Space News Update- October 15, 2013 -

In the News

Story 1: This Week’s Penumbral Lunar Eclipse and the Astronomy of Columbus

Story 2:Atlas 5 launcher erected for MAVEN's launch to Mars

Story 3: Juno spacecraft recovers from fault after Earth flyby

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The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

This Week’s Penumbral Lunar Eclipse and the Astronomy of Columbus

Atlas 5 launcher erected for MAVEN's launch to Mars

Juno spacecraft recovers from fault after Earth flyby

The Night SkyTuesday, October 15 • The upper-right edge of the Great Square of Pegasus points down at the Moon this evening.

Wednesday, October 16 • Antares twinkles 1½° below Venus as twilight fades.

Thursday, October 17 • The bright, nearly full Moon shines below the bottom corner of the Great Square of Pegasus this evening.

Friday, October 18 • Full Moon. A slight penumbral eclipse of the Moon will be detectable this evening by careful Moon-watchers in the eastern half of North America. The Moon will be deepest in the pale outer fringe (penumbra) of Earth's shadow around 7:50 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Some unusual shading on the Moon's south-southeastern side should be fairly plain to see. Subtler traces of the penumbral shading may be visible for almost an hour before and after that time.

In Europe and Africa, the penumbral eclipse happens in the middle of the night when the Moon is high: centered on 23:50 Universal Time (GMT).

Saturday, October 19 • Look about a fist-width above the Moon this evening for the main stars of little Aries, lined up nearly horizontally.

ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

ISS For Denver:

Data Unavailable this week

NASA-TV Highlights

(all times Eastern Daylight Time)

Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Data Unavailable this week

Space Calendar

JPL Space Calendar

•Oct 15 - [Oct 10] Comet P/2013 T1 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (1.328 AU) •Oct 15 - Asteroid 2013 SB21 Near-Earth Flyby (0.034 AU) •Oct 15 - Asteroid 2013 SL20 Near-Earth Flyby (0.045 AU) •Oct 15 - Asteroid 20488 Pic-du-Midi Closest Approach To Earth (1.433 AU) •Oct 15 - Asteroid 5143 Heracles Closest Approach To Earth (1.940 AU) •Oct 15 - Dwarf Planet 136199 Eris At Opposition (95.476 AU) •Oct 16 - Comet C/2012 CH17 (MOSS) At Opposition (3.970 AU) •Oct 16 - Asteroid 12927 Pinocchio Closest Approach To Earth (1.002 AU) •Oct 16 - Asteroid 2281 Biela Closest Approach To Earth (1.062 AU) •Oct 16 - Asteroid 2161 Grissom Closest Approach To Earth (1.333 AU) •Oct 16 - 30th Anniversary (1983), Venera 16, Venus Orbit Insertion •Oct 17 - GPS 2F-5 Delta 4M Launch •Oct 17 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #362 (OTM-362) •Oct 17 - Comet 2P/Encke Closest Approach To Earth (0.478 AU) •Oct 17 - Comet P/2002 AR2 (LINEAR) Closest Approach To Earth (1.838 AU) •Oct 17 - [Oct 13] Asteroid 2013 RH74 Near-Earth Flyby (0.053 AU) •Oct 17 - Asteroid 13667 Samthurman Closest Approach To Earth (0.956 AU) •Oct 17 - Asteroid 7169 Linda Closest Approach To Earth (0.988 AU) •Oct 17 - Asteroid 8749 Beatles Closest Approach To Earth (1.044 AU) •Oct 17 - Asteroid 2864 Soderblom Closest Approach To Earth (1.950 AU) •Oct 17 - Asteroid 13681 Monty Python Closest Approach To Earth (2.093 AU) •Oct 18 - [Oct 12] Penumbral Lunar Eclipse •Oct 18 - Comet C/2012 A2 (LINEAR) At Opposition (3.738 AU) •Oct 18 - Asteroid 2003 UY12 Near-Earth Flyby (0.086 AU) •Oct 19 - Asteroid 6470 Aldrin Closest Approach To Earth (0.937 AU) •Oct 19 - Kuiper Belt Object 55636 (2002 TX300) At Opposition (41.087 AU) •Oct 19 - 5th Anniversary (2008), IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer) Pegasus XL Launch,

Veneras 15 and 16 Orbiters mapped half of Venus' northern hemisphere (from the north pole to 30°N latitude) at better resolution than Pioneer Venus 1. Data from Venera 15 and 16 was recorded on 600 km (about 400 miles) of tape, which two Soviet computers spent a year analyzing. The twin Veneras were the only interplanetary missions launched in 1983.solarsystem.nasa

Food for ThoughtSpace agencies push for deep space

cooperation

Space Image of the Week

Photo Credit & Copyright: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)ESA’s Mars Express Spacecraft

Hebes Chasma landslides