In which year was Skylab first manned, and how many solar observation instruments did it contain?

The first manned mission to Skylab occurred in 1973, which is a key historical fact regarding the United States' first space station. Skylab was launched in May 1973 and hosted its first crew in July of the same year. It represented a significant achievement in space exploration and was designed to conduct various scientific experiments over extended periods of time in low Earth orbit.

Regarding the solar observation instruments, Skylab was equipped with a variety of scientific instruments, including a total of eight solar observation instruments designed to study the Sun. This included tools to observe solar flares and measure solar radiation, vital for understanding solar dynamics and their effects on the Earth and space environment.

This combination of the correct year and the right number of instruments makes the selected answer accurate.