Space News Update - February 11, In the News Story 1: Story 1: ULA Atlas V launches Landsat DCM spacecraft Story 2: Story 2: Curiosity Rover Collects First Martian Bedrock Sample Story 3: Story 3: Russians successfully launch space station resupply ship Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

ULA Atlas V launches Landsat DCM spacecraft

Curiosity Rover Collects First Martian Bedrock Sample >

Russians successfully launch space station resupply ship

The Night Sky Monday, February 11 · Mercury shines lower left of the Moon, as shown below. And bring binoculars for a last shot at faint, low Mars. Tuesday, February 12 · Mercury shines far below the crescent Moon as twilight fades. · The eclipsing binary star Algol should be at minimum light, magnitude 3.4 instead of its usual 2.3, for a couple hours centered on 11:23 p.m. EST. Algol takes several additional hours to fade and to rebrighten. Wednesday, February 13 · Look to the right of the Moon soon after dark for Gamma (γ) Pegasi, the leftmost star of the Great Square of Pegasus. The Great Square is standing on one corner.

The Night Sky Thursday, February 14 · February is when Orion stands highest in the south in early evening. This season, Orion is framed by the two brightest points in the sky: Jupiter high to its upper right and Sirius down to its lower left. Friday, February 15 · After dark, look right of the crescent Moon by roughly a fist-width at arm's length for the two or three leading stars of Aries, lined up almost vertically. · Close flyby of asteroid 2012 DA 14. This gymnasium- sized asteroid will miss Earth by just 18,000 miles (28,500 km) around 19:25 Universal Time today. It will then be as bright as 8th magnitude, moving across the stars by 0.8° per minute — and it will be in nighttime view from easternmost Europe (in late evening) across Asia to Australia (before dawn on the 16th local date). By the time it's visible in Western Europe it will be a little fainter, and by its visibility in North America it will be down to 11th to 13th magnitude, receding into the distance near the Little Dipper. See our article Asteroid 2012 DA14 to Zip Past Earth, with detailed telescopic finding instructions.Asteroid 2012 DA14 to Zip Past Earth

ISS Sighting Opportunities Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information For Denver: SATELLITELOCALDURATIONMAX ELEVAPPROACHDEPARTURE DATE/TIME(MIN)(DEG)(DEG-DIR) ISSMon Feb 11/06:25 PM44535 above WNW13 above NE ISSMon Feb 11/08:01 PM< above NW ISSTue Feb 12/07:10 PM31712 above NW15 above N ISSWed Feb 13/06:20 PM42318 above WNW10 above NNE ISSThu Feb 14/07:06 PM21210 above NW11 above N ISSFri Feb 15/06:14 PM41510 above NW10 above NNE

NASA-TV Highlights Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.NASA website February 12, Tuesday 11:15 a.m. - ISS Expedition 34 In-Flight Event with WBOI-FM, Ft. Wayne, IN and News 14 Carolina - JSC (Public and Media Channels) February 14, Thursday 12:05 p.m. - ISS Mission Control Console Interview with the Digital Learning Network - JSC (All Channels) February 15, Friday 12 p.m. - ISS Expedition 34 In-flight Event for the Canadian Space Agency with the University of Waterloo, Ontario - JSC (All Channels) 2 p.m. - LIVE Commentary for Asteroid 2012 DA-14 Fly By - JPL (All Channels)

Space Calendar Feb 11 - [Feb 08] Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) Atlas 5 LaunchLandsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM)Atlas 5 Launch Feb 11 - [Feb 09] Progress M-18M Soyuz U Launch (International Space Station 50P)ProgressSoyuz U Launch Feb 11 - Comet P/2009 SK280 (Spacewatch-Hill) Closest Approach To Earth (4.225 AU)Comet P/2009 SK280 (Spacewatch-Hill)Closest Approach To Earth Feb 11 - Asteroid 2013 BW15 Near-Earth Flyby (0.009 AU)Asteroid 2013 BW15Near-Earth Flyby Feb 11 - Asteroid 4221 Picasso Closest Approach To Earth (1.648 AU)Asteroid 4221 Picasso Feb 11 - Asteroid 7755 Haute-Provence Closest Approach To Earth (2.087 AU)Asteroid 7755 Haute-Provence Feb 11 - Asteroid 9250 Chamberlin Closest Approach To Earth (2.208 AU)Asteroid 9250 Chamberlin Feb 11 - Asteroid 1712 Angola Closest Approach To Earth (2.417 AU)Asteroid 1712 Angola Feb 11 - Asteroid Lespaul Closest Approach To Earth (2.477 AU)Asteroid Lespaul Feb 12 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #340 (OTM-340)Cassini Feb 12 - Comet P/2010 R2 (La Sagra) Closest Approach To Earth (2.643 AU)Comet P/2010 R2 (La Sagra)Closest Approach To Earth Feb 12 - Comet P/2011 W1 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (2.825 AU)Comet P/2011 W1 (PANSTARRS)Closest Approach To Earth Feb 12 - Asteroid 2013 BS45 Near-Earth Flyby (0.013 AU)Asteroid 2013 BS45Near-Earth Flyby Feb 12 - Asteroid 2013 AB32 Near-Earth Flyby (0.077 AU)Asteroid 2013 AB32Near-Earth Flyby Feb 12 - Asteroid Greeley Closest Approach To Earth (1.976 AU)Asteroid Greeley Feb 12 - Asteroid 2636 Lassell Closest Approach To Earth (2.098 AU)Asteroid 2636 Lassell Feb 12 - Asteroid 2023 Asaph Closest Approach To Earth (2.487 AU)Asteroid 2023 Asaph Feb 12 - Asteroid 4446 Carolyn Closest Approach To Earth (4.051 AU)Asteroid 4446 Carolyn Feb 13 - Asteroid 3949 Mach Closest Approach To Earth (1.176 AU)Asteroid 3949 Mach Feb 13 - Kuiper Belt Object (2002 AW197) At Opposition ( AU)Kuiper Belt Object (2002 AW197)At Opposition Feb 14 - Asteroid 2006 DD1 Near-Earth Flyby (0.094 AU)Asteroid 2006 DD1Near-Earth Flyby Feb 14 - Asteroid 3355 Onizuka Closest Approach To Earth (1.132 AU)Asteroid 3355 Onizuka Feb 14 - Asteroid 7220 Philnicholson Closest Approach To Earth (1.759 AU)Asteroid 7220 Philnicholson Feb 14 - Asteroid 9446 Cicero Closest Approach To Earth (2.302 AU)Asteroid 9446 Cicero Feb th Anniversary (1963), Syncom 1 Launch (1st Geosynchronous Satellite)Syncom 1 Feb 14 - Fritz Zwicky's 115th Birthday (1898)Fritz Zwicky's Feb 15 - [Feb 08] Asteroid 2012 DA14 Near-Earth Flyby ( AU)Asteroid 2012 DA14Near-Earth Flyby Feb 15 - Asteroid 2005 RZ2 Near-Earth Flyby (0.081 AU)Asteroid 2005 RZ2Near-Earth Flyby Feb 15 - Asteroid 4345 Rachmaninoff Closest Approach To Earth (1.824 AU)Asteroid 4345 Rachmaninoff JPL Space Calendar

Food for Thought Help Name Pluto’s Newest Moons!

Space Image of the Week Credit: NASA