Space News Update - February 18, 2013 - In the News Departments Story 1: A Parting Look at 2012 DA14: Was This a Warning Shot from Space? Story 2: Proton/Breeze M mishap blamed on warm propellant Story 3: NASA's MAVEN Mission Completes Assembly Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

A Parting Look at 2012 DA14: Was This a Warning Shot from Space?

Proton/Breeze M mishap blamed on warm propellant > Proton/Breeze M mishap blamed on warm propellant

NASA's MAVEN Mission Completes Assembly

The Night Sky Monday, February 18 The Moon now shines to the left or upper left of Jupiter and Aldebaran, drawing farther away from them through the evening. Tuesday, February 19 The Moon after dark stands straight over Orion, who's standing straight upright in the south. Wednesday, February 20 Have you ever seen Canopus, the second-brightest star after Sirius? Canopus lies almost due south of Sirius, by 36°. That's far enough south that it never appears above your horizon unless you're below latitude 37° N (southern Virginia, southern Missouri, central California). And there, you'll need a flat south horizon. Canopus transits the sky's north-south meridian just 21 minutes before Sirius does. When to look? Canopus is at its highest point when Beta Canis Majoris — Mirzim, the star three finger-widths to the right of Sirius — is at its highest point crossing the meridian. Look straight down from Mirzim then. Thursday, February 21 Early this evening, look lower right of the Moon for Procyon and upper left of the Moon for Castor and Pollux. Much farther to the lower right of Procyon shines bright Sirius. Friday, February 22 This evening the Moon is left of Procyon and below Castor and Pollux.

ISS Sighting Opportunities For Denver: SATELLITE LOCAL DURATION MAX ELEV APPROACH DEPARTURE DATE/TIME (MIN) (DEG) (DEG-DIR) ISS Mon Feb 18/06:57 PM 2 11 10 above NNW 11 above NNE Tue Feb 19/06:06 PM 10 10 above NNE Tue Feb 19/07:42 PM < 1 14 14 above NNW Wed Feb 20/06:52 PM 15 14 above NNE Thu Feb 21/06:04 PM 10 above NE Thu Feb 21/07:37 PM 23 10 above NW 23 above NNW Fri Feb 22/06:47 PM 3 11 above NNW 21 above NE Fri Feb 22/08:23 PM 12 12 above WNW Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information

NASA-TV Highlights Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website. February 20, Wednesday 9 a.m. - ISS Update - JSC (Public and Media Channels) 10 a.m. - NASA Social: “Science on the International Space Station…Gateway to the Universe” (ISS Expedition 34 In-Flight Event for the Social scheduled at 10:25 a.m. ET) - HQ/JSC (All Channels) 12:05 p.m. - ISS Mission Control Console Interview with the Digital Learning Network - JSC (All Channels) February 21, Thursday 11:45 a.m. - ISS Expedition 34 In-Flight Event for the Canadian Space Agency with the TVA Network, Canada - JSC (Will be broadcast in French; Public and Media Channels) 12:30 p.m. - ISS Mission Control Console Interview with the Digital Learning Network - JSC (All Channels) 1 p.m. - English Interpreted Replay of the Canadian Space Agency In-Flight Event with the TVA Network, Canada – JSC (Public and Media Channels) February 22, Friday 11 a.m. - ISS Expedition 34 In-Flight Event for a Google + Hangout - JSC (All Channels) 11:20 a.m. - ISS Update – JSC (Public and Media Channels) Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Feb 18 - Moon Occults Jupiter Feb 18 - Moon Occults Asteroid 4 Vesta Feb 18 -[Feb 19] Asteroid 2013 CW129 Near-Earth Flyby (0.003 AU) Feb 18 - Asteroid 9387 Tweeddledee Closest Approach To Earth (1.030 AU) Feb 18 - Asteroid 3043 San Diego Closest Approach To Earth (1.063 AU) Feb 18 - Asteroid 5062 Glennmiller Closest Approach To Earth (1.411 AU) Feb 18 - Asteroid 4099 Wiggins Closest Approach To Earth (1.529 AU) Feb 19 -[Feb 15] Asteroid 2013 CZ87 Near-Earth Flyby (0.018 AU) Feb 19 - Asteroid 4017 Disneya Closest Approach To Earth (1.849 AU) Feb 19 - Nicolaus Copernicus' 540th Birthday (1473) Feb 20 - Asteroid 3353 Jarvis Closest Approach To Earth (1.102 AU) Feb 20 - Asteroid 9769 Nautilus Closest Approach To Earth (1.020 AU) Feb 20 - Asteroid 797 Montana Closest Approach To Earth (1.531 AU) Feb 21 - Asteroid 1034 Mozartia Closest Approach To Earth (1.901 AU) Feb 21 - Asteroid 35165 Quebec Closest Approach To Earth (2.224 AU) Feb 21 - Asteroid 588 Achilles Closest Approach To Earth (3.811 AU) Feb 21 - Asteroid 5661 Hildebrand Closest Approach To Earth (3.867 AU) Feb 21 - Asteroid 624 Hektor Closest Approach To Earth (4.137 AU) Feb 22 - SARAL/ Sapphire/ CanX-3/ Tugsat 1 (Brite-Austria) PSLV-C20 Launch Feb 22 - Comet 120P/Mueller Perihelion (2.729 AU) Feb 22 - Asteroid 469 Argentina Occults HIP 25363 (6.8 Magnitude Star) Feb 22 - Asteroid 2002 Euler Closest Approach To Earth (1.399 AU) Feb 22 - Kuiper Belt Object 90482 Orcus At Opposition (47.053 AU) JPL Space Calendar

Food for Thought NASA's Chandra Suggests Rare Explosion Created Our Galaxy's Youngest Black Hole

Composite Image of NGC 5189 Courtesy of Robert Gendler Space Image of the Week Portrait Of NGC 5189: New Light On An Old Planetary Nebula Composite Image of NGC 5189 Courtesy of Robert Gendler