Space News Update- February 11, 2013 -
In the News
Story 1: ULA Atlas V launches Landsat DCM spacecraft
Story 2: Curiosity Rover Collects First Martian Bedrock Sample
Story 3: Russians successfully launch space station resupply ship
Departments
The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities
NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought
Space Image of the Week
ULA Atlas V launches Landsat DCM spacecraft
Curiosity Rover Collects First Martian Bedrock Sample
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Russians successfully launch space station resupply ship
The Night SkyMonday, February 11· Mercury shines lower left of the Moon, as shown below. And bring binoculars for a last shot at faint, low Mars.
Tuesday, February 12· Mercury shines far below the crescent Moon as twilight fades.· The eclipsing binary star Algol should be at minimum light, magnitude 3.4 instead of its usual 2.3, for a couple hours centered on 11:23 p.m. EST. Algol takes several additional hours to fade and to rebrighten.
Wednesday, February 13· Look to the right of the Moon soon after dark for Gamma (γ) Pegasi, the leftmost star of the Great Square of Pegasus. The Great Square is standing on one corner.
The Night Sky
Thursday, February 14· February is when Orion stands highest in the south in early evening. This season, Orion is framed by the two brightest points in the sky: Jupiter high to its upper right and Sirius down to its lower left.
Friday, February 15· After dark, look right of the crescent Moon by roughly a fist-width at arm's length for the two or three leading stars of Aries, lined up almost vertically.· Close flyby of asteroid 2012 DA14. This gymnasium-sized asteroid will miss Earth by just 18,000 miles (28,500 km) around 19:25 Universal Time today. It will then be as bright as 8th magnitude, moving across the stars by 0.8° per minute — and it will be in nighttime view from easternmost Europe (in late evening) across Asia to Australia (before dawn on the 16th local date).By the time it's visible in Western Europe it will be a little fainter, and by its visibility in North America it will be down to 11th to 13th magnitude, receding into the distance near the Little Dipper. See our article Asteroid 2012 DA14 to Zip Past Earth, with detailed telescopic finding instructions.
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 DEPARTUREDATE/TIME (MIN) (DEG) (DEG-DIR) (DEG-DIR)
ISS Mon Feb 11/06:25 PM 4 45 35 above WNW 13 above NE
ISS Mon Feb 11/08:01 PM < 1 10 10 above NW 10 above NW
ISS Tue Feb 12/07:10 PM 3 17 12 above NW 15 above N
ISS Wed Feb 13/06:20 PM 4 23 18 above WNW 10 above NNE
ISS Thu Feb 14/07:06 PM 2 12 10 above NW 11 above N
ISS Fri Feb 15/06:14 PM 4 15 10 above NW 10 above NNE
NASA-TV Highlights
Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.
February 12, Tuesday11:15 a.m. - ISS Expedition 34 In-Flight Event with WBOI-FM, Ft. Wayne, IN and News 14 Carolina - JSC (Public and Media Channels)
February 14, Thursday12:05 p.m. - ISS Mission Control Console Interview with the Digital Learning Network - JSC (All Channels)
February 15, Friday12 p.m. - ISS Expedition 34 In-flight Event for the Canadian Space Agency with the University of Waterloo, Ontario - JSC (All Channels)2 p.m. - LIVE Commentary for Asteroid 2012 DA-14 Fly By - JPL (All Channels)
Space CalendarFeb 11 - [Feb 08] Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) Atlas 5 LaunchFeb 11 - [Feb 09] Progress M-18M Soyuz U Launch (International Space Station 50P)Feb 11 - Comet P/2009 SK280 (Spacewatch-Hill) Closest Approach To Earth (4.225 AU)Feb 11 - Asteroid 2013 BW15 Near-Earth Flyby (0.009 AU)Feb 11 - Asteroid 4221 Picasso Closest Approach To Earth (1.648 AU)Feb 11 - Asteroid 7755 Haute-Provence Closest Approach To Earth (2.087 AU)Feb 11 - Asteroid 9250 Chamberlin Closest Approach To Earth (2.208 AU)Feb 11 - Asteroid 1712 Angola Closest Approach To Earth (2.417 AU)Feb 11 - Asteroid 35350 Lespaul Closest Approach To Earth (2.477 AU)Feb 12 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #340 (OTM-340)Feb 12 - Comet P/2010 R2 (La Sagra) Closest Approach To Earth (2.643 AU)Feb 12 - Comet P/2011 W1 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (2.825 AU)Feb 12 - Asteroid 2013 BS45 Near-Earth Flyby (0.013 AU)Feb 12 - Asteroid 2013 AB32 Near-Earth Flyby (0.077 AU)Feb 12 - Asteroid 30785 Greeley Closest Approach To Earth (1.976 AU)Feb 12 - Asteroid 2636 Lassell Closest Approach To Earth (2.098 AU)Feb 12 - Asteroid 2023 Asaph Closest Approach To Earth (2.487 AU)Feb 12 - Asteroid 4446 Carolyn Closest Approach To Earth (4.051 AU)Feb 13 - Asteroid 3949 Mach Closest Approach To Earth (1.176 AU)Feb 13 - Kuiper Belt Object 55565 (2002 AW197) At Opposition (45.112 AU)Feb 14 - Asteroid 2006 DD1 Near-Earth Flyby (0.094 AU)Feb 14 - Asteroid 3355 Onizuka Closest Approach To Earth (1.132 AU)Feb 14 - Asteroid 7220 Philnicholson Closest Approach To Earth (1.759 AU)Feb 14 - Asteroid 9446 Cicero Closest Approach To Earth (2.302 AU)Feb 14 - 50th Anniversary (1963), Syncom 1 Launch (1st Geosynchronous Satellite)Feb 14 - Fritz Zwicky's 115th Birthday (1898)Feb 15 - [Feb 08] Asteroid 2012 DA14 Near-Earth Flyby (0.0002 AU)Feb 15 - Asteroid 2005 RZ2 Near-Earth Flyby (0.081 AU)Feb 15 - Asteroid 4345 Rachmaninoff Closest Approach To Earth (1.824 AU) JPL Space Calendar
Food for ThoughtHelp Name Pluto’s Newest Moons!
Space Image of the Week
Credit: NASA
