IT was a chance sighting that has earned an amateur stargazer his place in the history books.

SCIENTISTS were celebrating last night after confirmation a European spacecraft had landed safely on Saturn’s icy cloud-covered moon Titan after a seven- year journey.

The Beagle 2 space probe was launched on its final approach to Mars today, a critical step in Europe’s first mission to explore the surface of the Red Planet.

After comprehensively dominating the Formula One world for the past three seasons, Ferrari will make their mark on new territory – Mars.