In my previous post I talked about two significant successes for the Soviet Union in 1957: the first artificial satellite in orbit in October and the first living creature, a dog named Laika, in orbit in November. In December of that year the Americans had a humiliating failure when the Vanguard spacecraft exploded in a… Continue reading The early days of the space race
Author: Steve Hurley
Hi I am Steve Hurley. Although I work in the IT industry. I studied for a PhD in astronomy in the 1980s. My real passion is explaining scientific concepts to a non-scientific audience. My blog (explainingscience.org) covers various scientific topics, but primarily astronomy. It is written in a style that it is easily understandable to the non scientist.
Publications and videos
For links to my books and videos please visit www.explainingscience.org
4 October 1957 – the start of the space age
Updated 16 December 2025 On 4 October 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, into orbit around the Earth. This is considered to be the beginning of the space age. Before this date there were no human made satellites in space but on every single day since then there have been artificial… Continue reading 4 October 1957 – the start of the space age
The discovery of pulsars 1967
Updated 14 December 2025 In 1967, a 24-year-old student from Cambridge University, Jocelyn Bell, was doing the research for her PhD. She was using a radio telescope to study radio waves emitted from compact astronomical objects known as quasars, and when she analysed the data she had collected, she noticed a signal which appeared to… Continue reading The discovery of pulsars 1967
Solar eclipse 21 August 2017 – America on the move
The 2017 total solar eclipse attracted massive attention, with approximately 200 million Americans within driving distance of its path. An estimated 7 million travelers joined 12 million others witnessing the eclipse. This event marked one of the largest human migrations for a natural phenomenon, enhanced by unprecedented social media coverage.
Is 196 a Lychrel Number?
Discusses the intriguing mathematical question of whether 196 is a Lychrel number, defined as a number that never results in a palindrome through repeated "reverse and add" processes. Despite extensive computational attempts, no palindrome has been found for 196, making it a leading candidate for a Lychrel number.
Explaining Science 