On this day in October

Chang'e 2 Mission

Chang'e 2 launched.

The Chassigny meteorite falls in France Fall

Seen to fall in France in 1815, this olivine-rich stone was the first known Martian meteorite to be witnessed falling.

Walter Alvarez is born Born

The geologist who found the iridium-rich clay at Gubbio and, with his father Luis, linked the end of the dinosaurs to an impact.

Zagami falls in Nigeria Fall

A stone of about 18 kilograms lands a few metres from a farmer in a field near Zagami. It is one of the largest Martian meteorites ever seen to fall.

In the timeline

A meteorite lands on a pillow Fall

In Golden, British Columbia, Ruth Hamilton wakes to find a 1.3-kilogram stone has crashed through her roof and landed on her pillow beside her head.

Ruth Hamilton

Comet 3I/ATLAS Comets and showers

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS passed Mars at about 29 million km.

2008 TC3: an asteroid seen before it hit Fall

Richard Kowalski discovers a small asteroid about 20 hours before it strikes. Astronomers predict where it will enter the atmosphere, and it explodes over the Nubian Desert of Sudan as forecast.

In the timeline · Richard Kowalski

The Almahata Sitta meteorite falls in Sudan Fall

The first asteroid spotted in space before it hit the Earth – and the meteorites later collected from the Sudanese desert.

Hera launches to study DART's crater Mission

The European Space Agency launches Hera to survey Didymos and Dimorphos and measure exactly what DART's impact did.

Hera · DART

Comet Giacobini–Zinner Comets and showers

A Draconid meteor storm from Comet Giacobini–Zinner was seen over Europe.

Peekskill: a fireball filmed by football fans Fall

A fireball over the eastern United States is videoed by many people at Friday-night football games. A 12-kilogram stone hits Michelle Knapp's car in Peekskill, New York.

In the timeline · Michelle Knapp

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and LCROSS Mission

The rocket stage and then LCROSS struck Cabeus crater; water was found in the plume.

Comet Giacobini–Zinner Comets and showers

A second great Draconid storm, one of the first showers measured by radar.

Heinrich Olbers is born Born

The Bremen doctor and astronomer who discovered the asteroids Pallas in 1802 and Vesta in 1807.

DART Mission

NASA announced that the moon's orbit had been shortened by about half an hour.

Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS Comets and showers

Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS passed closest to Earth, at about 71 million km.

Cold Bokkeveld: a carbon-rich stone Fall

A crumbly black stone falls in the Western Cape of South Africa. Chemists find it contains carbon compounds, an early sign that some meteorites carry organic matter.

Appley Bridge stone lands in Lancashire Fall

A stone falls near Appley Bridge, between Wigan and Southport, after a fireball seen over northern England, and is dug out of a field.

Psyche sets off for a metal world Mission

NASA's Psyche spacecraft launches towards the asteroid Psyche, which may be the exposed metal core of a shattered early world.

Psyche

Lucy Mission

Lucy launched on an Atlas V rocket.

Lucy Mission

First gravity-assist flyby of Earth.

Galileo Mission

Galileo launched from the Space Shuttle Atlantis.

A visitor from another star History

A telescope in Hawaii discovers ʻOumuamua, the first object seen passing through the Solar System from interstellar space.

'Oumuamua, the first interstellar visitor Comets and showers

Robert Weryk discovered 'Oumuamua in Pan-STARRS images.

OSIRIS-REx Mission

Touched down at the Nightingale site and collected a sample.

MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) Mission

MMX launched on an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center.

Ikeya–Seki and the Kreutz sungrazers Comets and showers

Comet Ikeya–Seki passed about 450,000 km above the Sun's surface.

Ernst Öpik is born Born

The Estonian astronomer who studied meteors for half a century, predicted that comets come from a vast distant cloud, and worked at Armagh in Northern Ireland.

Chandrayaan-1 Mission

Chandrayaan-1 launched on a PSLV rocket from Sriharikota.

Comet Giacobini–Zinner Comets and showers

Ernst Zinner recovered Comet Giacobini–Zinner.

Deep Space 1 Mission

Deep Space 1 launched on a Delta II rocket.

Comet Holmes Comets and showers

Comet Holmes brightened nearly a million times, becoming visible to the naked eye.

Galileo Mission

The first close flyby of an asteroid: 951 Gaspra.

Comet 3I/ATLAS Comets and showers

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS passed closest to the Sun.