Space News Update- April 29, 2013 -

In the News

Story 1: Herschel links Jupiter’s water to comet impact

Story 2:Sea Launch rocket failure blamed on hydraulic pump

Story 3:

NASA's PhoneSats set mark for first smartphone satellites 

Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

Herschel links Jupiter’s water to comet impact

Sea Launch rocket failure blamed on hydraulic pump

NASA's PhoneSats set mark for first smartphone satellites

The Night SkyMonday, April 29 • It's almost May, yet the winter star Sirius still twinkles low above the west-southwest horizon in late twilight. How much later into the spring can you keep it in view?

Tuesday, April 30 • The small but distinctive constellation Corvus, the Crow, is an icon of spring evenings (in the Northern Hemisphere). Look for its four-star quadrilateral in the south-southeast after dark, to the right of Saturn and Spica. Watch for Venus beginning to creep up into view shortly after sunset.

Wednesday, May 1 • Have you ever really explored the richest 1° field of the Virgo Galaxy Cluster? How deeply into it can your scope go? Use the charts and guide in Alan Whitman's "Going Deep" column in the May Sky & Telescope, page 61.

Thursday, May 2 • Last-quarter Moon. The Moon, between dim Capricornus and Aquarius, rises around the middle of the night (far below Altair). By daybreak Friday morning it's high in the south.

Friday, May 3 • As soon as it's fully dark, look for the Big Dipper very high in the north-northeast. It's upside down, with its handle to the right and its bowl to the left. It's "dumping water" onto the much dimmer Little Dipper down below

ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

ISS For Denver:

SATELLITE LOCAL DURATION MAX ELEV APPROACH DEPARTURE

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

No sightings

NASA-TV Highlights

(all times Eastern Daylight Time)

April 30, Tuesday 10 a.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 36/37 Qualification Training Simulation Runs at Star City, Russia - JSC (All Channels)12:30 p.m. - ISS Expedition 35 In-Flight Event for the Canadian Space Agency - JSC (Public and Media Channels)

May 2, Thursday12:05 p.m. - ISS Mission Control On-Console Interview with the Digital Learning Network - JSC (All Channels)12:40 p.m. - ISS Expedition 35 In-Flight Educational Event with Fredericksburg High School, Fredericksburg, TX - JSC (All Channels)

Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar

JPL Space Calendar

Apr 29 - Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu At Opposition (2.433 AU) Apr 29 - Asteroid 1909 Alekhin Occults HIP 78933 (3.9 Magnitude Star) Apr 29 - Asteroid 242643 (2005 NZ6) Near-Earth Flyby (0.064 AU) Apr 29 - Asteroid 7016 Conandoyle Closest Approach To Earth (1.184 AU) Apr 29 - Asteroid 9134 Encke Closest Approach To Earth (1.919 AU) Apr 29 - Asteroid 11945 Amsterdam Closest Approach To Earth (2.150 AU) Apr 29 - Asteroid 12432 Usuda Closest Approach To Earth (2.180 AU) Apr 29 - Asteroid 9252 Goddard Closest Approach To Earth (2.413 AU) Apr 29 - Asteroid 1537 Transylvania Closest Approach To Earth (2.890 AU) Apr 29 - Asteroid 3202 Graff Closest Approach To Earth (3.019 AU) Apr 30 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #348 (OTM-348) Apr 30 - Moon Occults Pluto Apr 30 - Comet 69P/Taylor At Opposition (3.421 AU) Apr 30 - Asteroid 12923 Zephyr Closest Approach To Earth (1.083 AU) Apr 30 - Asteroid 12413 Johnnyweir Closest Approach To Earth (1.570 AU) Apr 30 - Asteroid 10217 Richardcook Closest Approach To Earth (2.095 AU) May 01 - Cassini, Distant Flyby of Titan May 01 - Comet 141P/Machholz At Opposition (4.230 AU) May 01 - Asteroid 2013 EU9 Near-Earth Flyby (0.095 AU) May 01 - Asteroid 3115 Baily Closest Approach To Earth (1.888 AU) May 01 - 15th Anniversary (1998), Discovery of Dar al Gani 476 (Mars Meteorite) May 02 - [Apr 23] Comet C/2013 H1 (La Sagra) At Opposition (1.732 AU) May 02 - Comet 256P/LINEAR Closest Approach To Earth (1.783 AU) May 02 - Asteroid 4151 Alanhale Closest Approach To Earth (2.026 AU) May 02 - Kuiper Belt Object 90568 (2004 GV9) At Opposition (38.315 AU) May 03 - [Apr 26] Space Day May 03 - Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova At Opposition (3.918 AU) May 03 - Asteroid 17656 Hayabusa Closest Approach To Earth (1.805 AU) May 03 - Asteroid 189202 Calar Alto Closest Approach To Earth (2.118 AU) May 03 - Asteroid 3623 Chaplin Closest Approach To Earth (2.000 AU) May 03 - Asteroid 84882 Table Mountain Closest Approach To Earth (2.242 AU)

Food for ThoughtExperts Urge Removal of Space

Debris From Orbit

Space Image of the WeekSharp Stereo

Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSL