Space News Update- September 3, 2013 -

In the News

Story 1: NASA Mars Rover Views Eclipse of the Sun by Phobos

Story 2:Kepler Can Still Hunt For Earth-Sized Exoplanets, Researchers Suggest

Story 3:

Big Bang’s Sound-Like Waves Show Up In Lab Simulation 

Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

NASA Mars Rover Views Eclipse of the Sun by Phobos

Kepler Can Still Hunt For Earth-Sized Exoplanets, Researchers

Suggest

Big Bang’s Sound-Like Waves Show Up In Lab Simulation

The Night SkyMonday, September 2 • Right after dark at this time of year, bright Vega shines almost straight overhead for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes. Whenever Vega is highest, it's the sign that rich Sagittarius is at its highest in the south. Work through the Sagittarius area with your charts and scope before it sinks low for the night and the season.

Tuesday, September 3 • With the Moon out of the evening sky, now's a good time to see what you can make of the distant galaxy cluster Abell 2666. Its location is easy to find just inside the Great Square of Pegasus. But you'll need a moderately large telescope and a good sky; the cluster's brightest member, giant NGC 7768, appears 12th or 13th magnitude. If you succeed, could this be your record-farthest galaxy? The cluster is 300 million light-years away. Use the finder charts and photo with Ken Hewett-White's "Going Deep" article in the September Sky & Telescope, page 60.

Wednesday, September 4 • The big but dark-colored asteroid 324 Bamberga has brightened to magnitude 8.3. It's nearly at an unusually close, once-in-22-years opposition. Seek it out on the edge of the Circlet of Pisces using the finder chart in the September Sky & Telescope, page 51.

Thursday, September 5 • As evening twilight fades, spot Venus low in the west. Look below it (by less than 2°) for much fainter little Spica twinkling away. Binoculars help. Saturn glows 14° to their upper left.

Friday, September 6 • Spica remains 2° below Venus in twilight, shifted somewhat from yesterday.

ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

ISS For Denver:

No sightings this week.

NASA-TV Highlights(all times Eastern Daylight Time)

September 4, Wednesday11 a.m. - Expanded “Space Station Live” Including Coverage of the Release of the HTV-4 Cargo Ship from the ISS (HTV-4 Release Scheduled at appx. 12 Noon ET) - JSC (All Channels)1 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 37/38 Qualification Training Simulation Runs at Star City, Russia - JSC (All Channels)4 p.m. - NASA/Orbital Sciences Mission Preview Briefing - JSC (All Channels) September 5, Thursday10 -11:30 a.m. – NASA Social for LADEE Mission Live from the Wallops Flight Facility – HQ/WFF (Education Channel)10:50 a.m. - ISS Expedition 36 Interviews with WGME-TV, Portland, ME and the CBS Radio Network - JSC (Public and Media Channels)12:05 p.m. - ISS Mission Control On Console Interview with the Digital Learning Network - JSC (All Channels)3 p.m. – LADEE Prelaunch Mission Briefing – HQ/WFF (All Channels)4 p.m. – LADEE Mission Science and Technology Demonstration Briefing – HQ/WFF (All Channels) September 6, Friday6-10 a.m. –Live Interviews on the LADEE Mission – HQ/WFF (All Channels)3:00 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 37/38 Crew News Conference at Star City, Russia and Visit to Red Square in Moscow - JSC (All Channels)4-6 p.m. – Live Interviews on LADEE Mission – HQ/WFF (All Channels)9:30 p.m. – Live Launch Coverage and Commentary on LADEE Mission – HQ/GSFC/WFF (Public and Media Channels)9:30 p.m. – Simulcast of NASA EDGE Live Webcast of LADEE Mission and Launch – LARC/HQ/WFF (Education Channel)

Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar

JPL Space Calendar

Sep 02 - Asteroid 3 Juno Occults TYC 5741-02620-1 (11.4 Magnitude Star) Sep 02 - Asteroid 6434 Jewitt Closest Approach To Earth (0.792 AU) Sep 02 - Asteroid 4305 Clapton Closest Approach To Earth (2.106 AU) Sep 03 - Comet 197P/LINEAR Closest Approach To Earth (1.393 AU) Sep 03 - Comet P/2010 V1 (Ikeya-Murakami) At Opposition (3.564 AU) Sep 03 - Asteroid 341 California Occults HIP 20711 (4.3 Magnitude Star) Sep 03 - Asteroid 5154 Leonov Occults HIP 26964 (6.2 Magnitude Star) Sep 03 - Asteroid 2013 PD39 Near-Earth Flyby (0.076 AU) Sep 03 - Asteroid 7088 Ishtar Closest Approach To Earth (1.220 AU) Sep 03 - Asteroid 15058 Billcooke Closest Approach To Earth (1.826 AU) Sep 03 - Asteroid 5249 Giza Closest Approach To Earth (2.593 AU) Sep 04 - Cassini, Distant Flyby of Titan Sep 04 - Comet 133P/Elst-Pizarro At Opposition (1.776 AU) Sep 04 - Comet 95P/Chiron At Opposition (16.608 AU) Sep 04 - Asteroid 10386 Romulus Occults HIP 3419 (2.0 Magnitude Star) Sep 04 - Asteroid 18725 Atacama Closest Approach To Earth (1.805 AU) Sep 04 - Asteroid 7392 Kowalski Closest Approach To Earth (2.049 AU) Sep 05 - Cassiope 1/ DANDE/ CUSAT 1 & 2/ POPACS 1, 2 & 3/ SNAPS Falcon 9 Launch Sep 05 - [Aug 28] Comet P/2013 P5 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (1.121 AU) Sep 05 - [Sep 02] Asteroid 2013 QE16 Near-Earth Flyby (0.021 AU) Sep 06 - [Aug 30] Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Minotaur V Launch Sep 06 - Asteroid 4511 Rembrandt Closest Approach To Earth (0.914 AU) Sep 06 - Asteroid 263251 Pandabear Closest Approach To Earth (0.957 AU) Sep 06 - Asteroid 3156 Ellington Closest Approach To Earth (2.293 AU)

Food for ThoughtNuSTAR Delivers the X-Ray Goods

Space Image of the Week

NASA’s Hubble Sees a Cosmic Caterpillar