Space News Update - January 26, 2016 - In the News Departments Story 1: How Astronomers Could Actually See 'Planet Nine 9’ Story 2: LISA Pathfinder Arrives at its Worksite Story 3: Blue Origin’s Reusable New Shepard Booster Flies Again Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

How Astronomers Could Actually See 'Planet Nine' 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)

LISA Pathfinder Arrives at its Worksite

Blue Origin’s Reusable New Shepard Booster Flies Again

The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Tuesday, January 26 Jupiter shines lower left of the Moon after they rise in mid- evening. A small telescope will show Jupiter's moon Europa fading away into eclipse by Jupiter's shadow around 9:32 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (when Jupiter will still be low for Easterners, and not yet risen farther west). Ganymede, slightly brighter than Europa, will shine right next to it! Jupiter's now-prominent Great Red Spot crosses Jupiter's central meridian about three hours later: around 12:21 a.m. EST. Wednesday, January 27 The waning gibbous Moon doesn't rise until about 9 p.m. now (depending on your location), giving you a two-hour window of dark-sky observing after nightfall. When the Moon comes up, it'll have a bright companion: Jupiter standing a few degrees above it (for North America). Thursday, January 28 The sky's biggest asterism (informal star pattern) — or at least, the biggest one that's widely recognized — is the Winter Hexagon. It fills the sky toward the east and south these evenings. Start with brilliant Sirius at its bottom. Going clockwise from there, march through Procyon, Pollux and Castor, Capella high up, Aldebaran over to Capella's right, down to Rigel in Orion's foot, and back to Sirius. Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities ISS For Denver: No Sighting at Denver until Saturday. January 30th 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)   Thursday, January 28 1 p.m., - ISS Expedition 46 In-Flight Interviews for the Military Times with Commander Scott Kelly and Flight Engineer Tim Kopra of NASA (starts at 1:10 p.m.) (all channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Jan 26 - Comet P/2009 K1 (Gibbs) Closest Approach To Earth (1.468 AU) Jan 26 - Comet C/2015 W1 (Gibbs) Closest Approach To Earth (1.621 AU) Jan 26 - Comet 73P-AM/Schwassmann-Wachmann At Opposition (2.668 AU) Jan 26 - Comet 73P-Q/Schwassmann-Wachmann Closest Approach To Earth (3.416 AU) Jan 26 - Asteroid 91007 Ianfleming Closest Approach To Earth (1.360 AU) Jan 26 - Asteroid 2421 Nininger Closest Approach To Earth (2.357 AU) Jan 27 - Intelsat 29e Ariane 5 Launch Jan 27 - Comet 211P/Hill Perihelion (2.351 AU) Jan 27 - Comet 312P/NEAT Closest Approach To Earth (3.238 AU) Jan 27 - Comet 73P-AI/Schwassmann-Wachmann Closest Approach To Earth (3.361 AU) Jan 27 - Comet 73P-BS/Schwassmann-Wachmann Closest Approach To Earth (3.385 AU) Jan 27 - Comet C/2016 A3 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (4.292 AU) Jan 27 - Apollo Asteroid 438661 (2008 EP6) Near-Earth Flyby (0.050 AU) Jan 27 - Apollo Asteroid 161989 Cacus Closest Approach To Earth (0.574 AU) Jan 27 - Asteroid 58221 Boston Closest Approach To Earth (1.487 AU) Jan 27 - Asteroid 2521 Heidi Closest Approach To Earth (1.613 AU) Jan 27 - Asteroid 1996 Adams Closest Approach To Earth (1.818 AU) Jan 27 - Asteroid 1322 Coppernicus Closest Approach To Earth (2.005 AU) Jan 27 - Asteroid 498 Tokio Closest Approach To Earth (2.154 AU) Jan 28 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #439 (OTM-439) Jan 28 - Comet C/2016 A6 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (1.613 AU) Jan 28 - Comet 73P-U/Schwassmann-Wachmann At Opposition (2.529 AU) Jan 28 - Comet 71P/Clark At Opposition (2.879 AU) Jan 28 - Comet 73P-W/Schwassmann-Wachmann Closest Approach To Earth (3.305 AU) Jan 28 - Comet 300P/Catalina At Opposition (3.382 AU) Jan 28 - Apollo Asteroid 2015 VC2 Near-Earth Flyby (0.015 AU) Jan 28 - Aten Asteroid 2013 GM3 Near-Earth Flyby (0.064 AU) Jan 28 - Asteroid 7307 Takei Closest Approach To Earth (1.570 AU) Jan 28 - Asteroid 1279 Uganda Closest Approach To Earth (1.787 AU) JPL Space Calendar

Are Aliens Silent because They are All Extinct? Food for Thought Are Aliens Silent because They are All Extinct?

Space Image of the Week 2016 Blizzard by Moonlight Image Credit: NASA