Space News Update- January 18, 2013 -

In the News

Story 1: NASA to BEAM Up Inflatable Space Station Module

Story 2: Titan Gets a Dune 'Makeover'

Story 3: Europe to build Orion service module

Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

NASA to BEAM Up Inflatable Space Station Module

Titan Gets a Dune 'Makeover' >

Europe to build Orion service module

The Night Sky

Friday, January 18 · First-quarter Moon. The Moon is exactly half lit at 6:45 p.m. EST. In early evening, look above the Moon by about about a fist-width at arm's length for the brightest two or three stars of Aries. These are aligned more or less vertically.

Saturday, January 19 · In twilight, bright Jupiter comes into view well to the lower left of the Moon. By 8 p.m. things have turned around and Jupiter is shining to the Moon's left or upper left. Closer to the Moon's lower left is the big, dim head of Cetus with its one 2nd-magnitude star, orange Alpha Ceti (Menkar).

Sunday, January 20 · The naked-eye eclipsing variable star Algol is at its minimum brightness, magnitude 3.4 instead of its usual 2.1, for a couple hours tonight centered on 12:48 a.m. EST (9:48 p.m. PST.) It takes several additional hours to fade and to rebrighten.

Monday, January 21 · Close conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter. Look for a bright "star" unusually near the waxing gibbous Moon this evening, as shown above. The Moon passes less than 1° from it for most of the U.S. and Canada. Think photo opportunity; use a long lens, or zoom to the max. In much of South America the Moon actually occults (covers) Jupiter; timetables. Although they look close together, the Moon is only 1.3 light-seconds distant from Earth, while Jupiter is 1,700 times farther away at a distance of 37 light-minutes. See our article Jupiter Dances with the Moon.

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 Fri Jan 18/05:48 AM 1 13 13 above N 10 above NNE

ISS Sat Jan 19/06:34 AM 1 10 10 above NNW 10 above NNE

ISS Sun Jan 20/05:44 AM < 1 10 10 above N 10 above N

ISS Mon Jan 21/06:30 AM 2 12 10 above NNW 10 above NNE

NASA-TV Highlights

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

January 18, Friday10 a.m. - 12 p.m. - NASA Headquarters Open House -- Morning Session - HQ (Public and Education Channels)11 a.m. - ISS Update - JSC (Media Channel)2-4 p.m. - NASA Headquarters Open House -- Afternoon Session - HQ (Public and Education Channels)

Space Calendar

Jan 18 - [Jan 17] Comet C/2012 Y1 (LINEAR) Perihelion (2.017 AU)Jan 18 - [Jan 12] Asteroid 2012 YF8 Near-Earth Flyby (0.079 AU)Jan 18 - Asteroid 6594 Tasman Closest Approach To Earth (2.223 AU)Jan 18 - Kuiper Belt Object 208996 (2003 AZ84) At Opposition (44.126 AU)Jan 19 - Comet 138P/Shoemaker-Levy Closest Approach To Earth (1.651 AU)Jan 19 - Asteroid 3297 Hong Kong Closest Approach To Earth (1.977 AU)Jan 20 - [Jan 16] Asteroid 2013 AT72 Near-Earth Flyby (0.025 AU)Jan 20 - Asteroid 2000 Herschel Closest Approach To Earth (1.022 AU)Jan 20 - Asteroid 17942 Whiterabbit Closest Approach To Earth (1.544 AU)Jan 21 - Asteroid 2011 TO Near-Earth Flyby (0.086 AU)Jan 21 - Asteroid 2228 Soyuz-Apollo Closest Approach To Earth (1.780 AU)Jan 21 - Asteroid 904 Rockefellia Closest Approach To Earth (1.822 AU)Jan 22 - Moon Occults JupiterJan 22 - Comet 87P/Bus Closest Approach To Earth (2.080 AU)Jan 22 - Asteroid 3122 Florence Closest Approach To Earth (1.613 AU)Jan 22 - Asteroid 166614 Zsazsa Closest Approach To Earth (1.618 AU)Jan 22 - Asteroid 9954 Brachiosaurus Closest Approach To Earth (1.641 AU)Jan 22 - Asteroid 171183 Haleakala Closest Approach To Earth (1.918 AU)Jan 22 - Asteroid 8720 Takamizawa Closest Approach To Earth (2.316 AU)Jan 22 - 45th Anniversary (1968), Apollo 5 LaunchJan 23 - Asteroid 21 Lutetia Occults 2UCAC 40479196 (12.5 Magnitude Star)Jan 23 - Asteroid 9622 Terryjones Closest Approach To Earth (0.901 AU)Jan 23 - Asteroid 1718 Namibia Closest Approach To Earth (1.905 AU)Jan 23 - Asteroid 2866 Hardy Closest Approach To Earth (2.356 AU)Jan 24 - Asteroid 3000 Leonardo Closest Approach To Earth (1.479 AU)

JPL Space Calendar

Apollo 5 was the first unmanned flight of the Apollo Lunar Module, which would later carry astronauts to the lunar surface. It lifted off on January 22, 1968 with a Saturn IB rocket.

Food for Thought

One to beam up: NASA uses a laser to send Mona Lisa to the moon

Space Image of the Week

Image Credit:  HiRISE, MRO, LPL (U. Arizona), NASA