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In 1986 an astronomer trying to trace a 75 cent computer time discrepancy for 10 months eventually found a German hacker selling defense secrets to the KGB.
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By tradition astronomers name lunar lava planes after states of mind, such as “Sea of Tranquility”. However when Soviets discovered a new mare, they named it Moscoviense, after Moscow. This caused strife among astronomers, until it was agreed that Moscow is, in fact, a state of mind.
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Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe owned roughly one percent of all the money in Denmark, wore a nose made of gold after losing his own in a duel and had a pet moose that he sent out to attend parties in his place until it one night got so drunk that it fell down a flight […]
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An astronomer travelled to India in 1760 to observe Venus. His ship blew off course, and he missed the date. He stayed in India for 8 years to try again, but the sky was too cloudy. When he returned home, he had been declared dead, his wife remarried, his estate plundered, and his job lost. […]
In the 1880s, the Harvard Observatory director was frustrated with his staff, and would say “My Scottish maid could do better!” So, he hired his Scottish maid. Williamina Fleming ran a team for decades, classified tens of thousands of stars, & discovered white dwarfs and the Horsehead Nebula.
Astronomer Harlow Shapley, confused about what to study, decided to take the first class listed in university’s catalog. Unable to pronounce “archaeology,” he skipped to the next listing “astronomy.” He went on to become one of the famous 20th century astronomers.
In 1953, an amateur astronomer saw and photographed a bright white light on the lunar surface. He believed it was a rare asteroid impact, but professional astronomers dismissed and disputed “Stuart’s Event” for 50 years. In 2003, NASA looked for and found the crater.
Planetary scientist Eugene Shoemaker is the only human in history to have their ashes buried on the moon.