Space News Update - March 31, 2015 - In the News Departments Story 1: Kelly settling in aboard space station Story 2: What NASA Learned from Orion Space Capsule's 1st Test Flight Story 3: "Mini Supernova" Explosion Could Have Big Impact Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Kelly settling in aboard space station 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)

What NASA Learned from Orion Space Capsule's 1st Test Flight

"Mini Supernova" Explosion Could Have Big Impact

The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Tuesday, March 31 The waxing gibbous Moon shines beneath Regulus and the Sickle of Leo early this evening, as shown at right. Farther upper right of the Moon shines bright Jupiter. By late evening, the sky rotates to place Jupiter to the Moon's right. The shadow of Callisto slowly crosses Jupiter's face tonight from 11:14 p.m. to 3:57 a.m. EDT. Wednesday, April 1 The coming of April always finds Orion in the southwest at dusk, leaning over with his three-star belt almost horizontal (depending on your time and latitude). The belt points left toward bright Sirius, and to the right toward Aldebaran and, farther on, the Pleiades. Now the Moon moves through Virgo past Gamma Vir and Spica. The blue 10° scale bar is about the width of your fist at arm's length. Thursday, April 2 Look above Venus at nightfall for the Pleiades star cluster, the size of your fingertip at arm's length. It's 8° above Venus this evening. It will pass Venus by less than 3° on April 10th through 12th. Friday, April 3 A total eclipse of the Moon happens before or during dawn Saturday morning for the western half of North America; the farther west you are the better. It happens during Saturday evening for Australia and the Far East. This eclipse is barely total and for only about 12 minutes, from about 11:54 to 12:06 April 4th UT (GMT). Partial eclipse begins at 10:15 UT and ends at 13:45 UT. For maps and more, see the April Sky & Telescope, page 50. On Friday evening for North America, the full Moon shines in Virgo with Spica well to its lower left, as shown here. Much closer to the Moon is fainter Gamma Virginis (Porrima), a close telescopic double star. Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities ISS For Denver: 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) No Schedules Events Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Mar 31 - Asteroid 4356 Marathon Closest Approach To Earth (1.650 AU) Mar 31 - Asteroid 1618 Dawn Closest Approach To Earth (1.879 AU) Mar 31 - Asteroid 12773 Lyman Closest Approach To Earth (1.977 AU) Mar 31 - Asteroid 7100 Martin Luther Closest Approach To Earth (2.019 AU) Mar 31 - 10th Anniversary (2005), Mike Brown, et al's Discovery of Dwarf Planet Makemake Mar 31 - 1615th Anniversary (400 AD), Comet C/400 F1 Near-Earth Flyby (29.8 Lunar Distance) Apr 01 - Comet P/2006 F1 (Kowalski) At Opposition (3.948 AU) Apr 01 - Asteroid 3 Juno Occults TYC 0803-00156-1 (11.4 Magnitude Star) Apr 01 - [Mar 27] Asteroid 2015 FW117 Nea r Earth Flyby (0.009 AU) Apr 01 - [Mar 22] Asteroid 2015 FC34 Near-Earth Flyby (0.065 AU) Apr 01 - Asteroid 2014 QD364 Near-Earth Flyby (0.068 AU) Apr 01 - Asteroid 67085 Oppenheimer Closest Approach To Earth (1.456 AU) Apr 01 - Asteroid 19620 Auckland Closest Approach To Earth (1.718 AU) Apr 01 - Asteroid 51827 Laurelclark Closest Approach To Earth (1.975 AU) Apr 01 - 55th Anniversary (1960), Tiros 1 Launch (1st Weather Satellite) Apr 02 - MESSENGER, Orbital Change Maneuver Apr 02 - Comet 22P/Kopff At Opposition (1.466 AU) Apr 02 - Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck At Opposition (2.812 AU) Apr 02 - Comet C/2013 C2 (Tenagra) At Opposition (8.203 AU) Apr 02 - Asteroid 2912 Lapalma Closest Approach To Earth (1.143 AU) Apr 02 - Asteroid 1816 Liberia Closest Approach To Earth (1.217 AU) Apr 02 - Asteroid 32605 Lucy Closest Approach To Earth (1.748 AU) Apr 02 - Asteroid 1381 Danubia Closest Approach To Earth (1.933 AU) Apr 02 - Asteroid 16522 Tell Closest Approach To Earth (2.313 AU) Apr 02 - 170th Anniversary (1845), 1st Photo of Sun taken by Louis Fizeau & Leon Foucault Apr 03 - Comet 86P/Wild Perihelion (2.264 AU) Apr 03 - Asteroid 2015 CW13 Near-Earth Flyby (0.035 AU) Apr 03 - Asteroid 5725 Nordlingen Closest Approach To Earth (1.655 AU) Apr 03 - Asteroid 4037 Ikeya Closest Approach To Earth (1.845 AU) Apr 03 - Asteroid 3709 Polypoites Closest Approach To Earth (4.384 AU) JPL Space Calendar

March 23, 1965 Launch of First Crewed Gemini Flight Food for Thought March 23, 1965 Launch of First Crewed Gemini Flight

Shadow of a Martian Robot Space Image of the Week Shadow of a Martian Robot Image Credit & Copyright: Mars Exploration Rover Mission, JPL, NASA