Space News Update- April 2, 2012 -

In the News

Story 1: Shaking Up Theories Of Earth’s Formation

Story 2:How Deep Must Life Hide to be Safe on Europa?

Story 3: Strange Gamma-Ray Objects in Deep Space Perplex Scientists

Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

Shaking Up Theories Of Earth’s Formation

How Deep Must Life Hide to be Safe on Europa?

Strange Gamma-Ray Objects in Deep Space Perplex Scientists

The Night SkyMonday, April 2 · Venus is passing through the outskirts of the Pleiades this evening through Wednesday evening, as shown above. Binoculars or a wide-field telescope give a fine view of the delicate cluster behind Venus's overpowering glare. · The waxing gibbous Moon forms a slightly curving line with Mars and Regulus, as shown at right.  Tuesday, April 3 · The Moon now forms the bottom point of a narrow triangle with Mars and Regulus, as shown at right. · Venus is the closest it will come to the middle of the Pleiades. This evening for the Americas, Venus is passing just ½° southeast of Alcyone (the brightest Pleiad) and ¼° south of the Atlas-Pleione pair. Venus is magnitude –4.5, which means Alcyone, at magnitude 2.85, is 900 times fainter!  Wednesday, April 4 · Two planet-and-star pairings mark the evening sky of spring 2012. After nightfall this week, Mars shines high in the south with Regulus to its right (by 5°). As evening advances, Saturn rises into view low in the east-southeast with Spica to its right (by 5½°).

Thursday, April 5 · The Moon is nearly full this evening. Look left of it for Gamma (ã) Virginis (Porrima), a tight telescopic double star. (Its separation is 1.8 arcseconds this spring; it's widening year by year). Look farther lower left of the Moon for steady-shining Saturn and twinkly Spica, as shown here. And look to the Moon's lower right for the four-star pattern of the constellation Corvus, the Crow.   Friday, April 6 · Full Moon (exact at 3:19 p.m. EDT). This evening the Moon shines in the east with Spica a little to its left and Saturn farther left — a pretty lineup, as shown here. Farther to the Moon's right, look for the four-star pattern of Corvus, the Crow. Much farther to the upper left (outside the picture here) is bright Arcturus, the "Spring Star."

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 Apr 02/05:20 AM 3 17 10 above NNW 17 above NNE

ISS Tue Apr 03/04:24 AM 2 13 12 above N 12 above NNE

ISS Tue Apr 03/05:59 AM 4 44 10 above NW 38 above ENE

ISS Wed Apr 04/05:02 AM 3 25 11 above NNW 24 above NE

ISS Thu Apr 05/04:07 AM < 1 16 16 above NNE 16 above NNE

ISS Thu Apr 05/05:41 AM 6 88 10 above NW 10 above SE

ISS Fri Apr 06/04:46 AM 4 42 30 above NNW 10 above ESE

NASA-TV Highlights

April 3, Tuesday

11:20 a.m. - ISS Expedition 30 Educational Event with the O. Henry Middle School, Austin, TX - JSC (All Channels)

April 5, Thursday

11:05 a.m. - ISS Expedition 30 Event for ESA with the Artis Planetarium in Amsterdam, the Netherlands - JSC (Public and Media Channels)12:05 p.m. - ISS Mission Control Interview with the Digital Learning Network - JSC (All Channels)

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

Space Calendar· Apr 02 - Comet P/2011 R3 (Novichonok-Gerke) Perihelion (3.558 AU) · Apr 02 - Asteroid 2012 EG5 Near-Earth Flyby (0.002 AU) · Apr 02 - Asteroid 2012 FS52 Near-Earth Flyby (0.023 AU) · Apr 02 - Asteroid 7307 Takei Closest Approach To Earth (1.532 AU) · Apr 02 - Asteroid 9781 Jubjubbird Closest Approach To Earth (1.613 AU) · Apr 03 - NROL-25 Delta 4M Launch · Apr 03 - Comet 182P/LONEOS Closest Approach To Earth (0.652 AU) · Apr 03 - Comet 242P/Spahr Perihelion (3.980 AU) · Apr 03 - Asteroid 2010 GD35 Near-Earth Flyby (0.063 AU) · Apr 03 - Asteroid 2011 AA11 Near-Earth Flyby (0.073 AU) · Apr 03 - Asteroid 7225 Huntress Closest Approach To Earth (1.187 AU) · Apr 03 - Asteroid 10867 Lima Closest Approach To Earth (1.669 AU) · Apr 03 - Asteroid 13677 Alvin Closest Approach To Earth (2.415 AU) · Apr 04 - Asteroid 2012 FA57 Near-Earth Flyby (0.003 AU) · Apr 04 - Asteroid 6111 Davemckay Closest Approach To Earth (1.856 AU) · Apr 04 - Asteroid 4372 Quincy Closest Approach To Earth (2.279 AU) · Apr 05 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #315 (OTM-315) · Apr 05 - Comet P/2005 L1 (McNaught) Closest Approach To Earth (2.943 AU) · Apr 05 - Asteroid 2004 TB10 Near-Earth Flyby (0.097 AU) · Apr 05 - Asteroid 44016 Jimmypage Closest Approach To Earth (1.671 AU) · Apr 05 - Asteroid 12397 Peterbrown Closest Approach To Earth (1.852 AU) · Apr 05 - Asteroid 2191 Uppsala Closest Approach To Earth (2.180 AU) · Apr 05 - 15th Anniversary (1997), Galileo, Ganymede 7 Flyby · Apr 06 - Asteroid 2012 DX75 Near-Earth Flyby (0.060 AU) · Apr 06 - Asteroid 14880 Moa Closest Approach To Earth (1.738 AU) 

JPL Space Calendar

Food for ThoughtThe human factor: Space station as a social laboratory

Space Image of the Week