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Explore major historical events from today or any day on Kudos 365.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

A bright spiral galaxy of the northern sky, Messier 63 is nearby, about 30 million light-years distant toward the loyal constellation Canes Venatici. Also cataloged as NGC 5055, the majestic island universe is nearly 100,000 light-years across, about the size of our own Milky Way. Its bright core and majestic spiral arms lend the galaxy its popular name, The Sunflower Galaxy. This exceptionally deep exposure also follows faint loops and curling star streams far into the galaxy's halo. Extending nearly 180,000 light-years from the galactic center, the star streams are likely remnants of tidally disrupted satellites of M63. Other satellite galaxies of M63 can be spotted in the remarkable wide-field image, including dwarf galaxies, which could contribute to M63's star streams in the next few billion years.

Photo by Alberto Pisabarro

Worm's-eye view of Tokyo Skytree, Japan. The tower was opened to the public on this day in 2012.

Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Typically, the International Space Station is visible only at night. Slowly drifting across the night sky as it orbits the Earth, the International Space Station (ISS) can be seen as a bright spot about once a month from many locations. The ISS is then visible only just after sunset or just before sunrise because it shines by reflected sunlight -- once the ISS enters the Earth's shadow, it will drop out of sight. The only occasion when the ISS is visible during the day is when it passes right in front of the Sun. Then, it passes so quickly that only cameras taking short exposures can visually freeze the ISS's silhouette onto the background Sun. The featured picture did exactly that -- it is actually a series of images taken a month ago from Sant Feliu de Buixalleu, Spain with perfect timing. This image series was later combined with a separate image highlighting the texture of the active Sun which included several Sun's prominences around the edge. Celestial Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (post 1995)

Photo by Pau Montplet Sanz

Landscape in the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine.

Estolyarov, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source.

Blaise Pascal (1623 – 1662) was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, religious philosopher writer and a child prodigy. His earliest mathematical work at age 16 was on projective geometry. Later, he wrote a significant treatise on the subject of conic sections and he laid the foundation for the modern theory of probabilities and formulated what came to be known as Pascal’s principle of pressure. He also made important contributions to the study of fluids, and clarified the concepts of vacuum. Pascal died in Paris at the age of 39. More 

Source: "The Lettres provinciales" (“Provincial letters”) of 1656–7

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Have you ever seen the band of our Milky Way Galaxy? In a clear sky from a dark location at the right time, a faint band of light becomes visible across the sky. Soon after your eyes become dark adapted, you might spot the band for the first time. It may then become obvious. Then spectacular. One reason for your growing astonishment might be the realization that this fuzzy swath, the Milky Way, contains billions of stars. Visible in the featured image, high above in the night sky, the band of the Milky Way Galaxy arcs. Also visible are the colorful clouds of Rho Ophiuchi on the right, and the red and circular Zeta Ophiuchi nebula near the top center. Taken in late February from Maunakea, Hawaii, USA, the foreground telescope is the University of Hawaii's 2.2-Meter Telescope. Fortunately, you don’t need to be near the top of a Hawaiian volcano to see the Milky Way. Put it All Together: Astronomy Puzzle of the Day

Photo by Marzena Rogozinska

Ursus arctos arctos from the Bear Sanctuary in Synevyr National Nature Park, Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine.

Byrdyak, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source.