Space News Update- June 15, 2012 -

In the News

Story 1: NuSTAR Black Hole Seeker Lifts Off

Story 2:China Set for Historic Mission

Story 3: Cassini Sees Tropical Lakes on Saturn Moon

Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

NuSTAR Black Hole Seeker Lifts Off

China Set for Historic Mission

Cassini Sees Tropical Lakes on Saturn Moon

The Night Sky

Friday, June 15 · With summer beginning in just five days, Scorpius is already rearing up in the southeast at nightfall. Its brightest star is orange Antares. The "outrigger" stars of Antares are just below and upper right of it. Farther upper right is the row of stars marking Scorpius's head. This is a grand area to explore with a sky atlas and binoculars.  Early risers can watch the waning Moon march toward Jupiter and Venus, which are emerging this week from the sunrise glow. (The visibility of the dim objects in bright dawn is exaggerated here. For clarity, the Moon is shown three times its actual apparent size.)Sky & Telescope diagram· As dawn brightens Saturday morning, the Moon, Jupiter, and Venus form a diagonal line above where the Sun will rise, as shown here.

Saturday, June 16 · If you're awake in early dawn Sunday morning, look low in the east-northeast for the thin waning crescent Moon close to Jupiter, as shown here. As dawn brightens look for Venus 9° to Jupiter's lower left. Bring binoculars.

The Night Sky

Sunday, June 17 · Can you see the big Coma Berenices star cluster? Does your light pollution really hide it, or do you just not know exactly where to look? The cluster is 2/5 of the way from Denebola (Leo's tail) to the end of the Big Dipper's handle (Ursa Major's tail). The cluster is about 5° wide — a big, dim glow in at least a moderately dark sky. Its brightest members form an inverted Y that nearly fills a binocular view.

Monday, June 18 · Vega is the brightest star on the eastern side of the evening sky. Deneb is the brightest to its lower left. Altair is farther to Vega's lower right. These form the big Summer Triangle. · This season there's another, temporary "Summer Triangle" toward the southwest: bright Arcturus high on top, the Saturn-Spica pair below it, and Mars off to the pair's right or lower right.

ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

For Denver:

SATELLITE LOCAL DURATIONMAX ELEV

APPROACH DEPARTURE

DATE/TIME (MIN) (DEG) (DEG-DIR) (DEG-DIR)

ISS Fri Jun 15/10:18 PM < 1 10 10 above N 10 above NNE

ISS Fri Jun 15/11:55 PM < 1 23 20 above N 23 above NNE

ISS Sat Jun 16/11:00 PM 2 16 15 above N 12 above NE

ISS Sun Jun 17/00:35 AM < 1 13 10 above NW 13 above NW

ISS Sun Jun 17/10:06 PM 2 12 11 above N 10 above NE

ISS Sun Jun 17/11:42 PM < 1 31 22 above NNW 31 above NNW

ISS Mon Jun 18/09:11 PM 1 10 10 above N 10 above NNE

ISS Mon Jun 18/10:48 PM 2 24 20 above N 21 above NE

NASA-TV Highlights

Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.

June 18, Monday10:10 a.m. - ISS Expedition 31 In-Flight Event for ESA with Euronews - JSC (Public and Media Channels)

Space CalendarJun 15 - Asteroid 4103 Chahine Closest Approach To Earth (1.416 AU) Jun 15 - Asteroid 2161 Grissom Closest Approach To Earth (1.878 AU) Jun 15 - Asteroid 15058 Billcooke Closest Approach To Earth (2.477 AU) Jun 16 - Asteroid 2712 Keaton Closest Approach To Earth (1.185 AU) Jun 16 - Asteroid 945 Barcelona Closest Approach To Earth (2.084 AU) Jun 17 - Moon Occults Jupiter Jun 17 - Asteroid 19631 Greensleeves Closest Approach To Earth (2.074 AU) Jun 18 - NROL-38 Atlas 5 Launch Jun 18 - Comet P/2005 JN (Spacewatch) Closest Approach To Earth (1.528 AU) Jun 18 - Asteroid 78756 Sloan Closest Approach To Earth (2.026 AU)

JPL Space Calendar

Food for ThoughtThe pressure is on for aquanauts

Space Image of the Week

Image Credit& Copyright: Bill Snyder (Heavens Mirror Observatory)

Spiral galaxies M65 (top) and M66