Space News Update- January 17, 2014 -

In the News

Story 1: Schedule for full-up Orion test flight to be reassessed

Story 2: European Space Agency's Gaia mission settles in at L2

Story 3: The Rock that Appeared Out of Nowhere on Mars

 Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

Space CalendarNASA-TV Highlights

Food for ThoughtSpace Image of the Week

Schedule for full-up Orion test flight to be reassessed

European Space Agency's Gaia mission settles in at L2

The Rock that Appeared Out of Nowhere on Mars

The Night Sky

Friday, January 17 As the stars come out, face north and look very high overhead for Cassiopeia, oriented now like a flattened letter M. As the night proceeds, the M swings down in the northwest and tilts sideways.

Saturday, January 18 This the Big Dipper's time of year to swing up from the low north-northeast after dusk, to stand on its handle in the northeast by about 9 p.m. Jupiter's Great Red Spot transits Jupiter's central meridian around 10:15 p.m. EST.

Sky & Telescope

Sunday, January 19 Sirius twinkles brightly after dinnertime below Orion in the southeast. Around 8 or 9 p.m., depending on your location, Sirius shines precisely below fiery Betelgeuse in Orion's shoulder. How accurately can you time this event for your location, perhaps using a plumb bob or the vertical edge of a building? Sirius leads early in the evening, Betelgeuse leads later. Welcome to pre-telescopic astronomy.

Monday, January 20 Jupiter's moon Io crosses Jupiter's face from 8:07 to 10:22 p.m. EST, with its tiny black shadow (much more visible in a telescope) following 23 minutes behind. Later, Jupiter's Great Red Spot transits the planet's central meridian around 11:54 p.m. EST.

ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

ISS For Denver:

Date Visible Max Height Appears Disappears

Fri Jan 17, 5:50 AM 1 min 11° 11 above N 10 above NNE

Sat Jan 18, 6:38 AM 2 min 11° 10 above N 10 above NNE

Sun Jan 19, 5:50 AM 1 min 10° 10 above N 10 above NNE

Mon Jan 20, 6:38 AM 4 min 14° 10 above NNW 10 above NE

NASA-TV Highlights

(all times Eastern Daylight Time)

January 17, Friday 7:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. - 2014 Zero Robotics Competition from MIT and the International Space Station - HQ (NTV-2, NTV-3)7:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. - 2014 Zero Robotics Competition from MIT and the International Space Station - HQ (NTV-1)11 - 11:30 a.m. - Space Station Live - JSC (NTV-1)11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. - 2014 Zero Robotics Competition from MIT and the International Space Station - HQ (NTV-1) 

Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar

JPL Space Calendar

Jan 17 - Asteroid 1554 Yugoslavia Closest Approach To Earth (1.961 AU)Jan 18 - [Jan 11] Comet C/2013 Y2 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (1.801 AU)Jan 18 - Asteroid 2 Pallas Occults TYC 6071-00037-1 (11.2 Magnitude Star)Jan 18 - Asteroid 268242 Pebble Closest Approach To Earth (1.349 AU)Jan 19 - [Jan 17] Comet P/2014 A2 (Hill) Closest Approach To Earth (1.332 AU)Jan 19 - Comet P/2012 U2 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (3.470 AU)Jan 19 - Asteroid 1 Ceres Occults TYC 0309-00727-1 (11.6 Magnitude Star)Jan 19 - Asteroid 3773 Smithsonian Closest Approach To Earth (1.409 AU)Jan 19 - Asteroid 2451 Dollfus Closest Approach To Earth (2.155 AU)Jan 19 - Kuiper Belt Object 208996 (2003 AZ84) At Opposition (44.030 AU)Jan 20 - [Jan 13] Rosetta, Wakes Up From HibernationJan 20 - Comet 213P/Van Ness At Opposition (3.642 AU)Jan 20 - Comet C/2012 Y3 (McNaught) At Opposition (4.621 AU)Jan 20 - Asteroid 277570 (2005 YP180) Near-Earth Flyby (0.078 AU)Jan 20 - Asteroid 16046 Gregnorman Closest Approach To Earth (1.913 AU)Jan 20 - Asteroid 31319 Vespucci Closest Approach To Earth (2.175 AU)Jan 20 - Asteroid 16522 Tell Closest Approach To Earth (2.369 AU)

Food for Thought

New Horizons Spacecraft Gets Closer And Closer To Pluto

Space Image of the Week

Despina, Moon of Neptune Image Credit: NASA, JPL - Processed Image Copyright: Ted Stryk