Space News Update - April 26, 2016 - In the News Departments Story 1: Mission Manager Update: Kepler Recovered and Returned to the K2 Mission Story 2: Soyuz Blasts Off With Environmental Satellite, General Relativity Probe Story 3: Swansong Experiment Sheds Light on Venus’ Polar Atmosphere Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Mission Manager Update: Kepler Recovered and Returned to the K2 Mission In this computer graphic, NASA's Voyager 1 probe, moving toward upper left, nears the edge of the sun's influence, flying through a region of space dominated by a "magnetic highway" that helps mediate the flow of particles into and out of the solar system. The region includes particles from the sun's southern hemisphere that have been forced northward by the pressure of the interstellar wind. Voyager 1 is expected to cross the boundary into interstellar space sometime within the next few years if not sooner. (Credit: NASA)

Soyuz Blasts Off With Environmental Satellite, General Relativity Probe

Swansong Experiment Sheds Light on Venus’ Polar Atmosphere

The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Friday, April 29 Tuesday, April 26   With the Moon gone from the evening sky, explore the faint galaxy groups around Algieba in the Sickle of Leo with Sue French's Deep-Sky Wonders article, charts, and photos in the April issue of Sky & Telescope, page 54. Wednesday, April 27 Face north just after nightfall, look very high, and you'll find the Pointers, the end stars of the Big Dipper's bowl — on the meridian, pointing toward Polaris straight down below. From the Pointers to Polaris is about three fists at arm's length. Thursday, April 28 At nightfall, Jupiter high in the south and Arcturus high in the east-southeast are the two brightest points on their side of the sky. The brightest star below them is Spica. Friday, April 29 Last-quarter Moon (exact at 11:29 p.m. EDT). The Moon rises tonight around 2 a.m. your local daylight- saving time, shining above dim Capricornus. It's a busy night at Jupiter. Io crosses the planet's face from 9:42 to 11:57 p.m. EDT, followed by its tiny black shadow from 10:44 p.m. to 12:58 a.m. EDT. Europa transits the planet from 12:28 to 3:25 a.m. EDT, followed by its shadow from 2:47 to 5:32 a.m. EDT. Meanwhile, Jupiter's Great Red Spot crosses the planet's meridian around 10:52 p.m. EDT. (Subtract three hours from all times to get PDT.) Get up before dawn this week to say an early hello to the Sagittarius Teapot, an icon of late summer.

ISS Sighting Opportunities ISS For Denver: No sightings for the Denver area for the period of Wednesday Apr 20, 2016 through Thursday May 5, 2016 Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information

NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Time Zone) MAVEN Launch November 18, 2013 NASA MAVEN Launch November 18, 2013 NASA MAVEN Launch November 18, 2013 NASA NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Time Zone)   No Planned Live Events until Tuesday May 3. Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar   Apr 26 - Comet C/2014 X1 (Elenin) At Opposition (3.575 AU) Apr 26 - Comet C/2016 E1 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (7.570 AU) Apr 26 - Asteroid 14965 Bonk Closest Approach To Earth (1.034 AU) Apr 26 - Asteroid 6735 Madhatter Closest Approach To Earth (1.287 AU) Apr 26 - Amor Asteroid 2202 Pele Closest Approach To Earth (2.449 AU) Apr 26 - Asteroid 1268 Libya Closest Approach To Earth (3.050 AU) Apr 27 - MVL-300 (Mikhailo Lomonosov)/ AIST 2/Kontact-Nanosputnik/ SamSat 218 Soyuz- 2.1a/Volga Launch Apr 27 - Comet 268P/Bernardi At Opposition (2.553 AU) Apr 27 - Comet C/2014 W11 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (3.149 AU) Apr 27 - Asteroid 136 Austria Closest Approach To Earth (1.321 AU) Apr 27 - Asteroid 5553 Chodas Closest Approach To Earth (1.385 AU) Apr 27 - Asteroid 12820 Robinwilliams Closest Approach To Earth (2.057 AU) Apr 27 - Asteroid 2161 Grissom Closest Approach To Earth (2.166 AU) Apr 27 - Asteroid 5223 McSween Closest Approach To Earth (2.661 AU) Apr 28 - IRNSS-1G PSLV-XL Launch Apr 28 - Comet P/1996 R2 (Lagerkvist) At Opposition (3.755 AU) Apr 28 - Comet C/2015 D3 (PANSTARRS) Perihelion (8.150 AU) Apr 28 - Aten Asteroid 2013 KJ6 Near-Earth Flyby (0.095 AU) Apr 28 - Asteroid 804 Hispania Closest Approach To Earth (1.995 AU) Apr 28 - Asteroid 336694 Fey Closest Approach To Earth (2.205 AU) Apr 28 - Kuiper Belt Object 2010 EK139 At Opposition (36.115 AU) Apr 28 - Kuiper Belt Object 2014 FC69 At Opposition (83.270 AU) Apr 28 - 25th Anniversary (1991), STS-39 Launch (Space Shuttle Discovery, DOD) Apr 28 - Bart Bok's 110th Birthday (1906) Apr 29 - Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck Perihelion (2.427 AU) Apr 29 - Apollo Asteroid 2002 CX58 Near-Earth Flyby (0.043 AU) JPL Space Calendar

Cosmic Ray Tech May Unlock Pyramids' Secrets New Technique Puts Exoplanets on the Scale New Technique Puts Exoplanets on the Scale Food for Thought Cosmic Ray Tech May Unlock Pyramids' Secrets

Image Credit & Copyright: David Lindemann Space Image of the Week Orion in Red and Blue Image Credit & Copyright: David Lindemann