10 Unforgettable Moments in the History of Space Exploration
Apollo 11 Moon Landing (1969): The Apollo 11 mission was a monumental achievement in space exploration, as it marked the first time humans set foot on the moon. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took the historic steps on July 20, 1969
Launch of Sputnik 1 (1957): On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite. This event not only marked the beginning of the Space Age but also triggered the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union.
55 Cancri-e This planet is twice the size of Earth and is made mostly of carbon. It orbits its star so closely that it completes an orbit in just 18 hours, and its surface temperature can reach up to 3,630 degrees Fahrenheit.
Kepler-10b This exoplanet is one of the smallest ever discovered, with a radius just 1.4 times that of Earth. It orbits its star every 20 hours and has a surface temperature of around 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Gliese 436 b This planet is known for its hot, steamy atmosphere, which contains a layer of exotic ices such as methane and carbon monoxide. Despite its high temperature, the planet is also thought to have a solid, rocky core.
Kepler-16b This exoplanet is a gas giant that orbits two stars, making it a "circumbinary" planet. It was the first of its kind to be discovered and has been nicknamed "Tatooine" due to its similarity to the planet from Star Wars.
HAT-P-1bThis exoplanet is one of the largest ever discovered, with a radius more than 1.7 times that of Jupiter. It has an extremely low density, suggesting that it is mostly made up of hydrogen gas.
TrES-2b This planet is one of the darkest exoplanets known, reflecting less than 1% of the light that hits it. Its atmosphere is thought to contain a lot of carbon, which gives it its dark appearance.
GJ 1214b This exoplanet is a "super-Earth" with a radius 2.7 times that of Earth. It has a thick atmosphere made up of water vapor and hydrogen gas, and its surface temperature is thought to be around 800 degrees Fahrenheit.
OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb This exoplanet is one of the most distant ever discovered, located around 21,000 light-years away from Earth. It is a "rogue planet," meaning that it does not orbit a star and instead drifts through space on its own.