Space News Update - September 10, 2013 - In the News Departments Story 1: Asteroid Vs. Comet: What The Heck Is 3200 Phaethon? Story 2: Soyuz TMA-08M set for return to Earth Story 3: Moon mission blasts off, overcomes pointing problem   Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Asteroid Vs. Comet: What The Heck Is 3200 Phaethon? 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)

Soyuz TMA-08M set for return to Earth

Moon mission blasts off, overcomes pointing problem

The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Monday, September 9 · This evening the Moon in twilight stands off farther left of Saturn, with Venus down to their lower right. Tuesday, September 10 · Off the tail of Aquila is the Scutum Star Cloud, with the grand cluster M11 just below the dark nebula Barnard 111. See Gary Seronik's Binocular Highlight column and chart in the September Sky & Telescope, page 45. Wednesday, September 11 · Altair is the brightest star shining high in the south these evenings. Look a finger-width at arm's length to its upper right for fainter Tarazed, a red giant far in Altair's background. Look a little more than a fist to Altair's left or upper left for Delphinus, the leaping Dolphin. Thursday, September 12 · The big but dark-colored asteroid 324 Bamberga is reaching opposition at magnitude 8.1 — an unusually close, once-in-22-years opposition. Seek it out near the Circlet of Pisces using the finder chart in the September Sky & Telescope, page 51. Friday, September 13 · Saturn has closed to within 6° of Venus, as shown at right. They'll pass 3½° apart on the 17th and 18th. Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities ISS For Denver: Date Visible Max Height Appears Disappears Wed Sep 11, 5:50 AM 3 min 17° 10 above S 16 above ESE Fri Sep 13, 5:48 AM 4 min 50° 11 above SSW 36 above E 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) September 10, Tuesday 7:15 p.m. - ISS Expedition 36/Soyuz TMA-08M Undocking Coverage (undocking scheduled at 7:35 p.m. ET) - JSC (All Channels) 9:45 p.m. - ISS Expedition 36/Soyuz TMA-08M Deorbit Burn and Landing Coverage (Deorbit burn scheduled at 10:05 p.m. ET, landing near Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan scheduled at 10:58 p.m. ET) - JSC via Kazakhstan (All Channels) September 11, Wednesday 12:30 a.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 36/Soyuz TMA-08M Landing and Post-Landing Activities - HQ (All Channels) 12 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 36/Soyuz TMA-08M Landing and Post-Landing Activities; scheduled to include a post-landing interview with Expedition 36 Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy of NASA and the return of Cosmonauts Pavel Vinogradov and Alexander Misurkin to Chkalovsky Airfield near Star City, Russia - JSC (All Channels) September 13, Friday 10 a.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 37/38 Crew Departure for Baikonur, Kazakhstan from Star City, Russia - JSC (All Channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Sep 09 - Asteroid 2010 CF19 Near-Earth Flyby (0.038 AU) Sep 09 - 35th Anniversary (1978), Venera 11 Launch (USSR Venus Lander) Sep 10 - [Sep 04] Soyuz TMA-08M Returns To Earth (International Space Station) Sep 10 - [Sep 03] Cassiope 1/ DANDE/ CUSAT 1 & 2/ POPACS 1, 2 & 3/ SNAPS Falcon 9 Launch Sep 10 - Comet P/2013 P5 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (1.114 AU) Sep 10 - Comet C/2013 O3 (PANSTARRS) Perihelion (3.179 AU) Sep 10 - Comet 94P/Russell At Opposition (3.782 AU) Sep 10 - Asteroid 324 Bamberga At Opposition (8.2 Magnitude) Sep 10 - Asteroid 2244 Tesla Closest Approach To Earth (1.510 AU) Sep 10 - Asteroid 14965 Bonk Closest Approach To Earth (1.626 AU) Sep 10 - Asteroid 218998 Navi Closest Approach To Earth (1.776 AU) Sep 10 - Asteroid 3534 Sax Closest Approach To Earth (1.811 AU) Sep 10 - Asteroid 7367 Giotto Closest Approach To Earth (2.546 AU) Sep 11 - Comet C/2012 Q1 (Kowalski) Closest Approach To Earth (8.844 AU) Sep 11 - Asteroid 2013 PH3 Near-Earth Flyby (0.098 AU) Sep 11 - Asteroid 3594 Scotti Closest Approach To Earth (1.597 AU) Sep 11 - Asteroid 9325 Stonehenge Closest Approach To Earth (1.582 AU) Sep 11 - Asteroid 8084 Dallas Closest Approach To Earth (2.692 AU) Sep 12 - [Sep 10] Cassini, Titan Flyby Sep 12 - Gonets M5, M6 & M7 Rokot KM Launch Sep 12 - Asteroid 324 Bamberga At Opposition (7.7 Magnitude) Sep 12 - Asteroid 2013 PY38 Near-Earth Flyby (0.044 AU) Sep 12 - Asteroid 22521 ZZ Top Closest Approach To Earth (1.323 AU) Sep 13 - Asteroid 9781 Jubjubbird Closest Approach To Earth (1.154 AU) Sep 13 - Asteroid 4513 Louvre Closest Approach To Earth (1.918 AU) Sep 13 - Asteroid 7231 Porco Closest Approach To Earth (1.937 AU) Sep 13 - Asteroid 78756 Sloan Closest Approach To Earth (2.079 AU) Sep 13 - Asteroid 5553 Chodas Closest Approach To Earth (2.294 AU) Sep 13 - Asteroid 1069 Planckia Closest Approach To Earth (2.475 AU) Sep 13 - Asteroid 308933 (2006 SQ372) At Opposition (24.752 AU) JPL Space Calendar

How Do You Find The Signs of Life On Alien Planets? Food for Thought How Do You Find The Signs of Life On Alien Planets?

Space Image of the Week Nearby Cepheid Variable RS Pup  Image Credit: Hubble Legacy Archive, NASA, ESA - Processing: Stephen Byrne