On April 12, 1981, the Columbia Space Shuttle (or Space Shuttle, as it is also known) became the first shuttle to orbit the Earth. In this splendid time exposure, the spotlights touch the Columbia and the service structures (on the left) while the first rests on Platform A of Complex 39, at the Kennedy Space Center, in preparation for the first launch.

Infrared (astronomy) Dictionary of astronomy, letter I Infrared is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum between visible red light and millimeter waves (where the region of radio waves begins). In this range of the electromagnetic spectrum is included that radiation that we generically notice as heat.

Thanks to the data and images sent by the MESSENGER (Mercury Surface Space Environment Geochemistry & Ranging), we know that on the planet Mercury there could be signs of ice. The MESSENGER is the first spacecraft that travels in the orbit of Mercury, and offers scientists important clues about the origin of the planet and its complicated geological history.

Day Astronomy Dictionary, letter D It is the time that the Earth uses to make a complete turn on its axis. But how long does it last? Actually, it depends on how you look at it: the Earth day is shorter or longer depending on whether the Sun or another star is used as a reference. A sidereal day is defined as the period of average rotation with reference to the stars, that is, 23 hours 56 minutes and 4,091 seconds of average solar time.

In this photo we see part of the astronomical Observatory of Cerro Paranal, north of Chile. It is governed by ESO (European Southern Observatory) and is one of the most important optical observatories in the world. In Cerro Paranal the VTL (Very Large Telescope) is located since 1996, at more than 2,600 ms of altitude.

Eight months before his arrival in Saturn, the Cassini probe obtained this image of the planet of the rings, in more detail than that taken almost a year ago. The image has been made from several exposures obtained by the Cassini narrow-field camera on November 9, 2003. In the photo some details of the ring system are visible: structures in ring B, the central and brightest of the three.