History of Space Exploration History of Space Exploration There are things that are known and things that are unknown; in between is exploration. -Anonymous Space History Historical Publications Space Exploration Chronology Spacecraft Mission Summaries This is a partial list of past, present, and future planetary and solar missions; for a complete account, please see the Space Exploration Chronology. U.S. USSR/Russia Missions European Missions China National Space Missions Chang'e 1 Japanese Missions Spacecraft Home Pages for Current and Future Missions Educator Guides Additional History Resources
World Sunlight Map - die.net Watch the sun rise and set all over the world on this real-time, computer-generated illustration of the earth's patterns of sunlight and darkness. The clouds are updated daily with current weather satellite imagery. The Mercator projection used here is one way of looking at the spherical earth as a flat map. Used since the 16th century for navigation, straight lines on this map can be used accurately as compass bearings but the size and shape of continents are distorted. Compare this with Peters, Mollweide or equirectangular projection maps. Also available is a semi-realistic view of dawn and dusk from far above the Earth, a look at the moon, and information about how this works.
Extreme Science | science & technology | earth science The Elegant Universe | Watch the Program (full-screen) The Elegant Universe: Part 3 PBS Airdate: November 4, 2003 NARRATOR: Now, on NOVA, take a thrill ride into a world stranger than science fiction, where you play the game by breaking some rules, where a new view of the universe pushes you beyond the limits of your wildest imagination. This is the world of "string theory," a way of describing every force and all matter from an atom to earth, to the end of the galaxies—from the birth of time to its final tick, in a single theory, a "Theory of Everything." Our guide to this brave new world is Brian Greene, the bestselling author and physicist. BRIAN GREENE (Columbia University): And no matter how many times I come here, I never seem to get used to it. NARRATOR: Can he help us solve the greatest puzzle of modern physics—that our understanding of the universe is based on two sets of laws that don't agree? NARRATOR: Resolving that contradiction eluded even Einstein, who made it his final quest. S. BRIAN GREENE:The atmosphere was electric. S. S.