Space News Update- May 21, 2012 -

In the News

Story 1: Repaired SpaceX Rocket Set for 2nd Blastoff Try on May 22

Story 2:Newfound Exoplanet May Turn to Dust: Planet’s Dust Cloud May Explain Strange Patterns of

Light from Its Star

Story 3: Venus and Crescent Moon to Perform Final Night Sky Show

Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

Repaired SpaceX Rocket Set for 2nd Blastoff Try on May 22

Newfound Exoplanet May Turn to Dust: Planet’s Dust Cloud May Explain Strange

Patterns of Light from Its Star

Venus and Crescent Moon to Perform Final Night Sky Show

The Night Sky

Monday, May 21  · Can you pick up this month's thin crescent Moon yet? During twilight in the Americas it's barely 24 hours old. (After all, it was in front of the Sun yesterday afternoon!) Using binoculars, look for it no more than a half hour after sunset well below Venus in the west-northwest, as shown at lower right.  Tuesday, May 22  · After sunset, look for the thin two-day-old Moon left of Venus, as shown here.  Wednesday, May 23  · Using the Moon and Venus as your guides, what fainter stars in the area can you identify with the chart here? Binoculars help.  Thursday, May 24  · This evening Pollux and Castor are lined up above or upper right of the crescent Moon.  Friday, May 25  · Well to the right of the Moon shine Pollux and Castor. Look well below the Moon for Procyon.

ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

For Denver:

SATELLITE LOCAL DURATION MAX ELEV APPROACH DEPARTURE

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

ISS Tue May 22/03:12 AM 1 13 13 above ESE 10 above E

ISS Tue May 22/04:44 AM 4 55 15 above WSW 31 above NNE

ISS Wed May 23/03:52 AM 2 70 61 above S 26 above ENE

ISS Thu May 24/03:00 AM 2 24 24 above E 10 above ENE

ISS Thu May 24/04:32 AM 4 28 11 above W 20 above NNE

ISS Fri May 25/03:41 AM 2 49 45 above WNW 30 above NNE

NASA-TV Highlights

May 22, Tuesday2:30 a.m. - SpaceX/Dragon Launch Coverage - KSC (Launch scheduled at 3:44 a.m. ET; all Channels)5:15 a.m. - SpaceX/Dragon Post-Launch News Conference - KSC (All Channels)

May 24, Thursday2:30 a.m. - SpaceX/Dragon Fly-Under of the ISS Coverage - JSC (All Channels)10 a.m. - SpaceX/Dragon Mission Status Briefing - JSC (All Channels)

May 25, Friday2 a.m. - SpaceX/Dragon ISS Grapple and Berthing Coverage - JSC (All Channels)1 p.m. - SpaceX/Dragon Mission Status Briefing (Time subject to change) - JSC (All Channels)

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

Space Calendar

· May 21 - Asteroid 2012 KW Near-Earth Flyby (0.009 AU) · May 21 - Asteroid 29075 (1950 DA) Closest Approach To Earth (0.238 AU) · May 21 - Asteroid 63163 Jerusalem Closest Approach To Earth (1.438 AU) · May 21 - Asteroid 3252 Johnny Closest Approach To Earth (1.802 AU) · May 22 - Dragon C-2 & C-3 Falcon 9 Launch (International Space Station) · May 22 - Cassini, Titan Flyby · May 22 - Mercury Passes 0.4 Degrees From Jupiter · May 22 - Comet 231P/LINEAR-NEAT Closest Approach To Earth (2.509 AU) · May 22 - Asteroid 2012 JV11 Near-Earth Flyby (0.017 AU) · May 22 - Asteroid 231307 Peterfalk Closest Approach To Earth (2.013 AU) · May 22 - Asteroid 3866 Langley Closest Approach To Earth (2.237 AU) · May 23 - Asteroid 433 Eros Occults TYC 6090-01641-1 (10.8 Magnitude Star) · May 24 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #323 (OTM-323) · May 24 - Asteroid 32096 Puckett Closest Approach To Earth (1.393 AU) · May 24 - Asteroid 4969 Lawrence Closest Approach To Earth (2.893 AU) · May 24 - 50th Anniversary (1962), Aurora 7 Launch (Scott Carpenter) · May 25 - Asteroid 2012 KD6 Near-Earth Flyby (0.065 AU) · May 25 - Asteroid 7392 Kowalski Closest Approach To Earth (1.520 AU) · May 25 - Asteroid 6318 Cronkite Closest Approach To Earth (2.553 AU) · May 25 - Asteroid 39382 Opportunity Closest Approach To Earth (3.756 AU)

 

JPL Space Calendar

Food for ThoughtZapping Deadly Bacteria Using Space Technology

 

Space Image of the Week