... Surveyor 6 was not the first spacecraft to accomplish a soft landing on the Moon ... but it was the first to land and then lift off again! ... Exploring Comet Tails . ... Comets are known for their tails. In the spring of 1997 and 1996 Comet Hale-Bopp (above) and Comet Hyakutake gave us stunning examples as they passed near the Sun. ... Aurora in Red and Yellow . ... When the shock wave reached the Earth on April 6, the resulting aurora could be seen in clear skies as far south as North Carolina. ...