Space News Update- September 17, 2012 -

In the News

Story 1: First Planets Found Around Sun-Like Stars in a Cluster

Story 2:Big Breakout on Jupiter

Story 3: NASA’s giant crawler transporter gets an overhaul

 Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

Space CalendarNASA-TV Highlights

Food for ThoughtSpace Image of the Week

First Planets Found Around Sun-Like Stars in a Cluster

Big Breakout on Jupiter

NASA’s giant crawler transporter gets an overhaul

The Night Sky

Wednesday, Sept. 19· Look much closer right of the Moon this evening in twilight for little Mars, as shown above (for North America). The Moon occults (covers) Mars for parts of central and southern South America before sunset.

Thursday, Sept. 20· This evening the Moon marks the way to Mars-like Antares, twinkling to its lower left as shown above.

Friday, Sept. 21· Since 1844, deep-sky observers have known the open star cluster M11 (off the tail of Aquila) 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.

Monday, Sept. 17· As summer prepares to give way to fall (at the equinox on September 22nd), Vega prepares to give way to Deneb as the bright zenith star when night descends. This is also when Altair is crossing its own highest point due south.

Tuesday, Sept. 18· Look very low in the west-southwest in early twilight for the slender crescent Moon. Well to the Moon's right, Saturn is departing for the season, as shown above (for North America).

ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

For Denver:

SATELLITE LOCAL DURATION MAX ELEV APPROACH DEPARTURE

DATE/TIME (MIN) (DEG) (DEG-DIR) (DEG-DIR)

ISS Mon Sep 17/04:12 AM < 1 12 12 above ESE 10 above E

ISS Mon Sep 17/05:45 AM 4 55 22 above WSW 18 above NE

ISS Tue Sep 18/04:59 AM 2 76 76 above E 23 above NE

ISS Wed Sep 19/05:46 AM 4 24 17 above WNW 11 above NNE

ISS Thu Sep 20/04:59 AM 2 32 32 above N 10 above NE

ISS Fri Sep 21/04:13 AM < 1 13 13 above NE 13 above NE

ISS Fri Sep 21/05:46 AM 4 14 10 above NW 10 above NNE

NASA-TV Highlights

September 18, Tuesday6:45 a.m. - Shuttle Carrier Aircraft/Space Shuttle Endeavour Departs Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility (7 a.m. Approximate Departure) - KSC (All Channels)Appx 11:20 a.m. - Coverage of Space Shuttle Endeavour’s Flyover and Landing at Ellington Field - JSC (All Channels)

September 19, Wednesday12:20 p.m. - ISS Expedition 33 In-Flight Event for JAXA with Nippon Radio (in native language) - JSC (All Channels)2 p.m. - Interpreted Version of ISS Expedition 33 In-Flight Event for JAXA with Nippon Radio - JSC (All Channels)

September 21, Friday12 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 33/34 Qualification Training Simulation Runs at Star City, Russia - JSC (All Channels)

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

Space Calendar

Sep 17 - [Sep 17] MetOp-B Soyuz 2-1A-Fregat LaunchSep 17 - Asteroid 9349 Lucas Closest Approach To Earth (0.901 AU)Sep 17 - Asteroid 3351 Smith Closest Approach To Earth (1.250 AU)Sep 17 - Asteroid 48575 Hawaii Closest Approach To Earth (2.167 AU)Sep 17 - 15th Anniversary (1997), Galileo, Callisto 10 FlybySep 17 - Konstantin Tsiolkovsky's 155th Birthday (1857)Sep 18 - [Sep 17] Beidou 2-M2 Compass (M-2)/ Beidou 2-M5 (Compass M-5) CZ-3B LaunchSep 18 - Comet 160P/LINEAR Perihelion (2.067 AU)Sep 18 - Asteroid 30482 (2000 OG45) Occults HIP 3031 (4.4 Magnitude Star)Sep 18 - Asteroid 96192 Calgary Closest Approach To Earth (1.022 AU)Sep 18 - Asteroid 3430 Bradfield Closest Approach To Earth (1.542 AU)Sep 19 - Moon Occults MarsSep 19 - Asteroid 2012 QG49 Near-Earth Flyby (0.084 AU)Sep 19 - Asteroid 1998 FF14 Near-Earth Flyby (0.093 AU)Sep 19 - Asteroid 7086 Bopp Closest Approach To Earth (0.838 AU)Sep 19 - Asteroid 2825 Crosby Closest Approach TO Earth (0.999 AU)Sep 19 - Asteroid 51824 Mikeanderson Closest Approach To Earth (1.714 AU)Sep 19 - Asteroid 656 Beagle Closest Approach To Earth (2.537 AU)Sep 20 - Comet C/2012 BJ98 (Lemmon) Perihelion (2.157 AU)Sep 20 - Asteroid 8103 Fermi Closest Approach To Earth (2.017 AU)Sep 21 - Astra 2F/ G-Sat 10 Ariane 5 Launch

JPL Space Calendar

Food for ThoughtFarewell to a Hero: Photos From Armstrong’s Burial at Sea

Space Image of the WeekA Solar Filament Erupts 

Image Credit: NASA's GSFC, SDO AIA Team