Judy Novotny

In 1979, Neptune became the outermost planet as Pluto moved closer to the Sun. Back in the days when Pluto was still a planet, Neptune began a 20-year run as the outermost planet in the solar system as Pluto’s elliptical orbit carried it closer in

In 1997, Comet Hale-Bopp crossed Mars’ orbit . The comet is named for its discoverers. On July 23, 1995, an unusually bright comet outside of Jupiter’s orbit was discovered independently by Alan Hale, New Mexico and Thomas Bopp, Arizona. Learn more at http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/halebopp.html

In 1736, James Watt, the inventor of the steam engine, was born. The discovery that steam could be harnessed and made to work is not credited to James Watt. In fact, the ancient Greeks had crude steam engines. James Watt, however, is credited with inventing

In 1989, astronomers discovered pulsar in remnants of Supernova 1987A. It was the first supernova seen in 1987, so it was officially dubbed Supernova 1987A, or SN87A for short. The star that blew up (Sanduleak -69 202) was the first blue supergiant ever seen to

In 1968, Soyuz 4 and 5 completed the first docking of two manned spacecraft. Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 carried out the original mission of the first Soyuz mission in 1967 — docking between two manned spacecraft and transfer of crew members between the crafts.

In 1967, Robert J Van De Graaff, U.S. nuclear physicist, died at age 65. He developed a high-voltage electrostatic generator (later called the Van de Graaff generator). You’ll remember it from your local science museum. It is the metal ball that you put your hands