Space News Update - May 31, In the News Story 1: Story 1: Data from NASA Rover's Voyage to Mars Aids Planning Story 2: Story 2: NASA's Grail Mission Solves Mystery of Moon's Surface Gravity Story 3: Story 3: Low Sodium Diet Key to Old Age for Stars Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Data from NASA Rover's Voyage to Mars Aids Planning >

NASA's Grail Mission Solves Mystery of Moon's Surface Gravity

Low Sodium Diet Key to Old Age for Stars

The Night Sky Friday, May 31 · Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter have stretched out into a nice straight line 7° long, as shown at right below. Look low in the northwest after sunset. The line will continue to lengthen day by day, as Jupiter descends to the horizon and Mercury pulls a bit higher above Venus. · Last-quarter Moon (exact at 2:58 p.m. EDT). The Moon rises around the middle of the night. Saturday, June 1 · Vega, the brightest star in the east these evenings, is currently the top star of the huge Summer Triangle. Look to Vega's lower left, by two or three fists at arm's length, for Deneb. The third star of the Summer Triangle is Altair, considerably farther to Vega's lower right. Altair is just rising in the east as dusk fades away. How early in the evening can you spot it? Sunday, June 2 · The best time to view Venus in a telescope is in late afternoon well before sunset, when it's still at a high altitude in relatively steady air. Mercury and Jupiter are in the same vicinity, but they're tougher catches in broad daylight. Pick them up them using the day-by-day finder chart for all three above the afternoon Sun in the June Sky & Telescope, page 51.June Sky & Telescope Monday, June 3 · "Cassiopeia" usually means "Cold!". Late fall and winter are when this landmark constellation is high overhead (seen from mid-northern latitudes), but even on hot June evenings it's lurking low. After dark, look for it down near the north horizon. It's a wide, upright W. The farther north you are the higher it'll appear. But even as far south as San Diego and Atlanta it's completely above the horizon. Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information For Denver: SATELLITELOCALDURATION MAX ELEV APPROACHDEPARTURE DATE/TIME(MIN)(DEG)(DEG-DIR) ISSFri May 31/01:14 AM12218 above N10 above NNE ISSFri May 31/02:50 AM< above NNW10 above N ISSFri May 31/04:27 AM11510 above NNW14 above N ISSSat Jun 01/00:26 AM< above NNE10 above NE ISSSat Jun 01/02:00 AM11110 above NNW11 above NNW ISSSat Jun 01/03:38 AM< above NNW12 above N ISSSat Jun 01/11:38 PM< above NE ISSSun Jun 02/01:11 AM11411 above NW14 above NNW ISSSun Jun 02/02:49 AM< above N ISSSun Jun 02/04:25 AM22411 above NNW23 above N ISSSun Jun 02/10:49 PM< above NE11 above NE ISSMon Jun 03/00:21 AM41711 above WNW11 above NNE ISSMon Jun 03/02:00 AM< above NNW ISSMon Jun 03/03:36 AM21810 above NNW17 above N ISSMon Jun 03/09:54 PM64611 above SSW11 above ENE ISSMon Jun 03/11:31 PM52311 above W11 above NNE

NASA-TV Highlights Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.NASA website May 31, Friday 8 a.m. - Replay of NASA Preview of the Approach of Asteroid 1998 QE2 - HQ (All Channels) 1 p.m. - Replay of NASA Preview of the Approach of Asteroid 1998 QE2 - HQ (All Channels) May 31, Friday 8 a.m. - Replay of NASA Preview of the Approach of Asteroid 1998 QE2 - HQ (All Channels) 1 p.m. - Replay of NASA Preview of the Approach of Asteroid 1998 QE2 - HQ (All Channels)

Space Calendar May 31 - O3b F-1, F-2, F-3 & F-4 Soyuz STB-Fregat LaunchO3b F-1, F-2, F-3 & F-4 May 31 - Cassini, Distant Flyby of TitanCassini May 31 - Comet 98P/Takamizawa Closest Approach To Earth (0.861 AU)Comet 98P/TakamizawaClosest Approach To Earth May 31 - [May 30] Asteroid (1998 QE2) Near-Earth Flyby (0.039 AU)Asteroid (1998 QE2)Near-Earth Flyby May 31 - Asteroid 3066 McFadden Closest Approach To Earth (1.677 AU)Asteroid 3066 McFadden May 31 - Asteroid 2906 Caltech Closest Approach To Earth (2.410 AU)Asteroid 2906 Caltech May 31 - Asteroid 2483 Guinevere Closest Approach To Earth (4.056 AU)Asteroid 2483 Guinevere May th Anniversary (1998), Galileo, Europa 15 FlybyGalileo Jun 01 - Comet P/2012 F5 (Gibbs) At Opposition (2.096 AU)Comet P/2012 F5 (Gibbs)At Opposition Jun 01 - Comet P/2004 V1 (Skiff) At Opposition (3.782 AU)Comet P/2004 V1 (Skiff)At Opposition Jun 01 - Asteroid 2013 JU22 Near-Earth Flyby (0.052 AU)Asteroid 2013 JU22Near-Earth Flyby Jun 01 - Asteroid 2011 BM45 Near-Earth Flyby (0.075 AU)Asteroid 2011 BM45Near-Earth Flyby Jun 01 - Asteroid 2013 JT17 Near-Earth Flyby (0.098 AU)Asteroid 2013 JT17Near-Earth Flyby Jun 01 - Asteroid 3173 McNaught Closest Approach To Earth (0.870 AU)Asteroid 3173 McNaught Jun 01 - Asteroid 5281 Lindstrom Closest Approach To Earth (2.235 AU)Asteroid 5281 Lindstrom Jun 01 - Asteroid Spirit Closest Approach To Earth (3.684 AU)Asteroid Spirit Jun 02 - Comet P/2012 F5 (Gibbs) Closest Approach To Earth (2.096 AU)Comet P/2012 F5 (Gibbs)Closest Approach To Earth Jun 02 - Asteroid Santorini Closest Approach To Earth (3.836 AU)Asteroid Santorini Jun th Anniversary (2003), Mars Express/ Beagle 2 LaunchMars ExpressBeagle 2 Jun th Anniversary (1983), Venera 15 Launch (USSR Venus Orbiter)Venera 15 Jun th Anniversary (1858), Discovery of Donati's CometDonati's Comet Jun 03 - SES-6 Proton M-Briz M LaunchSES-6 Jun 03 - Comet C/2013 J6 (Catalina) Closest Approach To Earth (1.771 AU)Comet C/2013 J6 (Catalina)Closest Approach To Earth Jun 03 - Comet C/2012 OP (Siding Spring) At Opposition (3.050 AU)Comet C/2012 OP (Siding Spring)At Opposition Jun 03 - Comet 196P/Tichy At Opposition (3.651 AU)Comet 196P/TichyAt Opposition Jun 03 - [May 27] Comet C/2013 H2 (Boattini) Closest Approach To Earth (6.670 AU)Comet C/2013 H2 (Boattini)Closest Approach To Earth Jun 03 - Asteroid 2004 KH17 Near-Earth Flyby (0.098 AU)Asteroid 2004 KH17Near-Earth Flyby Jun 03 - Asteroid 8003 Kelvin Closest Approach To Earth (1.203 AU)Asteroid 8003 Kelvin JPL Space Calendar

Food for Thought Asteroid mining firm wants to put your face in space

Space Image of the Week Image Data: Subaru Telescope (NAOJ), Hubble Space Telescope, Subaru TelescopeNAOJHubble Space Telescope One-Armed Spiral Galaxy NGC 4725