The Soviet-built space probe, Venera 3, was the first spacecraft to ever land on another planet back on March 1st, 1966, after being launched on November 16, 1965 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

The mission of this spacecraft was to land on the Venusian surface. The entry body contained a radio communication system, scientific instruments, electrical power sources, and medallions bearing the State Coat of Arms of the U.S.S.R.

Unfortunately, the probe crash-landed on Venus, causing its communication systems to fail before it could return any information about the planet. The spacecraft impacted on the night side of Venus, near the terminator, around -20º to 20º N, 60º to 80º E.

The Venera program, however, would go on to successfully submit data f ...

Before you watch the video (or read the explanation underneath), try answering the question: What causes the seasons on Earth?. You'll be surprised that even the brightest minds – many of whom have been educated at one of the world's leading universities – can have the same misconceptions as everyone else.


Many believe that the Earth's orbit is an exaggerated ellipse, as pointed out by the narrator. Although the Earth’s orbit is elliptical, it is so close to round that Earth’s distance from the Sun does not vary enough to affect the seasons. In fact, its orbit is only 1.7 percentage points from being perfectly round.

Indeed, Earth is closest to the Sun each year on January 4, when it is winter and cold in the Northern Hemisphere. The seasons ...