Space News Update- January 7th, 2013 -

In the News

Story 1: Approaching Comet May Outshine the Moon

Story 2:Scientists losing hope of reviving French telescope

Story 3: Curiosity Touches Mars at Yellowknife Bay and Drives to Snake River for

Drilling

 Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

Approaching Comet May Outshine the Moon

Story Link

Scientists losing hope of reviving French

telescope

Artist's concept of CoRoT-7b, the first rocky exoplanet discovered by CoRoT. Credit: ESO/L. Calcada

Artist's concept of the CoRoT satellite. Credit: CNES

Curiosity Touches Mars at Yellowknife Bay and Drives to

Snake River for Drilling

‘Snake River’ sinuous Rock Feature Viewed by Curiosity Mars Rover on Jan 3. 2013

The Night SkyMonday, January 7 · As dawn begins to brighten on Tuesday morning, spot the waning crescent Moon in the southeast. Below it is Antares, a summer-evening star just beginning its months-long trek backward through the night. Much farther lower left of the Moon, Venus rises. Higher in the south are Saturn and, two fists to Saturn's right, Spica.  Tuesday, January 8 · Jupiter's moon Io crosses Jupiter's face from 8:03 to 10:13 p.m. EST, followed by Io's tiny black shadow from 8:55 to 11:06 p.m. EST. Jupiter's Great Red Spot transits the planet's central meridian around 2:02 a.m. Wednesday morning EST. For all of Jupiter's satellite events and Great Red Spot transit times, good worldwide, get our new JupiterMoons app. · As dawn brightens early Wednesday morning, find the waning crescent Moon low in the southeast. Look to its right by roughly a fist-width at arm's length for Antares, as shown above, and well to its lower left for Venus rising.

Wednesday, January 9 · As dawn brightens Thursday morning, Venus shines near the hairline crescent Moon very low in the southeast, as shown above. Look well to their upper right for twinkly, fire-colored Antares.  Thursday, January 10 · Andromeda contains many more deep-sky sights than just the Andromeda Galaxy. From a carbon star to a cluster by the head of the Golf Putter, take a tour with Sue French's Deep-Sky Wonders column and chart in the January Sky & Telescope, page 60.  Friday, January 11 · In early evening at this time of year, the Great Square of Pegasus balances on one corner high in the west. The vast Andromeda-Pegasus constellation complex runs all the way from near the zenith (Andromeda's foot) down through the Great Square (Pegasus's body) to low in the west (Pegasus's nose). · New Moon (exact at 2:44 p.m. EST) Image Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

ISS For Denver: LOCAL DURATION MAX ELEVAPPROACHDEPARTUREDATE/TIME (MIN) (DEG) (DEG-DIR) (DEG-DIR)

Mon Jan 07/06:54 AM 1 17 10 above S 17 above SSETue Jan 08/06:06 AM < 1 10 10 above SSE 10 above SSE

Wed Jan 09/06:50 AM 6 58 10 above SW 10 above ENE

Thu Jan 10/06:00 AM 3 30 11 above SSW29 above ESE

Fri Jan 11/05:11 AM 2 16 11 above SSE 16 above ESEFri Jan 11/06:46 AM 6 50 10 above WSW 10 above NE

NASA-TV Highlights

(all times Eastern Daylight Time)

January 9, Wednesday12:05 p.m. - ISS Mission Control Console Interview with the Digital Learning Network - JSC (All Channels)

January 10, Thursday12:15 p.m. - ISS Expedition 34 In-Flight Event for the Canadian Space Agency for Canadian Media - JSC (Public and Media Channels)

January 11, Friday9:45 a.m. - ISS Expedition 34 In-Flight Educational Event with Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Ky. - JSC (All Channels)

Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar

JPL Space Calendar

•Jan 07 - [Jan 01] Comet 274P/Tombaugh-Tenagra Closest Approach To Earth (1.494 AU) •Jan 07 - Asteroid 2002 AY1 Near-Earth Flyby (0.038 AU) •Jan 07 - Asteroid 2012 XZ132 Near-Earth Flyby (0.052 AU) •Jan 07 - Asteroid 2005 DD Near-Earth Flyby (0.100 AU) •Jan 07 - Asteroid 6471 Collins Closest Approach To Earth (1.179 AU) •Jan 07 - Asteroid 3498 Belton Closest Approach To Earth (1.228 AU) •Jan 07 - Asteroid 4122 Ferrari Closest Approach To Earth (1.614 AU)•Jan 07-10 - 51st AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Grapevine, Texas •Jan 07-11 - IAU Symposium 296: Supernova Environmental Impacts, Calcutta, India•Jan 08 - Comet C/2011 F1 (LINEAR) Perihelion (1.819 AU) •Jan 08 - Comet C/2012 A1 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (6.902 AU) •Jan 08 - Asteroid 42998 Malinafrank Closest Approach To Earth (1.608 AU) •Jan 08 - Asteroid 17627 Humptydumpty Closest Approach To Earth (1.737 AU) •Jan 08 - 40th Anniversary (1973), Luna 21 Launch (USSR Moon Lander/Rover) •Jan 08 - Sir Frank Dyson's 145th Birthday (1868) •Jan 09 - Asteroid 99942 Apophis Near-Earth Flyby (0.097 AU) •Jan 09 - Asteroid 4763 Ride Closest Approach To Earth (1.626 AU) •Jan 09 - Asteroid 9969 Braille Closest Approach To Earth (1.854 AU) •Jan 10 - [Jan 04] Asteroid 2012 YJ7 Near-Earth Flyby (0.050 AU) •Jan 10 - Asteroid 11094 Cuba Closest Approach To Earth (2.685 AU) •Jan 11 - Asteroid 163800 Richardnorton Closest Approach To Earth (1.418 AU) •Jan 11 - Asteroid 1777 Gehrels Closest Approach To Earth (1.593 AU) •Jan 11 - Asteroid 11947 Kimclijsters Closest Approach To Earth (2.794 AU)

Food for ThoughtWMAP Team Releases Final Results, Based on

Nine Years of Observations

Story Link

Space Image of the WeekStunning View from Orbit: Dramatic

Volcanoes at Dawn

Volcanoes of Kamchatka, Russia at dawn, as seen from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/CSA/Chris Hadfield