Where were you on October 4, 1957?
If you had any interest in the booming space race you probably had your eyes glued to the skies, as the Soviet Union announced the successful launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite.
The USSR shocked the world by beating the Americans to sending a craft into space, with thousands of amateur radio operators listening in to its well-known beeps, and amateur astronomers taking to parks and gardens across the world to see if they could spot the satellite as it swept overhead.
Now, 60 years on, a Cambridge museum is calling for anyone who remembers the fateful day to get in touch, to help them tell the story of an astounding year of exploration.
Later this year Cambridge University’s Polar Museum will be marking the anniversary of the International Geophysical Year, which saw huge strides in our attempts to map and understand our planet.
It had a heavy emphasis on Antarctica, followed closely by studies of space and the atmosphere.
As well as the launch of Sputnik, many people remember the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition led by Vivian Fuchs, later Sir Vivian, with a second party led by Sir Edmund Hillary.
The expedition completed the first land crossing of Antarctica, famously using bright orange Tucker Sno-Cat tractors for some of the journey. While not formally part of the IGY, the expedition nevertheless brought back scientific specimens which contributed to the then still controversial theory of continental drift.
The Polar Museum exhibition will tell the stories of Sputnik, the establishment of bases for science in Antarctica, and the men and women who were involved in the year, whether as amateur satellite spotters or top flight scientists.
Museum curator Charlotte Connelly said: “Although largely forgotten now, the International Geophysical Year involved many thousands of people from all of the world and from all walks of life.
“We’d like to capture some of those experiences in our exhibition and show the phenomenal reach of this important moment for global science.”
If you remember satellite spotting in 1957, please get in touch with Charlotte at email@example.com or write to her at The Polar Museum, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1ER.
The Year that Made Antarctica: People, Politics and the International Geophysical Year opens on April 26, 2017 at the Polar Museum on Lensfield Road.