particles More about: cosmic radiation
264-1939 Oppenheimer and Snyder publish a detailed paper suggesting that black holes result from the collapse of massive stars
265-1939 Cygnus A radio source discovered by Grote Reber
266-1942 Solar radio waves detected by Hey
267-1945 Idea of communications satellites in geosynchronous orbit above the Earth put forward by science writer Arthur C Clarke
268-1945 Radar contact is established with the Moon More about: Moon
269-1946 Percy Spencer invents the microwave More about: microwave radiation
270-1947 Jodrell Bank radio telescope is built by Lovell and his team More about: radio telescope More about: Jodrell Bank
271-1948 Hale reflector telescope installed at Mount Palomar observatory, California
272-1949 Cape Canaveral rocket testing ground set up
273-1949 Detection of solar X-rays by Friedman More about: Sun
274-1950 United States National Science Foundation (NSF) founded More about: National Science Foundation
275-1950 Existence of a cloud of comets first proposed by Oort More about: Oort Cloud
276-1951 A radio signal emitted by interstellar hydrogen is observed More about: interstellar hydrogen
277-1951 Kuiper Belt of comets proposed by Gerald Kuiper More about: comets
278-1951 Monkeys sent into space aboard US craft
279-1953 Series of articles describing human future in space published by Colliers magazine
280-1955 Jodrell Bank telescope is completed in Cheshire, England More about: Jodrell Bank
281-1955 Radio emissions from Jupiter detected by Burke and Franklin More about: Jupiter
282-1956 Palomar sky survey completed More about: sky survey
283-1957 Russians launch Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite, and take the lead in the space race
284-1957 The US government founds the Advanced Research Agency (ARPA) as a direct response to the Soviet launch of Sputnik
285-1957 Publication of 'Synthesis of the Elements in Stars' by Margaret Burbidge, Geoffrey Burbidge, William Fowler, and Fred Hoyle (B2FH); this landmark paper suggested that stellar elements are formed by nuclear reactions
286-1957 Patrick Moore's Sky at Night was first televised
287-1957 Sputnik II launched, carrying a dog, Laika, the first living creature from the Earth sent into space
288-1957 250 foot steerable radio telescope set up at Jodrell Bank by Lovell More about: Jodrell Bank
289-1958 NASA, the North American Space Agency, formed More about: NASA
290-1958 Americans launch their first satellite into space, Explorer 1
291-1958 The magnetosphere is detected following results obtained from an American satellite More about: Earth magnetosphere
292-1958 James Van Allen discovers a belt of radiation around the Earth More about: Van Allen belt
293-1958 The idea of solar wind is put forward by Eugene Parker More about: solar wind
294-1959 The first photographs of the Far Side of the Moon are taken by Soviet satellite Luna III
295-1959 Russian spacecraft Luna II reaches and impacts on the Moon
296-1959 Russian Luna 1 probe confirms the existence of solar wind More about: solar wind
297-1960 Discoveries at Stonehenge spurred research in the new field of archeoastronomy
298-1961 Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok I becomes the first man in space. Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space later this year
299-1961 President John F Kennedy prophetically announces America's intention to land a man on the Moon before the end of the decade
300-1961 Ginzburg suggested that a black hole at he centre of a galaxy could provide the power to fuel strong radio sources
301-1962 An X-ray source is discovered in Scorpius by Bruno Rossi
302-1962 Satellite broadcasting from the Telstar I craft allows the first transatlantic television transmission
303-1962 Mariner 2 spacecraft returns the first data about Venus More about: Venus
304-1963 First quasar discovered More about: quasar
305-1963 Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space
306-1963 Syncom 2 satellite is launched and sets the geosynchronous orbit
307-1964 First pictures of lunar surface transmitted by unmanned US spacecraft
308-1964 Background microwave radiation in the Universe discovered More about: background radiation
309-1965 Russian cosmonaut Leonov completes the first spacewalk, followed a week later by American Edward White
310-1965 Mariner 4 spacecraft transmits the first clear pictures from the surface of Mars More about: Mars
311-1966 Luna IX probe lands on the Moon, while Venera III makes a landing on Venus More about: Venus
312-1966 Russian Luna X and American Lunar Orbiter 1 satellites orbit the Moon
313-1967 Bell and Hewish discover the first pulsar
314-1967 American astronauts Virgil Grissom, Ed White II, and Roger Chaffee are killed during a fire at a launch pad testing
315-1967 Texas Instruments devise and market the first hand held calculator
316-1968 Apollo 8 is first manned spacecraft to orbit the Moon More about: Apollo
317-1968 First pulsars are identified by Bell and Hewish More about: pulsar
318-1969 Neil Armstrong becomes the first human to set foot on the Moon on July 20th, closely followed by Buzz Aldrin More about: Apollo
319-1969 Astronomy and Astrophysics journal launched
320-1970 Penrose and Hawking prove that the Universe must have had an originating point of time More about: Universe origin More about: Stephen Hawking
321-1970 Apollo 13 spacecraft suffers malfunctions, but uses the Moon's gravity field to slingshot back to Earth
322-1970 Unmanned Venera 7 spacecraft lands on Venus, the first successful landing on another planet More about: Venus
323-1970 Dong Fang Hong I is the first Chinese satellite launched
324-1970 Launch of Uhuru, the first dedicated X-ray satellite
325-1971 First orbital space station, Salyut I, launched by the Russians More about: space station
326-1971 Lunar rover vehicle driven on surface of the Moon
327-1971 US Mariner 9 spacecraft starts to map Mars More about: Mars
328-1971 Moon's magnetic field discovered and observed by Apollo spacecraft
329-1971 Mariner 9 takes first photographs of Phobos and Deimos, the moons of Mars More about: Mars
330-1971 Prospero X-3 satellite is first to be launched from a British rocket
331-1972 Bardeen, Carter and Stephen Hawking propose four laws of black hole mechanics More about: black hole
332-1972 Americans launch Pioneer 10, the first spacecraft launched to visit Jupiter More about: Jupiter
333-1972 Launch of the Copernicus ultraviolet satellite
334-1973 US launch Skylab workshop into orbit More about: Skylab
335-1973 European Space Agency (ESA) formed
336-1974 American Mariner 10 space probe transmits pictures of Mercury
337-1975 Venera IX makes a landing on Venus and relays pictures of the planet back to the Earth More about: Venus
338-1975 The US Apollo and Russian Soyuz spacecraft dock together
339-1975 First Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GEOS) launched to aid hurricane detection
340-1976 The rings of Uranus are discovered More about: Uranus
341-1976 Viking I lands on Mars More about: Mars
342-1976 6m reflector telescope installed at Mount Semirodniki (Russia)
343-1977 Voyager deep space probes launched
344-1977 Rings around Uranus discovered and observed by James Elliot More about: Uranus
345-1978 James Christy discovers Pluto's moon Charon More about: Pluto
346-1978 Pioneer 1 and 2 reach Venus
347-1978 Existence of "dark matter" in the Universe is confirmed More about: dark matter
348-1979 Voyager spacecraft pass Jupiter, providing a wealth of new information More about: Voyager
349-1979 Skylab space station re-enters the Earth's atmosphere and fragments
350-1980 The Voyager spacecraft pass Saturn More about: Voyager
351-1980 Very Large Array (VLA) telescopes established at Soccoro, New Mexico, US More about: VLA
352-1980 Guth suggests that prior to the Big Bang, an "inflationary phase" of the Universe may have existed More about: Big Bang
353-1981 The US launches Columbia, the first space shuttle More about: space shuttle
354-1981 "Magsat" spacecraft makes the first precision mapping of the Earth's magnetic field
355-1982 Venera spacecraft transmits first colour images of Venus More about: Venus
356-1983 US astronaut Sally Ride is the first American woman in space
357-1983 Pioneer 10 spacecraft leaves the Solar System
358-1983 US starts plans for Star Wars Strategic Defence Initiative, a space-based nuclear defence system
359-1984 First untethered spacewalk by American astronaut Bruce McCandless II
360-1984 Russian Svetlana Savitskaya becomes the first woman to walk in space
361-1986 Challenger shuttle explodes a minute after launch, killing all 7 crew members More about: space shuttle
362-1986 Halley's Comet returns More about: comet More about: Halley
363-1986 Voyager 2 reaches Uranus, finding 6 new moons More about: Uranus More about: Voyager
364-1986 Russians launch Mir space station More about: Mir space station
365-1987 Supernova SN1987A flares up. This is the first supernova visible to the naked eye in 380 years More about: supernova
366-1988 The most distant star to date is recorded, a supernova more than 5 billion light years away More about: supernova
367-1988 Stephen Hawking publishes "A Brief History of Time", bringing complex theories on astrophysics, astronomy and cosmology to the masses
368-1989 Voyager 2 reaches Neptune; amongst the mass of new information, a ring system and 8 moons are found More about: Neptune More about: Voyager
369-1989 The Great Wall of Galaxies is discovered, the largest structure in the Universe More about: Great Wall
370-1989 COBE satellite launched to study cosmic background radiation More about: cosmic radiation More about: COBE
371-1989 Magellan orbiter maps 99% of the surface of Venus More about: Venus
372-1989 Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web
373-1990 Hubble Space Telescope launched More about: Hubble Space Telescope
374-1990 Wendorf and colleagues start their excavation at Nabta Playa, Egypt, the earliest known megalithic astronomical calendar site
375-1991 Helen Sharman becomes the first Briton in space
376-1991 Launch of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory satellite
377-1992 COBE (cosmic background explorer) satellite discovers ripples from the Big Bang More about: Big Bang
378-1992 NASA launches the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program More about: SETI
379-1992 359 years after its prosecution of Galileo Galilei, the Catholic Church admits it erred in its refusal to accept the heliocentric theory of Nicolaus Copernicus More about: Copernicus
380-1993 NASA's Mars Observer spacecraft vanishes just three days before it was supposed to enter orbit around the planet
381-1994 Hubble Space Telescope locates a black hole at the centre of the M87 galaxy More about: black hole More about: Hubble Space Telescope
382-1994 Shoemaker-Levy comet impacts on Jupiter, and is widely observed
383-1994 Clementine lunar orbiter mapped the Moon's surface More about: Moon
384-1995 First extrasolar planet detected by Mayor and Queloz using the "wobble technique" More about: extrasolar planet
385-1995 Jupiter visited by Galileo space probe
386-1996 A Martian meteorite discovered in Antarctica is found to harbour living organisms
387-1996 A probe from the Galileo spacecraft found that Jovian moon Europa could contain ice or liquid water More about: Europa
388-1997 Robot probe vehicle operated by Mars Pathfinder mission More about: Mars Pathfinder
389-1997 Eccentric Timothy Leary is given the first "space funeral"
390-1997 NASA scientists discover fountains of antimatter near the centre of the Milky Way
391-1997 Launch of the Cassini-Huygens mission to Jupiter and Saturn; it successfully arrived in July 2004 More about: Cassini
392-1998 Supernova observations suggest that the universe is expanding at an increased rate More about: supernova
393-1998 John Glenn returns to space at age 77, 36 years after he orbited the Earth for the first time
394-1998 Lunar Prospector reached Moon in January
395-1998 US Deep Space 1 spacecraft uses ion thruster technology
396-1999 Building of a new international space station commences More about: international space station
397-1999 Eileen Collins aboard Columbia becomes the first woman to command a US space shuttle mission
398-1999 American scientists announce their discovery of the "real" Hubble constant, which measures the rate of expansion of the Universe More about: Hubble constant
399-1999 US launches Chandra X-ray Observatory, more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope More about: Chandra Observatory
400-2000 Work by separate research groups establishes that quasars are black holes "in development" More about: quasars
401-2000 A Russian and US crew resides on the International Space Station for four months
402-2000 Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft visits Eros
403-2001 Scientists find evidence for a black hole at the centre of our galaxy More about: black hole
404-2001 First detection of X-ray emissions from Venus and Mars
405-2001 Mir space station re-enters Earth atmosphere after more than 86,000 orbits
406-2002 25th anniversary of the launch of the Voyager deep space probes; both probes are still transmitting data to Earth
407-2003 Space shuttle Columbia breaks up during Earth re-entry, killing its 7 crew More about: space shuttle
408-2003 New studies in February indicate that the Universe is 13.7 billion years old More about: Universe origin
409-2003 On August 27, Mars made its closest approach to the Earth in more than 60,000 years More about: Mars approach
410-2003 Galileo spacecraft successfully de-orbited into Jupiter
411-2003 Chinese successfully launch first manned space flight, piloted by Yang Liwei
412-2003 Researchers at Sussex University, UK, given 2.3 million pound grant to try and determine why matter exists!
413-2003 Creation of the PSIgate timelines!
414-2004 Evidence of icy water found on Mars by European Mars Orbiter craft
415-2004 Americans announce plans to colonise the Moon and land a man on Mars
416-2004 Astronomers announce the discovery of a planetoid, Sedna, orbiting the Sun every 10,000 years, well beyond Pluto More about: Sedna
417-2004 Cassini-Huygens probe arrives at Jupiter and Saturn, sending back a wealth of new information More about: Cassini
4182008 Scheduled launch of the Primary Atomic Reference Clock in Space, an atomic clock aboard the International Space Station
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