Sputnik

[BinocularSky]

Today is the 58th anniversary of the event that triggered my passion for astronomy.

[bejay1957]

Just before I was born (Dec 1957), but curious that my grandparents and parents always referred to being able to hear it go over.

[Mak the Night]

I had no idea today was the anniversary of Sputnik's launch. I wasn't born then but it is the event that probably caused the space race.

[Stub Mandrel]

Just before I was born (Dec 1957), but curious that my grandparents and parents always referred to being able to hear it go over.

It was possible to pick it up on an ordinary short-wave radio, Wikipedia says;

News reports at the time pointed out that "anyone possessing a short wave receiver can hear the new Russian earth satellite as it hurtles over his area of the globe". Directions, provided by the American Radio Relay League were to "Tune in 20 megacycles sharply, by the time signals, given on that frequency. Then tune to slightly higher frequencies. The 'beep, beep' sound of the satellite can be heard each time it rounds the globe,"

[The Admiral]

As a young lad I remember connecting an aerial wire to our radiogram, the radio inwhich covered the short-wave band. Never heard anything though, but it was an exciting beginning to many more adventures that space exploration would give us. What a fantastic time to have been born!

Ian

[mcolbert]

Sputnik    s 58-oi Godovschinoi!

michael

[carastro]

I remember sitting in the primary school canteen and them playing it beeping over the radio, one of my early interests in Astronomy.

Carole