Space News Update- December 20, 2013 -

In the News

Story 1: NASA confident spacesuits ready for cooling system repair work

Story 2: Putting Exoplanets on the Scale

Story 3: NASA's Deep Space Network Turns 50

 Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

Space CalendarNASA-TV Highlights

Food for ThoughtSpace Image of the Week

NASA confident spacesuits ready for cooling system repair work

Putting Exoplanets on the Scale

NASA's Deep Space Network Turns 50

Sunday, December 22 One of the nearest galaxies is dusty NGC 253 in Sculptor. Fewer deep-sky delvers know this narrow spindle, magnitude 7.8, than ought to — no doubt because it's officially in a dim, obscure southern constellation. But it's actually an easy star-hop just 7° south of 2nd-magnitude Beta Ceti, as shown in Gary Seronik's Binocular Highlight in the December Sky & Telescope, page 45.

Monday, December 23 With fall gone and winter here, the Great Square of Pegasus is again tipped up onto one corner after dinnertime, now descending on the western side of the sky. The main line of Andromeda's stars extends up from its top corner.

The Night SkyFriday, December 20 At this cold time of year the Big Dipper, highest in the warm late spring, may be the last thing on your mind. But look low in the north at nightfall and there it is, resting upright on or near the horizon — if you're not too far south! With a telescope this evening, watch Jupiter's moon Io disappear into eclipse in Jupiter's shadow at 9:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Io will fade away just off Jupiter's western limb. Forty-five minutes later, Ganymede emerges across the western limb onto dark sky. Then around 11:23 p.m. EST, Jupiter's Great Red Spot (strong orange this season) transits the planet's central meridian.

Saturday, December 21 Today is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere; the longest day in the Southern Hemisphere. Winter in the north, and summer in the south, begin at the solstice: 12:11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. This is when the Sun reaches its farthest point south for the year and begins its six-month northward return. Happy Yule.

If there's one constellation that everyone should know at this time of year, it's wintry Orion climbing up in the east-southeast. As always when Orion is on the rise, the three-star Belt of Orion in its middle is nearly vertical. Show someone Orion this week and they'll know it for a lifetime.

Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities

Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information

ISS For Denver:

Date Visible Max Height Appears Disappears

Fri Dec 20, 5:11 PM 2 min 11° 10 above NNW 10 above N

Sat Dec 21, 6:00 PM

1 min 12° 10 above NNW 12 above N

Sun Dec 22, 5:12 PM

2 min 11° 10 above NNW 10 above NNE

Sun Dec 22, 6:48 PM

< 1 min 11° 11 above NNW 11 above NNW

Mon Dec 23, 6:00 PM

2 min 18° 10 above NNW 18 above NNE

NASA-TV Highlights

(all times Eastern Daylight Time)

December 20, Friday2 p.m. - NASA Google+ Hangout: 'Earthrise' A New Visualization - 45th Anniversary of Apollo 8 Viewing Earth from Space - GSFC (All Channels)4 p.m. - Replay of NASA Google+ Hangout: 'Earthrise' A New Visualization - 45th Anniversary of Apollo 8 Viewing Earth from Space - HQ (All Channels)8 p.m. - Replay of NASA Google+ Hangout: 'Earthrise' A New Visualization - 45th Anniversary of Apollo 8 Viewing Earth from Space - HQ (All Channels) December 21, Saturday6:15 a.m. - ISS Expedition 38 Spacewalk Coverage (spacewalk scheduled to begin at 7:10 a.m.) - JSC (All Channels) December 23, Monday6:15 a.m. - ISS Expedition 38 Spacewalk Coverage (spacewalk scheduled to begin at 7:10 a.m.) - JSC (All Channels)

Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar

JPL Space Calendar

Dec 20 - Tupac Katari (TK-Sat 1) CZ-3B/E LaunchDec 20 - Thaicom 6 Falcon 9 LaunchDec 20 - Comet C/2013 V3 (Nevski) Closest Approach To Earth (0.864 AU)Dec 20 - Comet 178P/Hug-Bell Closest Approach To Earth (1.345 AU)Dec 20 - Asteroid 4455 Ruriko Occults HIP 110395 (3.8 Magnitude Star)Dec 20 - Asteroid 2013 WR45 Near-Earth Flyby (0.045 AU)Dec 20 - Asteroid 2012 CL19 Near-Earth Flyby (0.098 AU)Dec 20 - Asteroid 4701 Milani Closest Approach To Earth (1.494 AU)Dec 20 - Asteroid 67 Asia Closest Approach To Earth (1.767 AU)Dec 20 - Asteroid 51824 Mikeanderson Closest Approach To Earth (2.176 AU)Dec 21 - Winter Solstice, 17:11 UTDec 21 - Comet 52P/Harrington-Abell Closest Approach To Earth (0.989 AU)Dec 21 - [Dec 16] Comet C/2013 W2 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (4.082 AU)Dec 21 - Asteroid 1740 Paavo Nurmi Closest Approach To Earth (1.329 AU)Dec 21 - Asteroid 9879 Mammuthus Closest Approach To Earth (1.537 AU)Dec 21 - Asteroid 3259 Brownlee Closest Approach To Earth (2.275 AU)Dec 21 - 35th Anniversary (1978), Venera 12, Venus LandingDec 21 - 45th Anniversary (1968), Apollo 8 Launch (Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders)Dec 22 - Ursids Meteor Shower PeakDec 22 - Comet C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) Perihelion (0.812 AU)Dec 22 - Comet P/2012 O3 (McNaught) At Opposition (3.467 AU)Dec 22 - Comet C/2012 A1 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (6.642 AU)Dec 22 - Comet C/2012 A1 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (6.642 AU)Dec 22 - Asteroid 18610 Arthurdent Closest Approach To Earth (1.027 AU)Dec 22 - 25th Anniversary (1988), Discovery of the LEW 88516 Meteorite (Mars Meteorite)Dec 23 - Comet 189P/NEAT At Opposition (3.045 AU)Dec 23 - Comet 172P/Yeung At Opposition (3.958 AU)Dec 23 - Asteroid 2013 WD44 Near-Earth Flyby (0.059 AU)Dec 23 - Asteroid 443 Photographica Closest Approach To Earth (1.221 AU)Dec 23 - Asteroid 25275 Jocelynbell Closest Approach To Earth (1.161 AU)Dec 23 - Asteroid 2625 Jack London Closest Approach To Earth (1.484 AU)Dec 23 - Asteroid 30441 Curly Closest Approach To Earth (2.399 AU)

Food for Thought

When Science is Art: a New Map of Wind Patterns

Space Image of the Week

A Colorful Moon Image Credit & Copyright: László Francsics