Space News Update - August 18, 2014 - In the News Departments Story 1: NASA extends contract with Russia for rides to Space Station Story 2: LADEE Spacecraft Finds Neon in Lunar Atmosphere Story 3: ESA's cool new interactive comet visualization tool based on amateur imaging work with open data Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

NASA extends contract with Russia for rides to Space Station 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)

LADEE Spacecraft Finds Neon in Lunar Atmosphere

ESA's cool new interactive comet visualization tool based on amateur imaging work with open data

The Night Sky Tuesday, August 18 As night descends, look left of the Moon for Spica. Very high above the Moon shines brighter Arcturus. The red long-period variable star Chi Cygni is still about at maximum light. As of August 14th it was about magnitude 4.7. See the article and comparison-star chart in the August Sky & Telescope, page 51. Wednesday, August 19 Look a few degrees below the Moon at dusk for twinkly Spica. Thursday, August 20 The Moon this evening is nearly halfway between Spica, to its lower right, and Saturn, to the Moon's left or upper left. Friday, August 21 The bright "star" left of the Moon this evening is the planet Saturn. Lower left of Saturn sparkles fainter Delta Scorpii. Farther left or lower left from there is the orange-red supergiant Antares. Saturday, August 22 First-quarter Moon (exact at 3:31 p.m. EDT). As dusk fades, the Moon shines near Saturn and Beta (β) Scorpii, as shown below. Beta is fine telescopic double star. So is Nu Scorpii, upper left of Beta by 1.6°. (Nu is a little too faint to get on the chart.) Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities ISS For Denver: Date Visible Max Height Appears Disappears Tue Aug 18, 9:10 PM 2 min 81° 36 above WNW 36 above SE Wed Aug 19, 8:16 PM 4 min 49° 27 above NNW 11 above ESE Wed Aug 19, 9:52 PM 16° 11 above W 16 above SW Thu Aug 20, 8:59 PM 3 min 31° 22 above W 16 above SSE Fri Aug 21, 8:09 PM 1 min 18° 18 above SE 10 above SE 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) 7 a.m., Wednesday, August 19 - Coverage of the Launch of the “Kounotori” HTV-5 Cargo Craft to the ISS (Launch scheduled at 8:35 a.m. ET)- Coverage begins at 7:45 a.m. ET (all channels) 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, August 19 - ISS Expedition 44 In-Flight Interviews with “The Larry King Show” on ORA TV/HULU and Yahoo News with Katie Couric and NASA Flight Engineer Scott Kelly (starts at 11:55 a.m.) (all channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Jul 18 - Comet P/2009 WX51 (Catalina) Closest Approach To Earth (1.515 AU) Jul 18 - Comet 255P/Levy At Opposition (3.674 AU) Jul 18 - Asteroid 2015 OA26 Near-Earth Flyby (0.006 AU) Jul 18 - Asteroid 242191 (2003 NZ6) Near-Earth Flyby (0.083 AU) Jul 18 - Asteroid 163693 Atira Closest Approach To Earth (0.440 AU) Jul 18 - Asteroid 193 Ambrosia Closest Approach To Earth (2.118 AU) Jul 18 - 15th Anniversary (2000), Discovery of Jupiter Moon Callirrhoe Jul 18 - 35th Anniversary (1980), Rohini 1 Launch (India's 1st Satellite) Jul 18 - 50th Anniversary (1965), Zond 3 Launch (USSR Moon Flyby) Jul 19 - Moon Occults Venus Jul 19 - Comet 324P/La Sagra Closest Approach To Earth (1.682 AU) Jul 19 - Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy At Opposition (2.026 AU) Jul 19 - Comet C/2015 M3 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (3.122 AU) Jul 19 - Asteroid 436724 (2011 UW158) Near-Earth Flyby (0.016 AU) Jul 19 - Asteroid 5641 McCleese Closest Approach To Earth (0.820 AU) Jul 19 - Asteroid 10799 Yucatan Closest Approach To Earth (1.215 AU) Jul 19 - Asteroid 9885 Linux Closest Approach To Earth (1.494 AU) Jul 19 - Binary Apollo Asteroid 69230 Hermes Closest Approach To Earth (1.649 AU) Jul 19 - Asteroid 9954 Brachiosaurus Closest Approach To Earth (1.901 AU) Jul 19 - Centaur Object 37117 Narcissus At Opposition (6.594 AU) Jul 20 - Comet C/2014 Q1 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (1.183 AU) Jul 20 - Comet 90P/Gehrels At Opposition (4.232 AU) Jul 20 - Asteroid 2013 BQ18 Near-Earth Flyby (0.020 AU) Jul 20 - Asteroid 2825 Crosby Closest Approach To Earth (1.363 AU) Jul 20 - Asteroid 19367 Pink Floyd Closest Approach To Earth (1.469 AU) Jul 20 - Asteroid 7359 Messier Closest Approach To Earth (2.138 AU) Jul 20 - Asteroid 2044 Wirt Closest Approach To Earth (2.240 AU) Jul 20 - Centaur Object 83982 Crantor At Opposition (16.582) Jul 21 - Comet P/2015 J3 (NEOWISE) Closest Approach To Earth (1.111 AU) Jul 21 - Comet 25D/Neujmin Closest Approach To Earth (2.974 AU) Jul 21 - Asteroid 2010 PR66 Near-Earth Flyby (0.063 AU) Jul 21 - Asteroid 96193 Edmonton Closest Approach To Earth (1.615 AU) Jul 21 - Asteroid 17023 Abbott Closest Approach To Earth (1.696 AU) Jul 21 - Jean Picard's 395th Birthday (1620) JPL Space Calendar

Gecko Feet Inspire Climbing Space Robots Food for Thought Gecko Feet Inspire Climbing Space Robots

Space Image of the Week Chasms on Dione