Space News Update - August 9, 2013 - In the News Departments Story 1: The Sun's Magnetic Field is about to Flip Story 2: Asteroid sampling mission to launch on Atlas 5 rocket Story 3: Bringing down the ISS – Plans for Station’s demise updated   Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

The Sun's Magnetic Field is about to Flip 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)

Asteroid sampling mission to launch on Atlas 5 rocket

Bringing down the ISS – Plans for Station’s demise updated

The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Friday, August 9 · Early in twilight, about a half hour after sunset, look very low in the west below Venus for the thin crescent Moon, as shown at right. Binoculars will help. · The Perseid meteor shower is ramping up! Activity is already well under way, and the shower should peak late Sunday and Monday nights. Read all about it: Get Ready for the 2013 Perseids. Saturday, August 10 · The waxing crescent Moon shines well to the left of Venus low in twilight, as shown above. Sunday, August 11 · The annual Perseid meteor shower should be at its most active late tonight and tomorrow night. (The expected peak time, 2 p.m. EDT August 12th, is ideal for the Far East; for North America it splits the difference between the early morning hours of the 12th and 13th.) See our article Get Ready for the 2013 Perseids. Monday, August 12 · During and after dusk, spot Saturn above the waxing crescent Moon in the southwest. Look lower right of the Moon for Spica. Much higher to their upper right shines Arcturus. Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities ISS For Denver: Date Visible Max Height Appears Disappears Fri Aug 9, 9:25 PM 2 min 19° 19 above NNW 11 above NNE Fri Aug 9, 11:02 PM 1 min 10° 10 above N 10 above NNE Sat Aug 10, 8:36 PM 3 min 25° 25 above NNW Sat Aug 10, 10:13 PM 11° 11 above N Sun Aug 11, 9:24 PM 12° 12 above NNW Sun Aug 11, 11:02 PM 12 above N Mon Aug 12, 8:35 PM 15° 15 above NNW Mon Aug 12, 10:13 PM 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) August 9, Friday




 9 a.m. - Coverage of the Berthing of the “Kounotori” HTV-4 Cargo Vehicle to the ISS (Installation scheduled to begin around 9:30 a.m. ET) - JSC (All Channels)
 1 p.m. - NASA Google+ Hangout: Wildfire and Climate Change - GSFC (All Channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Aug 09 - Asteroid 277475 (2005 WK4) Near-Earth Flyby (0.021 AU) Aug 10 - Asteroid 9997 COBE Closest Approach To Earth (1.611 AU) Aug 10 - Asteroid 4523 MIT Closest Approach To Earth (2.015 AU) Aug 11 - Comet C/2013 N4 (Borisov) Closest Approach To Earth (2.055 AU) Aug 11 - Comet P/2011 JB15 (Spacewatch-Boattini) At Opposition (4.549 AU) Aug 11 - Asteroid 16421 Roadrunner Closest Approach To Earth (1.013 AU) Aug 11 - Asteroid 12790 Cernan Closest Approach To Earth (1.341 AU) Aug 11 - Asteroid 6143 Pythagoras Closest Approach To Earth (1.650 AU) Aug 11 - Asteroid 3125 Hay Closest Approach To Earth (2.107 AU) Aug 11 - Asteroid 4969 Lawrence Closest Approach To Earth (2.283 AU) Aug 12 - Comet 152P/Helin-Lawrence Closest Approach To Earth (2.735 AU) Aug 12 - Perseids Meteor Shower Peak Aug 12 - Asteroid 17681 Tweedledum Closest Approach To Earth (0.998 AU) Aug 12 - Asteroid 69263 Big Ben Closest Approach To Earth (1.599 AU) Aug 12 - 35th Anniversary (1978), ISEE-3 (ICE) Launch   JPL Space Calendar

Food for Thought Ancient Astronomical Calendar Discovered in Scotland Predates Stonehenge by 6,000 Years

Space Image of the Week The coolest video of an expanding supernova you'll see today  Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block