Space News Update - October 31, 2014 - In the News Departments Story 1: Orbital Sciences hopes to quickly find cause of rocket failure Story 2: Orbital Sciences hopes to quickly find cause of rocket failure Story 3: Hubble Sees 'Ghost Light' From Dead Galaxies   Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane crashes on test flight 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)

Orbital Sciences hopes to quickly find cause of rocket failure

Hubble Sees 'Ghost Light' From Dead Galaxies

The Night Sky Friday, October 31 For Halloween, the first-quarter Moon shines in the south after dark. It's between Altair, very high to its upper right, and Fomalhaut, far down to its lower left.   Saturday, November 1 As the stars come out, Deneb is nearly straight overhead as seen from mid-northern latitudes. Brighter Vega is west of the zenith. Altair is farther from the zenith toward the south. Sunday, November 2 Algol should be at its minimum light, magnitude 3.4 instead of its usual 2.1, for a couple hours centered on 10:07 p.m. EST (7:07 p.m. PST). Its fading and rebrightening take several additional hours before and after. Here's a comparison-star chart giving the magnitudes of three stars near Algol; use them to judge its changing brightness. For all times of Algol's minima this month, good worldwide, see the November Sky & Telescope, page 51, or use our Algol predictor. Monday, November 3 As autumn proceeds, the Great Square of Pegasus looms ever higher at nightfall. It now reaches its level position very high toward the south as early as 8 or 9 p.m. this week — with the Moon shining under its left side tonight (for North America). Tuesday, November 4 As the stars come out, look high above the waxing gibbous Moon for the Great Square of Pegasus. It's standing on one corner. Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities ISS For Denver: Date Visible Max Height Appears Disappears Fri Oct 31, 6:22 PM < 1 min 12° 12 above SSW 10 above SSW Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information

NASA-TV Highlights Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website (all times Eastern Daylight Time) 7 a.m., Monday, November 3 - ISS Expedition 41 Interviews with WJZ-TV, Baltimore and CBS Radio Network with NASA Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman (all channels)   Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Oct 31 - [Oct 25] Chang'e 5 T1 Return To Earth (China Moon Orbiter) Oct 31 - Comet 183P/Korlevic-Juric At Opposition (3.832 AU) Oct 31 - Comet C/2012 K1 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (0.953 AU) Oct 31 - Asteroid 188534 Mauna Kea Closest Approach To Earth (1.603 AU) Oct 31 - Plutino 144897 (2004 UX10) At Opposition (38.145 AU) Nov 01 - Mercury At Its Greatest Western Elongation (19 Degrees) Nov 01 - [Oct 28] Asteroid 2014 UA58 Near-Earth Flyby (0.034 AU) Nov 01 - [Oct 27] Asteroid 2014 UA57 Near-Earth Flyby (0.043 AU) Nov 01 - Asteroid 2014 TL17 Near-Earth Flyby (0.050 AU) Nov 01 - [Oct 29] Asteroid 2014 UD115 Near-Earth Flyby (0.053 AU) Nov 01 - [Oct 26] Asteroid 2014 US34 Near-Earth Flyby (0.055 AU) Nov 01 - Asteroid 878 Mildred Closest Approach To Earth (0.932 AU) Nov 01 - Asteroid 12002 Sues Closest Approach To Earth (1.975 AU) Nov 01 - Asteroid 1241 Dysona Closest Approach To Earth (2.447 AU) Nov 01 - 20th Anniversary (1994), Wind Launch Nov 02 - Daylight Saving - Set Clock Back 1 Hour (United States) Nov 02 - Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy Perihelion (2.680 AU) Nov 02 - Comet 98P/Takamizawa At Opposition (2.921 AU) Nov 02 - Comet 183P/Korlevic-Juric Closest Approach To Earth (3.832 AU) Nov 02 - Comet PANSTARRS (C/2014 S1) Perihelion (8.350 AU) Nov 02 - Asteroid 29769 (1999 CE28) Occults HIP 113593 (6.3 Magnitude Star) Nov 02 - Asteroid 6735 Madhatter Closest Approach To Earth (1.023 AU) Nov 02 - Asteroid 85185 Lederman Closest Approach To Earth (1.287 AU) Nov 02 - Asteroid 4147 Lennon Closest Approach To Earth (1.565 AU) Nov 02 - Asteroid 289586 Shackleton Closest Approach To Earth (1.600 AU) Nov 02 - Asteroid 7934 Sinatra Closest Approach To Earth (1.621 AU) Nov 02 - Kuiper Belt Object 55637 (2002 UX25) At Opposition (40.034 AU) Nov 03 - Taurids Meteor Shower Peak Nov 03 - Comet C/2014 Q3 (Borisov) Closest Approach To Earth (1.148 AU) Nov 03 - Asteroid 3753 Cruithne Closest Approach To Earth (0.480 AU) Nov 03 - Asteroid 5382 McKay Closest Approach To Earth (1.838 AU) Nov 03 - Asteroid 1042 Amazone Closest Approach To Earth (2.056 AU) Nov 03 - Kuiper Belt Object 84522 (2002 TC302) At Opposition (44.348 AU) Nov 03 - 20th Anniversary (1994), STS-66 Launch (Space Shuttle Atlantis, ATLAS-3) Nov 04 - Moon Occults Uranus Nov 04 - Comet P/2011 CR42 (Catalina) At Opposition (3.465 AU) Nov 04 - [Oct 28] Asteroid 2014 UZ57 Near-Earth Flyby (0.088 AU) Nov 04 - Asteroid 3362 Khufu Closest Approach To Earth (1.089 AU) Nov 04 - Asteroid 2620 Santana Closest Approach To Earth (1.673 AU) Nov 04 - Asteroid 4523 MIT Closest Approach To Earth (1.886 AU) Nov 04 - Asteroid 416 Vaticana Closest Approach To Earth (2.281 AU) Nov 04 - Asteroid 40227 Tahiti Closest Approach To Earth (2.587 AU) JPL Space Calendar

New study finds oceans arrived early to Earth Food for Thought New study finds oceans arrived early to Earth

Space Image of the Week Iridescent Cloud Edge Over Colorado  Image Credit & Copyright: Phil Plait (Bad Astronomy Blog, Slate)