Space News Update- August 12, 2013 -

In the News

Story 1: NASA's next Mars mission inside 100 days from launch

Story 2: Following Higgs Discovery, Physicists Offer Vision to Unravel Mysteries of Universe

Story 3: NASA Maps Out Goals for Potential Landing On Jupiter's Moon Europa

 Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

Space CalendarNASA-TV Highlights

Food for ThoughtSpace Image of the Week

NASA's next Mars mission inside 100 days from launch

Following Higgs Discovery, Physicists Offer Vision to Unravel Mysteries of

Universe

NASA Maps Out Goals for Potential Landing On Jupiter's Moon Europa

The Night Sky

Monday, August 12· During and after dusk, spot Saturn above the waxing crescent Moon in the southwest. Look lower right of the Moon for Spica. Much higher to their upper right shines Arcturus.

Tuesday, August 13· The first-quarter Moon shines in the southwest at nightfall, with Saturn to its right and Antares farther to its left. Quite close to the Moon is Alpha Librae, a wide double star for binoculars. The Moon occults (covers) Alpha Librae for much of South America. Wednesday, August 14· Look for orange Antares lower left of the Moon after dusk, with the other stars of upper Scorpius around it. Near the zenith shines the Summer Star, Vega.

Thursday, August 15· Antares is lower right of the Moon this evening.

Friday, August 16· By about 10 p.m. (depending on where you live), W-shaped Cassiopeia is now as high in the northeast as the Big Dipper is in the northwest. Cassiopeia will grow more ascendant over the Dipper in the evening for the next several months as the seasons turn.· Look below the Moon tonight and tomorrow night for the Sagittarius Teapot, as shown below. Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

ISS For Denver:

Date Visible Max Height Appears Disappears

Mon Aug 12, 8:36 PM 2 min 15° 15 above NNW 10 above NNE

Mon Aug 12, 10:13 PM 2 min 11° 10 above N 10 above NNE

Tue Aug 13, 9:24 PM 2 min 10° 10 above NNW 10 above NNE

Tue Aug 13, 11:01 PM < 1 min 14° 12 above NNW 14 above N

Wed Aug 14, 8:35 PM 2 min 11° 11 above NNW 10 above NNE

Wed Aug 14, 10:12 PM 2 min 13° 11 above NNW 13 above NNE

Thu Aug 15, 9:23 PM 2 min 11° 10 above NNW 10 above NNE

Thu Aug 15, 11:00 PM < 1 min 16° 16 above NNW 16 above NNW

Fri Aug 16, 8:35 PM 2 min 11° 10 above NNW 10 above NNE

Fri Aug 16, 10:12 PM 1 min 20° 14 above NNW 20 above NNE

NASA-TV Highlights

(all times Eastern Daylight Time)

August 14, Wednesday6 a.m. - ISS Expedition 36 In-Flight Interview with the NBC “Today” Show - JSC (All Channels)

August 15, Thursday1:40 p.m. - ISS Expedition 36 In-Flight Educational Event with the Riverside Preparatory High School in Oro Grande, CA - JSC (All Channels) 

August 16, Friday10 a.m. - ISS Expedition 36 Russian Spacewalk Coverage (Spacewalk begins at 10:40 a.m. ET) - JSC (All Channels)

Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar

JPL Space Calendar

Aug 12 - Comet 152P/Helin-Lawrence Closest Approach To Earth (2.735 AU)Aug 12 - Perseids Meteor Shower PeakAug 12 - Asteroid 17681 Tweedledum Closest Approach To Earth (0.998 AU)Aug 12 - Asteroid 69263 Big Ben Closest Approach To Earth (1.599 AU)Aug 12 - 35th Anniversary (1978), ISEE-3 (ICE) LaunchAug 13 - Asteroid 54509 YORP Closest Approach To Earth (0.437 AU)Aug 13 - Asteroid 1241 Dysona Closest Approach To Earth (1.906 AU)Aug 13 - NASA Small Business Conference, Greenbelt, MarylandAug 14 - Comet P/2013 J2 (McNaught) At Opposition (1.159 AU)Aug 14 - Asteroid 3581 Alvarez Closest Approach To Earth (0.914 AU)Aug 14 - Asteroid 5805 Glasgow Closest Approach To Earth (1.878 AU)Aug 14 - Asteroid 4341 Poseidon Closest Approach To Earth (1.942 AU)Aug 15 - Comet P/2013 J2 (McNaught) Closest Approach To Earth (1.159 AU)Aug 15 - Comet 132P/Helin-Roman-Alu Closest Approach To Earth (2.030 AU)Aug 15 - Asteroid 5816 Potsdam Closest Approach To Earth (2.024 AU)Aug 15 - Asteroid 83360 Catalina Closest Approach To Earth (2.111 AU)Aug 15 - Lecture: Curiosity's First Year on Mars, Pasadena, CaliforniaAug 15 - Teleconference: Human Spaceflight: Technical PanelAug 15-18 - 16th Annual International Mars Society Convention, Boulder, ColoradoAug 16 - Comet C/2012 V2 (LINEAR) Perihelion (1.455 AU)Aug 16 - [Aug 06] Comet P/2013 P1 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (2.564 AU)Aug 16 - Asteroid 7 Iris At Opposition (7.6 Magnitude Star)Aug 16 - Asteroid 2008 ON10 Near-Earth Flyby (0.047 AU)Aug 16 - Asteroid 3989 Odin Closest Approach To Earth (0.992 AU)

Food for Thought

Hyperloop: Billionaire Elon Musk Unveiling Mysterious Travel Technology

Today

Space Image of the Week

Orbits of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech