The Accidental Discovery That Changed Our Understanding of Space
On March 10, 1977, a routine observation led to a groundbreaking discovery that reshaped planetary science forever. Astronomers James Elliot, Edward Dunham, and Jessica Mink were studying Uranus using the Kuiper Airborne Observatory, a telescope mounted on a high-altitude plane. They were observing a phenomenon known as stellar occultation—when a planet moves in front of … Read more