Morgan Jones Planetarium

On this day (June 18) in 1983, Dr. Sally Ride made history by launching aboard Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-7), becoming the first American woman to fly in space.

During her notable 6-day mission, Dr. Ride’s achievements extended beyond Earth's atmosphere, as she dedicated her life to inspiring the next generation, particularly young girls, to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

As Dr. Ride aptly stated, 'You can't be what you can't see.'

Today, we commemorate not only her groundbreaking achievement in space but also the numerous opportunities she created for others.

Who inspired your interest in science or mathematics?

NEXT STOP: SPACE!
NASA's Roman Telescope Passes Final Inspection

The "eyes of humanity" are officially ready.

Engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center have completed their final, meticulous inspection of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s primary mirror!

Using a specialized high-resolution camera and a powerful zoom lens, the engineering team confirmed that the massive 7.9-foot (2.4-meter) mirror is flawless, perfectly aligned, and completely free of dust after undergoing intense testing.

Why this is a big deal:
This mirror will collect and focus light from the deep cosmos, allowing Roman to capture stunning, ultra-wide panoramas of space. Even better news? This major milestone keeps the mission running ahead of schedule, tracking beautifully toward a launch!

As Roman Telescope Manager J. Scott Smith put it: “The Roman engineering team laid eyes on the telescope for the final time before it, in turn, becomes the eyes of humanity, revealing the wonders of the cosmos.”

[See the two images below: Engineers taking their final, breathtaking look at the mirror, and the official mission poster!]

Our upcoming public shows with updated dates in July!

63 Years Ago Today: Valentina Tereshkova Shatters the Space Ceiling! 🚀

On June 16, 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova launched aboard Vostok 6, becoming the first woman to travel into space!

At just 26 years old, the former textile worker and expert skydiver didn't just break barriers—she dominated them.

The Mind-Blowing Stats:

* Solo Flight: She flew entirely alone. To this day, she remains the only woman to ever fly a solo space mission.

* Time in Orbit: She spent nearly 3 days (71 hours) in space, orbiting the Earth 48 times.

* Record Breaker: In that single weekend, she logged more flight time than all the pioneering American "Mercury Seven" astronauts combined!

Her historic flight proved once and for all that women possessed the exact same "right stuff" to brave the cosmos.

This incredible image, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, shows Messier 104—better known as the Sombrero Galaxy.

Looking at this photo, it’s hard to wrap your mind around the sheer scale of what you're seeing:

* So Far Away: It is located approximately 31 million light-years from Earth. That means the light hitting Hubble's mirrors today actually left this galaxy back when mastodons and rhinos roamed North America!

* Star Power: The Sombrero Galaxy is home to an estimated 800 billion stars. For comparison, that’s about twice as many stars as our own Milky Way galaxy!

* The "Brim": That thick, dark ring slicing through the middle isn't empty space; it's a massive lane of interstellar dust and gas where new stars are actively being born.

The universe is full of masterpieces, but this one is definitely unique and fascinating.

Saturn, Mimas, Tethys, and Ring Shadows This image of Saturn, the shadow of its rings, and the moons Mimas and Tethys was captured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft on July 16, 2005.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute/Jason Major

Do you know about Spectroscopy?