Space News Update - July 22, 2016 - In the News Departments Story 1: NASA Mars Rover Can Choose Laser Targets on Its Own Story 2: Hubble Studies the Atmospheres of Earth-Sized Exoplanets Story 3: Return to the Underwater Space Station Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

NASA Mars Rover Can Choose Laser Targets on Its Own 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)

Hubble Studies the Atmospheres of Earth-Sized Exoplanets

Return to the Underwater Space Station

The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Friday, July 22 • Starry Scorpius is sometimes called "the Orion of Summer" for its brightness, its blue-giant stars, and its 1st-magnitude red supergiant (Antares). But Scorpius shines a lot lower in the south (for those of us at mid-northern latitudes). That means it has only one really good evening month: July. Catch Scorpius in the south just after dark now, before it starts to tilt lower toward the southwest. It's full of deep-sky objects for binoculars and telescopes. Not to mention Mars and Saturn close by! Saturday, July 23 • After nightfall, Altair shines in the east-southeast. Above it by a finger-width at arm's length is its eternal sidekick, little orange Tarazed. Left of Altair by a bit more than a fist-width is little Delphinus, the Dolphin, leaping leftward away from it. Sunday, July 24 • The tail of Scorpius lies low due south right after dark. Look for the two stars especially close together in the tail. These are Lambda and fainter Upsilon Scorpii, known as the Cat's Eyes. They're canted at an angle; the cat is tilting his head and winking. The Cat's Eyes point west (right) by nearly a fist-width toward Mu Scorpii, a much tighter pair known as the Little Cat's Eyes. It takes very sharp vision to resolve Mu without binoculars! Monday, July 25 • The Delta Aquariid meteor shower, modest but very long-lasting, should most active for the next week or so. Under a very dark sky, you might see a dozen Delta Aquariids per hour between midnight and the first light of dawn. The light of the waning Moon will present less interference each morning. Tuesday, July 26 • Last-quarter Moon (exact at 7:00 p.m. EDT). The Moon rises around midnight or 1 a.m. daylight-saving time tonight, positioned near the Knot of Pisces. By early dawn Wednesday morning it stands high in the southeast. Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities ISS For Denver: Date Visible Max Height Appears Disappears Sat Jul 23, 2:13 AM < 1 min 10° 10° above NNW 10° above N Sat Jul 23, 3:49 AM 1 min 13° 13° above N Sat Jul 23, 5:25 AM 3 min 43° 10° above NW 43° above N Sun Jul 24, 2:57 AM 11° 11° above N Sun Jul 24, 4:32 AM 27° 27° above NNE Mon Jul 25, 3:40 AM 2 min 18° 18° above NNE Mon Jul 25, 5:15 AM 6 min 72° 10° above SE Mon Jul 25, 9:54 PM 5 min 50° 11° above SW 19° above ENE Mon Jul 25, 11:31 PM 22° 10° above WNW 10° above NNE Tue Jul 26, 2:47 AM Tue Jul 26, 4:23 AM 55° 11° above ESE Tue Jul 26, 9:02 PM 24° 11° above S 10° above ENE Tue Jul 26, 10:38 PM 34° 12° above W 10° above NE Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information

(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 Upcoming Live Event Programming. Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Jul 22 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #454 (OTM-454) Jul 22 - Asteroid 2 Pallas Occults TYC 1133-00151-1 (11.3 Magnitude Star) Jul 22 -[Jul 18] Apollo Asteroid 2016 NJ39 Near-Earth Flyby (0.030 AU) Jul 22 - Amor Asteroid 154244 (2002 KL6) Near-Earth Flyby (0.068 AU) Jul 22 - 65th Anniversary (1951), Launch of the 1st Dogs Into Space (Dezik & Tsygan) Jul 22-24 - Dusty Visions Workshop 2016, Boulder, Colorado Jul 23 - Moon Occults Neptune Jul 23 - Comet 145P/Shoemaker-Levy Closest Approach To Earth (2.718 AU) Jul 23 - Comet P/2009 WX51 (Catalina) At Opposition (2.913 AU) Jul 23 - Kuiper Belt Object 5000 Quaoar Occults 2UCAC 26273214 (14.5 Magnitude Star) Jul 23 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 LY48 Near-Earth Flyby (0.072 AU) Jul 23 - Asteroid 484 Pittsburghia Closest Approach To Earth (1.507 AU) Jul 23 - Apollo Asteroid 4660 Nereus Closest Approach To Earth (1.958 AU) Jul 23 - Asteroid 15417 Babylon Closest Approach To Earth (2.740 AU) Jul 23 - Arthur Brown's 130th Birthday (1886) Jul 24 - Comet P/2009 K1 (Gibbs) Perihelion (1.340 AU) Jul 24 - Asteroid 7000 Curie Closest Approach To Earth (1.133 AU) Jul 24 - Asteroid 342843 Davidbowie Closest Approach To Earth (1.609 AU) Jul 24 - Centaur Object 52872 Okyrhoe At Opposition (9.275 AU) Jul 24 - Centaur Object 83982 Crantor At Opposition (16.999) Jul 25 - Cassini, Titan Flyby Jul 25 - Comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos At Opposition (1.651 AU) Jul 25 - Comet 150P/LONEOS Perihelion (1.760 AU) Jul 25 - Apollo Asteroid 162173 Ryugu Closest Approach To Earth (0.396 AU) (Hayabusa 2 Target) Jul 25 - Asteroid 3265 Fletcher Closest Approach To Earth (1.256 AU) Jul 25 - Asteroid 4716 Urey Closest Approach To Earth (2.616 AU) Jul 25 - Apollo Asteroid 217628 Lugh Closest Approach To Earth (3.261 AU) Jul 25 - 40th Anniversary (1976), Viking 1 Image of Cydonia Regon ("Face" on Mars) Jul 26 - Superbird 8 (DSN 1) Ariane 5 Launch Jul 26 - Comet 73P-AJ/Schwassmann-Wachmann Perihelion (0.957 AU) Jul 26 -[Jul 18] Apollo Asteroid 2016 NE39 Near-Earth Flyby (0.017 AU) Jul 26 - Amor Asteroid 2016 NW15 Near-Earth Flyby (0.035 AU) Jul 26 - Apollo Asteroid 2135 Aristaeus Closest Approach To Earth (1.506 AU) Jul 26 - Asteroid 52422 LPL Closest Approach To Earth (2.595 AU) Jul 26 - Centaur Object 944 Hidalgo At Opposition (5.458 AU) Jul 26 - 45th Anniversary (1971), Apollo 15 Launch (4th Manned Moon Landing)   JPL Space Calendar

Vulcan May Not Be Real, but Spock’s Home System Is Food for Thought Vulcan May Not Be Real, but Spock’s Home System Is

Falcon 9: Launch and Landing Image Credit & Copyright: Michael Seeley Space Image of the Week Falcon 9: Launch and Landing  Image Credit & Copyright: Michael Seeley