Space News Update- August 24, 2012 -

In the News

Story 1: Radiation Belt Storm Probes to Launch Saturday

Story 2:Curiosity Begins Driving at Bradbury Landing

Story 3: Link Between Cold European Winters and Solar Activity

Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

Radiation Belt Storm Probes to Launch Saturday

NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes is now set to launch at 4:07 a.m. EDT Saturday, after Friday's launch attempt was scrubbed due to a technical issue, which engineers are now troubleshooting.

Curiosity Begins Driving at Bradbury Landing

This 360-degree panorama shows evidence of a successful first test drive for NASA's Curiosity rover. On Aug. 22, 2012, the rover made its first move, going forward about 15 feet (4.5 meters), rotating 120 degrees and then reversing about 8 feet (2.5 meters). Curiosity is about 20 feet (6 meters) from its landing site, now named Bradbury Landing. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech .

Link Between Cold European Winters and Solar Activity

Hunters In The Snow (1565). © Pieter Brueghel the Elder

The Night Sky

Friday, August 24 •First-quarter Moon this evening. Look for Antares to its lower left. The other stars of upper Scorpius are scattered around them. •This evening — before the Moon becomes too bright for the rest of the week — you can still use binoculars to try for the Lagoon and Swan nebulae, M8 and M7, above the Sagittarius Teapot as shown here. To the naked eye, the Teapot is roughly the size of your fist at arm's length. Saturday, August 25 •The Moon at nightfall shines about equidistant from Antares to its lower right and the Teapot of Sagittarius pouring to its left. Sunday, August 26 •The Moon shines above the Sagittarius Teapot in the south after dark. Monday, August 27 •This is the time of year when the Big Dipper, swinging down in the northwest in evening, catches water dumping from the bowl of the dim Little Dipper high above it. Much of the Little Dipper is made of 4th- and 5th-magnitude stars and requires a fairly dark sky.

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 Fri Aug 24/08:24 PM 5 34 17 above NNW 13 above E

ISS Fri Aug 24/10:01 PM 1 23 13 above W 23 above WSW

ISS Sat Aug 25/09:13 PM 2 50 25 above WNW 40 above S

ISS Sun Aug 26/08:25 PM 4 87 35 above NW 15 above SE

ISS Mon Aug 27/09:12 PM 3 17 12 above W 13 above SSW

NASA-TV Highlights

August 25, Saturday2:30 - 6 a.m. - Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Launch Coverage (Launch at 4:07 a.m. ET) - KSC (All Channels)6:30 a.m. - Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Post-Launch News Conference - KSC (All Channels)

August 27, Monday11:55 a.m. - ISS Expedition 32 In-Flight Event for “Destination Station” at the JFK Library in Boston - JSC (All Channels)5 p.m. – NASA Science Curiosity Mission News Conference – JPL (All Channels)

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

Space Calendar

Aug 24 - Neptune At Opposition Aug 24 - Asteroid 48472 Mossbauer Closest Approach To Earth (1.446 AU) Aug 24 - Asteroid 78577 JPL Closest Approach To Earth (1.991 AU) Aug 24 - Kuiper Belt Object 225088 (2007 OR10) At Opposition (85.635 AU) Aug 25 - [Aug 24] RBSP-A & B (Radiation Belt Storm Probes) Atlas 5 Launch Aug 25 - Northern Iota Aquarids Meteor Shower Peak Aug 25 - Asteroid 2012 FM52 Near-Earth Flyby (0.060 AU) Aug 25 - Asteroid 3140 Stellafane Closest Approach To Earth (1.759 AU) Aug 25 - Asteroid 51826 Kalpanachawla Closest Approach To Earth (2.085 AU) Aug 25 - 15th Anniversary (1997), Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) Launch Aug 26 - Comet 119P/Parker-Hartley Closest Approach To Earth (3.100 AU) Aug 26 - Comet 95P/Chiron Closest Approach To Earth (16.254 AU) Aug 26 - [Aug 21] Asteroid 2012 QV2 Near-Earth Flyby (0.027 AU) Aug 26 - Asteroid 2200 Pasadena Closest Approach To Earth (1.654 AU) Aug 27 - [Aug 20] 50th Anniversary (1962), Mariner 2 Launch Aug 27 - Moon Occults Pluto Aug 27 - Asteroid 14094 Garneau Closest Approach To Earth (1.771 AU)

JPL Space Calendar

Food for ThoughtEpic Struggle Between Birds and Pigs Goes on with a

Martian Twist

Screen shot of Angry Birds Space with Mars update. Image credit: Rovio.

Space Image of the Week