On the Fourth of July

The supernova that is now known as M1 or The Crab Nebula started shining in 1054.

NASA's Pathfinder landed on Mars in 1997. The next day it would be renamed Sagan Memorial Station. The rover Sojourner would travel a distance of 171 feet during its mission. The current Mars rovers have traveled 4.5 kilometers as of June 15, 2004.