Space News Update- May 27, 2014 -

In the News

Story 1: Japanese Craft Launched with Night-Vision Mapping Radar

Story 2:Rosetta’s Target Comet is Becoming Active

Story 3: NASA Mars Weather Camera Helps Find New Crater on Red Planet

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Japanese Craft Launched with Night-Vision Mapping Radar

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The NightSky

ISSSightings

NASA-TV

Food forThought

Image ofthe Week

SpaceCalendar

Rosetta’s Target Comet is Becoming Active

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The NightSky

ISSSightings

NASA-TV

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SpaceCalendar

NASA Mars Weather Camera Helps Find New Crater on Red Planet

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NASA-TV

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The Night Sky

Sky & Telescope

Tuesday, May 27 Comet 209P/LINEAR, the source of last Saturday

morning's meteors, is closest to Earth for the next five days. It was only 13th magnitude as of May 22nd. It's south of Leo, crossing Sextans and Crater.

Watch the crescent Moon pass between Jupiter and Procyon as it waxes from evening to evening.

Wednesday, May 28 What is the oldest thing you have ever seen? The

Earth, Sun, Moon, and planets are 4.6 billion years old. The age record for people who just glance at the sky might be Arcturus, about 7 billion years old. But with a pair of binoculars, you can pick up the 7.2-magnitude star HD 140283 in Libra. This star is in competition for the title of the oldest known, with an age recently measured at about 13 billion years. That means it formed just several hundred million years after the Big Bang. Spot it using the finder chart with Gary Seronik's Binocular Highlight column in the June Sky & Telescope, page 45. This is almost certainly the oldest thing you will ever see.

New Moon today (exact at 2:40 p.m. EDT). Thursday, May 29 As twilight turns to darkness, Mars shines brightly fire-

colored in the south. Look below it for the four-star pattern of Corvus, the Crow.

Friday, May 30 Look very low in the west-northwest in twilight for the

hairline crescent Moon with Mercury to its right. They're far to the lower right of bright Jupiter, as shown here. Binoculars will help.

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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

Wed May 28, 1:35 AM < 1 min 18° 18 above NNE 13 above NNE

Wed May 28, 3:09 AM 2 min 11° 10 above NNW 11 above N

Wed May 28, 4:47 AM 1 min 13° 10 above NNW 13 above N

Thu May 29, 00:47 AM < 1 min 10° 10 above NE 10 above NE

Thu May 29, 2:20 AM 2 min 13° 10 above NW 13 above N

Thu May 29, 3:58 AM 1 min 11° 10 above NNW 11 above N

Fri May 30, 1:32 AM < 1 min 16° 16 above NNW 15 above N

Fri May 30, 3:09 AM < 1 min 10° 10 above N 10 above N

Fri May 30, 4:45 AM 2 min 19° 10 above NNW 19 above NNE

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NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Time Zone)

Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

MAVEN Launch November 18, 2013NASAMAVEN Launch November 18, 2013NASAMAVEN Launch November 18, 2013NASA

May 27, Tuesday8 a.m. - Replay of Video File of the ISS Expedition 40/41 Crew Activities, Soyuz TMA-13M Spacecraft Mating and Rollout to the Launch Pad in Baikonur, Kazakhstan plus Launch Pad Interviews - HQ (All Channels)2 p.m. - ISS Expedition 40 In-Flight Event with the CBS Radio Network and ABC Digital News - JSC (All Channels)3 p.m. - Video File of the Russian State Commission Meeting and Final Expedition 40/41 Pre-Launch Crew News Conference in Baikonur, Kazakhstan - JSC via Baikonur, Kazakhstan (All Channels)

May 28, Wednesday3 p.m. - ISS Expedition 40/41 Soyuz TMA-13M Launch Coverage (Launch scheduled at 3:57 p.m. ET; includes video B-roll of the crew’s pre-launch activities at 3:15 p.m. ET) - JSC via Baikonur, Kazakhstan (All Channels)6 p.m. - Video File of ISS Expedition 40/41 Soyuz TMA-13M Pre-Launch, Launch B-Roll and Post-Launch Interviews (All Channels)9 p.m. - ISS Expedition 40/41 Soyuz TMA-13M Docking Coverage (Docking scheduled at 9:48 p.m. ET) - JSC (All Channels)11 p.m. - ISS Expedition 40/41 Soyuz TMA-13M Hatch Opening and Other Activities (Hatch Opening scheduled at 11:25 p.m. ET) - JSC via Baikonur, Kazakhstan (All Channels)

 May 29, Thursday1 a.m. - Video File of ISS Expedition 40/41 Soyuz TMA-13M Docking, Hatch Opening and Other Activities - JSC (All Channels) 

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Space Calendar

JPL Space Calendar

• May 27 - Asteroid 4047 Chang'E Closest Approach To Earth (1.626 AU)

• May 27 - Asteroid 716 Berkeley Closest Approach To Earth (1.636 AU)

• May 27 - Asteroid 472 Roma Closest Approach To Earth (1.819 AU)

• May 27 - Asteroid 1008 La Paz Closest Approach To Earth (2.296 AU)

• May 28 - Soyuz TMA-13M Soyuz FG Launch (International Space Station 39S)

• May 28 - Comet 222P/LINEAR Closest Approach To Earth (0.798 AU)

• May 28 - Comet 136P/Mueller At Opposition (3.427 AU)

• May 28 - Asteroid 4104 Alu Closest Approacn To Earth (1.344 AU)

• May 28 - Asteroid 9340 Williamholden Closest Approach To Earth (1.716 AU)

• May 28 - Kuiper Belt Object 278361 (2007 JJ43) At Opposition (40.290 AU)

• May 28 - 55th Anniversary (1959), Jupiter C Launch Of Two Monkeys (Able & Baker)

• May 29 - Comet 209P/LINEAR Near-Earth Flyby (0.056 AU)

• May 29 - Comet 300P/Catalina Perihelion (0.826 AU)

• May 29 - Comet 4P/Faye Perihelion (1.655 AU)

• May 29 - Comet C/2013 O3 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (3.273 AU)

• May 29 - Asteroid 3808 Tempel Closest Approach To Earth (1.248 AU)

• May 29 - Asteroid 951 Gaspra Closest Approach To Earth (1.458 AU)

• May 29 - Asteroid 9880 Stegosaurus Closest Approach To Earth (1.527 AU)

• May 29 - Asteroid 2034 Bernoulli Closest Approach To Earth (1.631 AU)

• May 29 - Asteroid 2068 Dangreen Closest Approach To Earth (2.037 AU)

• May 29 - Asteroid 21811 Burroughs Closest Approach To Earth (2.447 AU)

• May 29 - 40th Anniversary (1974), Luna 22 Launch (Soviet Moon Orbiter)

• May 30 - Comet 92P/Sanguin At Opposition (2.216 AU)

• May 30 - Asteroid 18932 Robinhood Closest Approach To Earth (1.064 AU)

• May 30 - Asteroid 15000 CCD Closest Approach To Earth (1.476 AU)

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Food for ThoughtFailed Dwarf Galaxy Survives Galactic Collision

Thanks to Full Dark-Matter Jacket

New Technique Puts Exoplanets on the ScaleNew Technique Puts Exoplanets on the Scale

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Space Image of the Week

In the Center of Spiral Galaxy M61 Image Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA; Acknowledgements: G. Chapdelaine & L. Limatola