Space News Update- Sept 21, 2012 -

In the News

Story 1: SCA/Endeavour Complete Ferry Flight at LAX

Story 2: Dawn Sees Hydrated Minerals on Giant Asteroid

Story 3: Signs Point to Interstellar Space for Voyager 1 Probe

Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

SCA/Endeavour Complete Ferry Flight at LAX

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Dawn Sees Hydrated Minerals on Giant Asteroid

Signs Point to Interstellar Space for Voyager 1 Probe

The Night Sky

Friday, Sept. 21· It's waterfowl migration season, and after dark it's Aquila Milky Way season high in the south. Off the tail of Aquila is the rich open star cluster M11. Ever since 1844, deep-sky observers have known M11 as the Wild Duck Cluster. But where, exactly, are the ducks? We unpack the mystery in the September Sky & Telescope, page 53. Yes, you can see them.

The Night SkySaturday, Sept. 22 · First-quarter Moon (exact at 3:41 p.m. EDT). The Moon shines in Sagittarius, with the Sagittarius Teapot pattern to its lower left after dusk. · Sixth-magnitude Uranus is only 1.4 arcminutes from the similarly bright, but differently colored, star 44 Piscium this evening and tomorrow evening. Binoculars and a chart are all you need. They remain close all week. See our article Uranus's Rare Close Encounter. · The tiny black shadow of Io crosses Jupiter's face from 10:53 p.m. to 1:01 a.m. EDT tonight, followed by Io itself from 12:10 to 2:18 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Remember that Jupiter doesn't rise until around 10 or 11 p.m. in your local daylight time. · Autumn begins in the Northern Hemisphere (spring in the Southern Hemisphere) at the equinox, 10:49 a.m. EDT. This is when the center of the Sun crosses the equator heading south for the year. Today the Sun rises and sets nearly at the east and west points on your horizon.

The Night Sky

Sunday, Sept. 23 · Jupiter's moon Io reappears from behind Jupiter's eastern limb at 11:39 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Monday, Sept. 24 · Jupiter's moon Europa reappears out of eclipse by Jupiter's shadow just off the planet's western limb at 11:48 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, and then it slips behind the western limb 13 minutes later.

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 Sat Sep 22/04:59 AM 2 17 17 above N 10 above NNE

ISS Sun Sep 23/04:13 AM < 1 10 10 above NNE 10 above NNE

ISS Sun Sep 23/05:47 AM 2 11 10 above NNW 10 above N

ISS Mon Sep 24/04:59 AM 1 12 12 above N 10 above NNE

NASA-TV Highlights

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

September 21, Friday4 p.m. - Replay of Video File of the ISS Expedition 33/34 Qualification Training Simulation Runs at Star City, Russia - HQ (All Channels)8 p.m. - Replay of Video File of the ISS Expedition 33/34 Qualification Training Simulation Runs at Star City, Russia - HQ (All Channels)10 p.m. - Replay of Video File of the ISS Expedition 33/34 Qualification Training Simulation Runs at Star City, Russia - HQ (All Channels)

Space CalendarSep 21 - Astra 2F/ G-Sat 10 Ariane 5 Launch Sep 21 - [Sep 18] Asteroid 2012 RH15 Near-Earth Flyby (0.054 AU) Sep 22 - Autumnal Equinox, 14:49 UT Sep 22 - Asteroid 3123 Dunham Closest Approach To Earth (1.140 AU) Sep 22 - Asteroid 16155 Buddy Closest Approach To Earth (1.635 AU) Sep 22 - Asteroid 5223 McSween Closest Approach To Earth (1.665 AU) Sep 22 - Asteroid 34419 Corning Closest Approach To Earth (1.712 AU) Sep 22 - Asteroid 6677 Renoir Closest Approach To Earth (1.974 AU) Sep 22 - International Observe the Moon Night Sep 23 - Moon Occults Pluto Sep 23 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #331 (OTM-331) Sep 23 - Asteroid 11365 NASA Closest Approach To Earth (0.969 AU) Sep 23 - Asteroid 6000 United Nations Closest Approach To Earth (1.162 AU) Sep 24 - Comet C/2012 CH17 (MOSS) Closest Approach To Earth (1.737 AU) Sep 24 - Asteroid 2 Pallas At Opposition (8.3 Magnitude) Sep 24 - [Sep 18] Asteroid 2012 RK15 Near-Earth Flyby (0.021 AU) Sep 24 - Asteroid 9965 GNU Closest Approach To Earth (1.637 AU)]

JPL Space Calendar

ASTRA 2F (Image Credit EADS Astrium)

Food for Thought

Curiosity Rover May Be on its Way – to LEGO

Space Image of the Week

Image Credit & Copyright: Tunç Tezel (TWAN)