Space Forum / Astronomy / October 2007

October 4th marks my dear mother's birthday (may
she rest in peace).  She was one of those sweet and
beautiful moms, and heaven knows how she put up
with me for all those years.

This year, that date also marks the 50th anniversary
of the first successful manmade satellite launch into
space. So "Sputnik" (in Russian it means "companion")
has been in the news...

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=1487

You can find out more about Earth's first companion,
and you'll also read an interesting controversy about
Sputnik's re-entry from orbit, here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_1

Sputnik was launched on Mom's 27th birthday. I was
7yo.  Love ya, Mom.

happy days and...
  starry starry nights!