1979 Scientific Discoveries Events — Verified Historical Highlights
1979 Scientific Discoveries Events — Verified Historical Highlights | TakeMeBack.to
- 08 Mar First discovery of extraterrestrial volcanism on Jupiter's moon Io: On March 8, 1979, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft captured images of Jupiter's moon Io, revealing a 300 km tall volcanic plume. This discovery, made by navigation engineer Linda Morabito, marked the first active volcano observed beyond Earth, confirming Io's intense volcanic activity. source: guinnessworldrecords.com
- 08 Jun The Source: First Public Computer Information Service: The Source, founded in 1978 by William von Meister, was one of the first online services available to the general public. It was officially announced at a press conference in New York City on July 9, 1979, where science fiction writer Isaac Asimov declared it the start of the Information Age. The service offered features such as electronic mail, bulletin boards, and access to news and weather information. Despite its innovative offerings, The Source faced financial difficulties and was acquired by CompuServe in 1989. source: apple2history.org
- 25 Jun Asteroid (2343) Siding Spring discovered by Eleanor F. Helin and Schelte J. Bus: On June 25, 1979, astronomers Eleanor F. Helin and Schelte J. Bus discovered asteroid (2343) Siding Spring at the Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales, Australia. This asteroid, approximately 5.2 kilometers in diameter, is part of the main asteroid belt and was named after the observatory where it was found. source: de.wikipedia.org
- 07 Jul Soviet Union conducts nuclear test at Semipalatinsk Test Site: On July 7, 1979, the Soviet Union conducted a nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan. The test, identified as 522-1, was an underground shaft detonation with a yield of 97 kilotons. A subsequent test, 522-2, occurred at the same location with an unknown yield. These tests were part of the Soviet Union's 1979 nuclear test series, which included 31 tests conducted throughout the year. source: en.wikipedia.org
- 08 Jul Voyager 2 captures first image of Jupiter's moon Adrastea: On July 8, 1979, NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft captured the first image of Jupiter's moon Adrastea, marking the discovery of this previously unknown satellite. Adrastea, the second closest of Jupiter's inner moons, was identified in the spacecraft's photographs and received the designation S/1979 J 1. It was officially named after the Greek nymph Adrasteia in 1983. source: nasa.gov
- 23 Jul Discovery of asteroid 2736 Ops by E. Bowell: On July 23, 1979, astronomer E. Bowell discovered asteroid 2736 Ops, contributing to the study of the solar system. source: todaysflashback.com
- 31 Jul Asteroid 2402 Satpaev discovered by N. S. Chernykh: On July 31, 1979, Russian astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh discovered asteroid 2402 Satpaev at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnyj. This main-belt asteroid was named after Qanysh Satpaev, a prominent Soviet and Kazakh geologist. The discovery was reported in the German Wikipedia article on 2402 Satpaev. source: de.wikipedia.org
- 06 Aug Feodor Lynen, Nobel Laureate, dies at 68: Feodor Lynen, the German biochemist who co-discovered the mechanism and regulation of cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism, died on August 6, 1979, in Munich, Germany. He was 68 years old and had been recovering from surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm performed six weeks prior. source: royalsocietypublishing.org
- 12 Aug Death of Nobel Laureate Ernst Boris Chain: Ernst Boris Chain, a German-born British biochemist renowned for his pivotal role in the development of penicillin, passed away on August 12, 1979, in Castlebar, Ireland. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 for his contributions to the discovery and production of penicillin. source: munzinger.de
- 30 Aug Comet Howard–Koomen–Michels collides with the Sun: On August 30, 1979, Comet Howard–Koomen–Michels, also known as C/1979 Q1 (Solwind), collided with the Sun. Discovered by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's SOLWIND coronagraph aboard the P78-1 satellite, the comet was observed falling toward the Sun, with its coma and tail captured in images. The comet's perihelion distance was less than 1 solar radius, leading to its complete vaporization upon encountering the Sun's dense atmosphere. This event caused a significant brightening of the solar corona, a phenomenon not previously observed in sungrazing comets. source: science.org
- 11 Oct Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded for CAT scan development: On October 11, 1979, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to Allan MacLeod Cormack and Sir Godfrey Hounsfield for their development of computer-assisted tomography (CAT) scanning. Cormack's theoretical work laid the foundation for the technique, while Hounsfield's engineering innovations led to the first practical application, revolutionizing medical diagnostics by enabling detailed cross-sectional imaging of the human body. source: nobelprize.org
What happened in 1979?
Discover what the world looked like in 1979: