Space News Update - August 30, 2013 - In the News Departments Story 1: Former JPL Director Bruce Murray Dies at 81 Story 2: Giant Black Hole Caught Rejecting Material Story 3: NASA Data Reveals Mega-Canyon under Greenland Ice Sheet   Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Former JPL Director Bruce Murray Dies at 81 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)

Giant Black Hole Caught Rejecting Material

NASA Data Reveals Mega-Canyon under Greenland Ice Sheet

The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Friday, August 30 · By about 9 p.m. now (depending on where you live), W-shaped Cassiopeia has risen as high in the northeast as the Big Dipper is in the northwest. Midway between them, and a bit higher, is Polaris. Cassiopeia will grow more ascendant over the Dipper in the coming weeks and months as the seasons turn. · Before dawn tomorrow morning, Jupiter shines left of the waning crescent Moon in the east. They're in Gemini, as shown at right. Look for Orion way off to their right. Saturday, August 31 · Before dawn Sunday morning, the waning Moon shines inside a quadrilateral of Pollux, Jupiter, Mars, and Procyon, as shown at right. Sunday, September 1 · Look east after dark for the Great Square of Pegasus balancing on one corner. Its stars are 2nd and 3rd magnitude. From the Square's left corner runs Andromeda's main line of 2nd-magnitude stars, similarly spaced. Monday, September 2 · Right after dark at this time of year, bright Vega shines almost straight overhead for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes. Whenever Vega is highest, it's the sign that rich Sagittarius is at its highest in the south. Work through the Sagittarius area with your charts and scope before it sinks low for the night and the season. Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities ISS For Denver: No Sighting Opportunities for Denver through Sept. 11 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) August 31, Saturday
 8 a.m. – Replay of ISS Expedition 38/39 Crew News Conference (Tyurin, Mastracchio and Wakata) – HQ (All Channels)
 1 p.m. – Replay of ISS Expedition 38/39 Crew News Conference (Tyurin, Mastracchio and Wakata) – HQ (All Channels)
 5 p.m. – Replay of ISS Expedition 38/39 Crew News Conference (Tyurin, Mastracchio and Wakata) – HQ (All Channels)
 10 p.m. – Replay of ISS Expedition 38/39 Crew News Conference (Tyurin, Mastracchio and Wakata) – HQ (All Channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Aug 30 - Comet 154P/Brewington At Opposition (0.956 AU) Aug 30 - Comet 133P/Elst-Pizarro Closest Approach To Earth (1.772 AU) Aug 30 - Comet 79P/du Toit-Hartley Closest Approach To Earth (1.914 AU) Aug 30 - Asteroid 2 Pallas Occults TYC 4828-00264-1 (10.8 Magnitude Star) Aug 30 - Asteroid 2008 PW4 Near-Earth Flyby (0.037 AU) Aug 30 - Asteroid 15332 CERN Closest Approach To Earth (1.586 AU) Aug 30 - 30th Anniversary (1983), STS-8 Launch (Guy Bluford, 1st African-American in Space) Aug 31 - Comet C/2012 S3 (PANSTARRS) Perihelion (2.308 AU) Aug 31 - Comet 266P/Christensen Perihelion (2.328 AU) Aug 31 - Comet 95P/Chiron Closest Approach To Earth (16.605 AU) Aug 31 - Asteroid 2010 CD55 Near-Earth Flyby (0.046 AU) Aug 31 - Asteroid 6377 Cagney Closest Approach To Earth (1.673 AU) Aug 31 - Asteroid 34901 Mauna Loa Closest Approach To Earth (2.350 AU) Aug 31 - Kuiper Belt Object 145452 (2005 RN43) At Opposition (39.656 AU) Aug 31-Sep 07 - Merrit Summer Star Quest 2013, near Merrit, Canada Sep 01 - Comet C/2013 G5 (Catalina) Perihelion (0.929 AU) Sep 01 - Comet 102P/Shoemaker Perihelion (1.968 AU) Sep 01 - Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh At Opposition (3.777 AU) Sep 01 - Asteroid 26121 (1992 BX) Occults HIP 20231 (6.2 Magntude Star) Sep 01 - Asteroid 2009 WH106 Near-Earth Flyby (0.054 AU) Sep 01 - Asteroid 2013 GH66 Near-Earth Flyby (0.067 AU) Sep 01 - Asteroid 2865 Laurel Closest Approach To Earth (1.539 AU) Sep 01 - Asteroid 9523 Torino Closest Approach To Earth (1.764 AU) Sep 01 - Asteroid 4115 Peternorton Closest Approach To Earth (2.112 AU) Sep 02 - Asteroid 3 Juno Occults TYC 5741-02620-1 (11.4 Magnitude Star) Sep 02 - Asteroid 6434 Jewitt Closest Approach To Earth (0.792 AU) Sep 02 - Asteroid 4305 Clapton Closest Approach To Earth (2.106 AU) JPL Space Calendar

Food for Thought New Evidence Suggests Earthlings Started Life As Martians

A Sagittarius Triplet Image Credit & Copyright: Tony Hallas Space Image of the Week A Sagittarius Triplet  Image Credit & Copyright: Tony Hallas