Astronomy
- January 15 - NASA's Stardust mission successfully ends, the first to return dust from a comet.
- January 25 - The discovery of the planet OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb through gravitational microlensing is announced by PLANET/RoboNet, OGLE and MOA
- February 1 - 2003 UB313 is found to be larger than Pluto.
- February 13 - The recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi erupts. The last outburst occurred in 1985.
- March 9 - NASA's Cassini-Huygens spacecraft discovers geysers of a liquid substance shooting from Saturn's moon Enceladus, signaling a possible presence of water.
- March 29 - Total solar eclipse (Brazil, Greece, Mid Atlantic ocean, Sahara, Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia).
- June 30 - The discovery of nine additional natural satellites of Saturn published.
- August 24 - Pluto is redesignated as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union, joining 2003 UB313 and 1 Ceres.
- September 13 - 2003 UB313 is assigned the name Eris.
- September 22 - Annular solar eclipse in South America, West Africa, and Antarctica.
Read more about this topic: 2006 In Science
Famous quotes containing the word astronomy:
“It is noticed, that the consideration of the great periods and spaces of astronomy induces a dignity of mind, and an indifference to death.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)