Space News Update - May 13, 2016 - In the News Departments Story 1: NASA Directly Observes Fundamental Process of Nature for 1st Time Story 2: Galaxy Map Validates Einstein's Theory of General Relativity Story 3: Methane and Carbon Dioxide on the Rise Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

NASA Directly Observes Fundamental Process of Nature for 1st Time 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)

Galaxy Map Validates Einstein's Theory of General Relativity

Methane and Carbon Dioxide on the Rise

The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Friday, May 13 • As twilight fades, look upper left of the first-quarter Moon for Regulus, as shown here. Brighter Jupiter shines much farther to the Moon's left (for North America). As night grows late, this scene descend to the southwest and rotates clockwise. • Jupiter's Great Red Spot should cross Jupiter's central meridian tonight around 12:27 a.m. EDT; 9:47 p.m. PDT. The spot is in good view for at least an hour before and after. Saturday, May 14 • The two brightest things in the evening sky, the Moon and Jupiter, shine high just a few degrees apart this evening, as shown here. Third brightest is Mars, low in the southeast after dark. Sunday, May 15 • Now the Moon forms a curving line with Jupiter and Regulus to its right, as shown above. Continue the line far left, and you come to Spica. Monday, May 16 • Three zero-magnitude stars shine after dark in May: Arcturus high in the southeast, Vega much lower in the northeast, and Capella in the northwest. They appear so bright because each is at least 60 times as luminous as the Sun, and because all are relatively nearby: 37, 25, and 42 light-years from us, respectively. Brighter, however, are Jupiter and Mars, high in the southwest and low in the southeast after dark. These are 42 and 4 light-minutes from Earth tonight, respectively. • Jupiter's Great Red Spot should transit the planet's central meridian around 9:57 p.m. EDT. Tuesday, May 17 • Look for Spica lower left of the waxing gibbous Moon this evening (for North America). To the Moon's right or upper right is fainter Gamma Virginis (Porrima), a famous close double star for telescopes. Its nearly-equal components are currently 2.5 arcseconds apart. Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities ISS For Denver: Date Visible Max Height Appears Disappears Fri May 13, 2:58 AM 1 min 17° 17° above E 10° above ENE Fri May 13, 4:31 AM 3 min 31° 16° above W 22° above NNE Sat May 14, 3:40 AM 54° 54° above NNW 26° above NNE Sat May 14, 5:15 AM 14° 10° above NW 10° above NNE Sun May 15, 2:49 AM 23° 23° above ENE 12° above NE Sun May 15, 4:22 AM 4 min 18° 10° above WNW 15° above N Mon May 16, 3:31 AM 2 min 27° 27° above NW 19° above NNE Mon May 16, 5:08 AM 11° 10° above NNW 10° above N Tue May 17, 2:40 AM < 1 min 24° 24° above NNE 20° above NNE Tue May 17, 4:14 AM 13° 11° above N Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information

Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website 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) 10 a.m., Friday, May 13 - Beating the Odds/Twin Study Student Research Presentations (NTV-1 (Public), NTV-2 (Education)) 2 p.m., Saturday, May 14 - 2016 Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (all channels) 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 17 - ISS Expedition 47 In-Flight Interviews with ABC.com with ISS Commander Tim Kopra of NASA and the Federation Aeronautique Internationale for ESA with Flight Engineer Tim Peake of the European Space Agency (Starts at 9:40 a.m.) (all channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Apr 13 - Comet 9P/Tempel Closest Approach To Earth (0.979 AU) Apr 13 - Comet 77P/Longmore Closest Approach To Earth (1.347 AU) Apr 13 -[May 10] Apollo Asteroid 2016 JB18 Near-Earth Flyby (0.004 AU) Apr 13 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 GD222 Near-Earth Flyby (0.017 AU) Apr 13 - Aten Asteroid 2005 GR33 Near-Earth Flyby (0.020 AU) Apr 13 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 GC134 Near-Earth Flyby (0.023 AU) Apr 13 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 FL12 Near-Earth Flyby (0.024 AU) Apr 13 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 EK27 Near-Earth Flyby (0.057 AU) Apr 13 - Asteroid 1862 Apollo Closest Approach To Earth (0.587 AU) Apr 13 - Asteroid 3763 Quianxuesen Closest Approach To Earth (1.017 AU) Apr 13 - Asteroid 90125 Chrissquire Closest Approach To Earth (1.631 AU) Apr 13 - Apollo Asteroid 11066 Sigurd Closest Approach To Earth (1.846 AU) Apr 13 - Asteroid 20488 Pic-du-Midi Closest Approach To Earth (2.029 AU) Apr 13 - Daniel du Toit's 145th Birthday (1871) Apr 13 - Alexander Forbes' 145th Birthday (1871) Apr 14 - Comet C/2016 B1 (NEOWISE) At Opposition (3.072 AU) Apr 14 - Comet C/2014 W11 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (3.126 AU) Apr 14 - Comet 178P/Hug-Bell At Opposition (4.224 AU) Apr 14 - Comet 36P/Whipple At Opposition (4.243 AU) Apr 14 - Amor Asteroid 2016 FS14 Near-Earth Flyby (0.035 AU) Apr 14 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 FS12 Near-Earth Flyby (0.063 AU) Apr 14 - Asteroid 35978 Arlington Closest Approach To Earth (1.102 AU) Apr 14 - Asteroid 3156 Ellington Closest Approach To Earth (1.696 AU) Apr 14 - Asteroid 6592 Goya Closest Approach To Earth (2.110 AU) Apr 15 - Comet C/2015 WZ (PANSTARRS) Perihelion (1.377 AU) Apr 15 - Comet P/2013 YG46 (Spacewatch) Closest Approach To Earth (1.886 AU) Apr 15 - Comet P/2015 D6 (Lemmon-PANSTARRS) At Opposition (3.762 AU) Apr 15 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 HT6 Near-Earth Flyby (0.013 AU) Apr 15 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 FL13 Near-Earth Flyby (0.025 AU) Apr 15 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 GC221 Near-Earth Flyby (0.034 AU) Apr 15 - Amor Asteroid 2016 GE134 Near-Earth Flyby (0.043 AU) Apr 15 - Apollo Asteroid 4769 Castalia Closest Approach To Earth (0.223 AU) Apr 15 - Asteroid 2710 Veverka Closest Approach To Earth (1.135 AU) Apr 15 - Asteroid 2244 Tesla Closest Approach To Earth (2.291 AU) JPL Space Calendar

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Apr 15 - Kuiper Belt Object 42355 Typhon At Opposition (19.496 AU) Apr 16 - Comet 237P/LINEAR At Opposition (1.433 AU) Apr 16 - Comet 233P/La Sagra At Opposition (1.792 AU) Apr 16 - Asteroid 243 Ida Occults HIP 23645 (8.9 Magnitude Star) Apr 16 - Apollo Asteroid 2008 HU4 Near-Earth Flyby (0.013 AU) Apr 16 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 GM2 Near-Earth Flyby (0.032 AU) Apr 16 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 GP206 Near-Earth Flyby (0.045 AU) Apr 16 - Asteroid 4970 Druyan Closest Approach To Earth (1.674 AU) Apr 16 - Asteroid 5649 Donnashirley Closest Approach To Earth (1.861 AU) Apr 16 - Asteroid 10806 Mexico Closest Approach To Earth (1.884 AU) Apr 16 - Asteroid 767 Bondia Closest Approach To Earth (2.546 AU) Apr 16 - Asteroid 1691 Oort Closest Approach To Earth (2.663 AU) Apr 16 - David Brown's 60th Birthday (1956) Apr 17 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 FY12 Near-Earth Flyby (0.015 AU) Apr 17 - Aten Asteroid 2100 Ra-Shalom Closest Approach To Earth (0.508 AU) Apr 17 - Asteroid 5020 Asimov Closest Approach To Earth (1.370 AU) Apr 17 - Asteroid 1640 Nemo Closest Approach To Earth (1.868 AU) Apr 17 - Asteroid 7273 Garyhuss Closest Approach To Earth (2.186 AU) Apr 17 - 40th Anniversary (1976), Closest Ever Flyby of the Sun by Spacecraft (Helios 2) Apr 17 - Harold Johnson's 95th Birthday (1921) JPL Space Calendar

Food for Thought From ‘Magnetoshells’ to Growable Habitats, NASA Invests in Next Stage of Visionary Technology Development

Image Credit & Copyright: Thierry Legault Space Image of the Week ISS and Mercury Too Image Credit & Copyright: Thierry Legault