Space News Update- November 26, 2012 -

In the News

Story 1: NASA, Roscosmos Choose First Crew for Year-Long ISS Mission

Story 2: Cracks discovered in Orion capsule's pressure shell

Story 3: Spacecraft Monitoring Martian Dust Storm

Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

NASA, Roscosmos Choose First Crew for Year-Long ISS Mission

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Scott Kelly Mikhail Kornienko

Cracks discovered in Orion capsule's pressure shell

Spacecraft Monitoring Martian Dust Storm

The Night Sky

Monday, November 26 · As dawn begins on Monday and Tuesday mornings, look southeast to spot bright Venus and fainter Saturn less than 1° apart. As dawn brightens further, look far to their lower left for Mercury.

Tuesday, November 27 · Full Moon tonight and tomorrow night. This evening, look lower left of the Moon for Jupiter and orange Aldebaran. Look upper left of the Moon for the fainter Pleiades cluster (binoculars help), and far left for Capella (out of the frame here). · A weak penumbral eclipse of the Moon occurs before and/or during dawn Wednesday morning for western North America. The penumbra is the pale outer fringe of Earth's shadow. The Moon will be deepest in it from 6:18 to 6:48 a.m. PST on Wednesday the 28th (14:18 to 14:48 on the 28th Universal Time). Look for a weak shading on the Moon's north (upper right) side. The farther in from the West Coast you are, the brighter the dawn and the lower the Moon will be. The penumbral eclipse takes place high in the middle of the night for the longitudes of Australia and Japan, in late evening of the 28th local date for China and Southeast Asia, and early that evening for India with the Moon still low in the east. More details.

Sky & Telescope

The Night Sky

Wednesday, November 28 · The Moon shines close to Jupiter and Aldebaran this evening, with the dimmer Pleiades above them. Think photo opportunity! Use a long (or zoomed) lens, and try a variety of exposures to catch the faint stars as well as the bright Moon.

Thursday, November 29 · After the Moon rises this evening, spot Jupiter and fainter Aldebaran to its upper right, and Capella farther to its upper left. · Jupiter's Great Red Spot should cross Jupiter's central meridian around 11:00 p.m. EST (8:00 p.m. PST).

Friday, November 30 · The waning Moon rises less than an hour after the end of twilight. Once it's up, look right of it, by a bit more than a fist-width at arm's length, for orange-red Betelgeuse sparkling in Orion's shoulder.

Sky & Telescope

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 Mon Nov 26/06:00 AM 4 25 11 above NNW 16 above ENE

ISS Tue Nov 27/05:12 AM 3 18 18 above NNE 10 above ENE

ISS Wed Nov 28/04:24 AM < 1 10 10 above NE 10 above NE

ISS Wed Nov 28/05:57 AM 4 51 15 above NW 34 above E

ISS Thu Nov 29/05:09 AM 2 31 30 above NNE 20 above ENE

ISS Fri Nov 30/04:21 AM < 1 12 12 above ENE 12 above ENE

ISS Fri Nov 30/05:54 AM 4 57 22 above WNW 17 above SE

NASA-TV Highlights

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

November 27, Tuesday8:20 a.m. - ISS Expedition 34 In-Flight Interviews with WNDU-TV, South Bend, IN and the Notre Dame/St. Mary’s Observer - JSC (Public and Media Channels)

November 28, Wednesday12 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 34/35 Qualification Training Simulation Runs at Star City, Russia - JSC (All Channels)

November 29, Thursday3 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 34/35 Crew News Conference at Star City, Russia and Visit to Red Square in Moscow - JSC (All Channels)

November 30, Friday6:30 a.m. - Video B-Roll Feed of ISS Expedition 33 Commander Sunita Williams of NASA - JSC (Public and Media Channels)7 - 8 a.m. - Live Interviews with ISS Expedition 33 Commander Sunita Williams of NASA - JSC (Public and Media Channels)12:30 p.m. - ISS Expedition 34 Educational In-Flight Event with the Center for Research on STEM Teaching and Learning in Stillwater, OK - JSC (All Channels)

Space Calendar

· Nov 26 - Asteroid 8489 Boulder Closest Approach To Earth (2.529 AU) · Nov 27 - Venus Passes 0.5 Degrees From Saturn · Nov 27 - Mars Passes 4.5 Degrees From Pluto · Nov 27 - Asteroid 10005 Chernega Occults HIP 24984 (6.3 Magnitude Star) · Nov 27 - Asteroid 1994 XD Near-Earth Flyby (0.052 AU) · Nov 27 - Asteroid 2012 VC6 Near-Earth Flyby (0.065 AU) · Nov 27 - Asteroid 4252 Godwin Closest Approach To Earth (2.040 AU) · Nov 27 - Kuiper Belt Object 278361 (2007 JJ43) At Opposition (42.405 AU) · Nov 28 - [Nov 21] Lunar Eclipse · Nov 28 - Comet C/2012 K5 (LINEAR) Perihelion (1.142 AU) · Nov 28 - Asteroid 2012 VK77 Near-Earth Flyby (0.083 AU) · Nov 28 - Asteroid 6296 Cleveland Closest Approach To Earth (1.044 AU) · Nov 28 - 10th Anniversary (2002), Alsat 1 Launch (1st Algerian Satellite) · Nov 29 - [Nov 22] Cassini, Titan Flyby · Nov 29 - [Nov 22] STSat 2C Naro 1 Launch · Nov 29 - Moon Occults Jupiter · Nov 29 - [Nov 22] Asteroid 2012 WH1 Near-Earth Flyby (0.019 AU) · Nov 29 - Asteroid 1762 Russell Closest Approach To Earth (1.699 AU) · Nov 29 - Asteroid 6128 Lasorda Closest Approach To Earth (2.098 AU) · Nov 29 - 45th Anniversary (1967), Wresat 1 Launch (Australia's 1st Satellite) · Nov 30 - Pleiades 1-B Soyuz STA-Fregat Launch · Nov 30 - Asteroid 21 Lutetia Occults 2UCAC 40163359 (12.9 Magnitude Star) · Nov 30 - Asteroid 14764 Kilauea Closest Approach To Earth (0.975 AU)

JPL Space Calendar

Food for ThoughtOrion Revisited: Astronomers Find New Star Cluster in Front of the

Orion Nebula

Space Image of the Week

Credit & Copyright: Alan Friedman