Space News Update- October 24 - 28, 2011 -

In the News

Story 1: “Baby” Planet Caught in the Act of Forming

Story 2:Dead ROSAT Satellite Reenters Over South-East Asia

Story 3: Curiosity Buttoned Up for Martian Voyage in Search of Life’s Ingredients

 Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

Space CalendarNASA-TV Highlights

Food for ThoughtSpace Image of the Week

“Baby” Planet Caught in the Act of Forming

Dead ROSAT Satellite Reenters Over South-East Asia

Curiosity Buttoned Up for Martian Voyage in Search of Life’s

Ingredients

The Night Sky Monday, Oct. 24· The tiny black shadow of Jupiter's satellite Europa crosses Jupiter tonight from 12:26 to 2:54 a.m. Tuesday morning Eastern Daylight Time (9:26 to 11:54 p.m. Monday evening Pacific Daylight Time). Europa itself follows only about 15 minutes behind its shadow.

Tuesday, Oct. 25 · By 9 or 10 p.m. the Autumn Star, Fomalhaut, shines at its highest in the south (not all that high). Fomalhaut is 25 light-years away — exactly the same distance as Vega, shining brighter high in the west. So, the difference in brightness that you see is the two stars' actual difference in true luminosity. Vega looks 1 magnitude brighter than Fomalhaut (in other words, 2.5 times brighter), and so it really is.

Wednesday, Oct. 26 · The Ghost of Summer Suns. Halloween is approaching, and this means that Arcturus, the star sparkling low in the west-northwest in twilight, is taking on its role as "the Ghost of Summer Suns." What does this mean? For several days centered on October 29th every year, Arcturus occupies a special place in the sky above your local landscape. It closely marks the spot there where the Sun stood at exactly the same time (by your clock) during warm June and July — in broad daylight, of course! So, in the last days of October each year, you can think of Arcturus as the chilly Halloween ghost of the departed summer Sun.  Thursday, Oct. 27 · The shadow of Jupiter's moon Io starts crossing Jupiter around 11:19 p.m. EDT, followed by Io itself just 3 minutes behind almost on top of the shadow. Then at 11:37 p.m. EDT, Ganymede disappears into eclipse by Jupiter's own shadow, just a hairsbreadth beyond Jupiter's western limb.  · Friday, Oct. 28 · In bright twilight, look for the thin waxing crescent Moon very low in the southwest. Can you spot Venus to its lower right, as shown here? They're separated by roughly a fist-width at arm's length (depending on your longitude). Use binoculars to try for much fainter Antares and Mercury.

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 Mon Oct 24/06:30 PM 3 14 10 above NW 10 above NNE

ISS Tue Oct 25/07:10 PM < 1 10 10 above N 10 above N

ISS Wed Oct 26/07:49 PM < 1 10 10 above N 10 above N

ISS Thu Oct 27/06:53 PM < 1 10 10 above N 10 above N

ISS Fri Oct 28/07:31 PM 1 1310 above NNW

13 above N

NASA-TV HighlightsOctober 24, Monday3 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 29/30 Crew News Conference at Star City, Russia and Visit to Red Square in Moscow - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels)3:45 p.m. - NEEMO B-Roll Feed - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels)4 - 5 p.m. - Live interviews with the NEEMO 15 crew from the Aquarius Underwater Habitat at Key Largo, FL - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels)

October 25, Tuesday9:55 a.m. - ISS Expedition 29 In-Flight Interviews with CNN and MSNBC

October 26, Wednesday8:10 a.m. - JAXA ISS Expedition 29 In-Flight Educational Event with Takayama Village, Japan and the Saga Newspaper (in native language and replayed with interpretation on ISS Update at 11 a.m.) - JSC (All Channels)1:30 p.m. - NEEMO B-Roll Feed - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels)2 - 2:30p.m. - Live interviews with NEEMO 15 astronaut/aquanaut Shannon Walker at the Aquarius Underwater Habitat at Key Largo, FL - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels)4 p.m. – NPP Prelaunch News Conference - VAFB/KSC (Public, HD and Media Channels)

October 27, Thursday12:30 p.m. - Tweet-Up for NPP Mission - VAFB/KSC (Public, HD and Education Channels)

October 28, Friday3:01 a.m. – NPP Launch Coverage (Launch window is 5:48:01 – 5:57:11 a.m.) – VAFB/KSC (All Channels)8:30 a.m. – NPP Post Launch News Conference – VAFB (Public, HD and Media Channels)

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

Space Calendar· Oct 24 - MESSENGER, Orbit Correction Maneuver #4 (OCM-4) · Oct 24 - Comet 198P/ODAS Closest Approach To Earth (1.217 AU) · Oct 24 - Comet P/2011 R3 (Novichonok-Gerke) Closest Approach To Earth (2.654 AU) · Oct 24 - Comet 111P/Helin-Roman-Crockett Closest Approach To Earth (2.951 AU) · Oct 24 - Comet P/2011 P1 (McNaught) Closest Approach To Earth (4.426 AU) · Oct 24 - Comet C/2009 W2 (Boattini) Closest Approach To Earth (6.765 AU) · Oct 24 - Asteroid 230 Athamantis At Opposition (9.9 Magnitude) · Oct 24 - Asteroid 2011 UH10 Near-Earth Flyby (0.025 AU) · Oct 24 - Asteroid 2011 UE10 Near-Earth Flyby (0.032 AU) · Oct 24 - Asteroid 2003 FH Near-Earth Flyby (0.065 AU) · Oct 24 - 5th Anniversary (2006), MESSENGER, 1st Venus Flyby · Oct 24 - 160th Anniversary (1851), William Lassell's Discovery of Uranus Moons Umbriel and Ariel · Oct 25 - Comet C/2011 Q3 (McNaught) Closest Approach To Earth (1.372 AU) · Oct 25 - Asteroid 2011 UJ21 Near-Earth Flyby (0.040 AU) · Oct 25 - Asteroid 3769 Arthurmiller Closest Approach To Earth (1.137 AU) · Oct 25 - 5th Anniversary (2006), STEREO Launch · Oct 25 - 340th Anniversary (1671), Giovanni Cassini's Discovery of Saturn Moon Iapetus · Oct 26 - Asteroid 4 Vesta Occults TYC 6923-01354-1 (11.7 Magnitude Star) · Oct 26 - Asteroid 433 Eros Occults 2UCAC 47528641 (12.5 Magnitude Star) · Oct 26 - Asteroid 1993 VD Near-Earth Flyby (0.090 AU) · Oct 26 - Asteroid 2006 SP19 Near-Earth Flyby (0.091 AU) · Oct 26 - Asteroid 17033 Rusty Closest Approach To Earth (1.329 AU) · Oct 26 - Asteroid 2866 Hardy Closest Approach To Earth (1.522 AU) · Oct 26 - Asteroid 2002 Euler Closest Approach To Earth (1.585 AU) · Oct 27 - Asteroid 2011 QY39 Near-Earth Flyby (0.082 AU) · Oct 27 - Asteroid 2005 CJ Near-Earth Flyby (0.082 AU) · Oct 27 - 50th Anniversary (1961), 1st Test Flight of Saturn 1 Launch Vehicle · Oct 28 - NPP/ RAX-2/DICE 1 & 2/ Aubiesat 1/ MCubed/ E1P F2 Delta 2 Launch · Oct 28 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #297 (OTM-297) · Oct 28 - Moon Occults Mercury · Oct 28 - Asteroid 4150 Starr Closest Approach To Earth (1.126 AU) · Oct 28 - 40th Anniversary (1971), Prospero Launch (Great Britian's First Space Launch) 

JPL Space Calendar

Food for ThoughtNASA Releases Visual Tour of Earth's Fires

 

Space Image of the WeekSunset with the Massive Sun Spot 1302 (Upper left on the Sun) Credit: Adrian Scott