On the morning of September 1, 1859, amateur astronomer Richard Carrington pointed his telescope at the sun. He immediately noticed some unusual activity. A cluster of massive dark spots marred the sun’s […]
Birthdays and parties go together. It is a time of celebration for the one who is having a birthday, as well as his or her friends and family. At some point during […]
One of the biggest honors a person can receive is to become the namesake of a unit of measurement. Daniel Fahrenheit, Andres Celsius, and Charles Richter are just a few individuals whose […]
For over 50 years, Sesame Street’s Big Bird has been one of the most iconic and beloved children’s characters. The 8-foot 2-inch (249 cm) bright yellow bird has been teaching children how […]
They say some people are like Slinky’s — they’re not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs. If […]
The eyes of the world were turned spaceward in October 1957 because the Soviet Union had just launched Sputnik, the first manmade object sent into space. Or was it? Just a few […]
It has been called the most expensive hyphen in history. That is a bit of a misstatement. It was actually the most expensive overbar in history, but since most of us have […]
When you contemplate all the skills involved in sending someone into space, you think about math, physics, rocketry, and orbital dynamics. Odds are that you didn’t spend a lot of time thinking […]
The budget for mankind’s first manned mission to the moon was about $25.4 billion. Buried within the countless lines of expense details is the cost for one of the most memorable aspects […]
There is no denying the mental health aspect of a good nap. On those days when the mind is sluggish and the body can’t seem to shift out of first gear, a […]
Many human-made objects have been placed in space, including this comprehensive list of items that remain on the moon. None of these items retain quite the drama or personal impact as the […]
If you imagine the moon as a barren landscape, completely untouched by man, you would be mistaken. Perhaps you realize that it does have a couple of manmade items, such as an […]
Neil Armstrong may have been the first man to go to the moon, but it was Buzz Aldrin who has the honor of being the first man to go on the moon. Yes, history […]
Neil Armstrong. Buzz Aldrin. Michael Collins. The names of the Apollo 11 astronauts who were the first to journey to the moon are rightfully remembered and honored. How many remember Greg Force, […]
NASA’s New Horizons zoomed past Pluto in July 2015. It not only captured some stunning pictures of the planet, (Yes, we at Commonplace still hold to the notion that it is, indeed, […]
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