Space News Update - December 13, In the News Story 1: Story 1: Hubble Space Telescope Sees Evidence of Water Vapor Venting off Story 2: Story 2: ESA Teams Are Ready for China's Moon Landing Story 3: Story 3: ISS Managers Mull Coolant System Repair Options Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Hubble Space Telescope Sees Evidence of Water Vapor Venting off This graphic shows the location of water vapor detected over Europa's south pole in observations taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope in December 2012.

ESA Teams Are Ready for China's Moon Landing

ISS Managers Mull Coolant System Repair Options

The Night Sky Friday, December 13 The Geminid meteor shower should be at its peak tonight, from 9 or 10 p.m. until dawn Saturday morning. The best viewing time is actually after your local moonset: in the hour before the beginning of morning twilight Saturday. But bright meteors will show even through the moonlight earlier. See our article, Geminid Meteors to Pierce the Moonlight.your local moonsetGeminid Meteors to Pierce the Moonlight The eclipsing binary star Algol should be at its minimum brightness, magnitude 3.4 instead of its usual 2.1, for a couple hours centered on 9:50 p.m. EST Friday evening. Saturday, December 14 The bright gibbous Moon shines in Taurus this evening. Through the glare, can you make out the Pleiades roughly a fist-width to its upper left? Easier is Aldebaran farther to the Moon's lower left. Brighter Capella shines much farther left of the Moon. Sunday, December 15 This evening look for Aldebaran just 2° to 4° lower right of the bright Moon (for North America), as shown at right. Although they look close together, Aldebaran is 1.5 billion times farther away. Monday, December 16 Full Moon tonight (exact at 4:28 a.m. Tuesday morning EST). As the Moon climbs the eastern sky this evening, look for Aldebaran to its upper right, Aldebaran-colored Betelgeuse to its lower right, Capella farther to its upper left, and Jupiter far to its lower left. Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information ISS For Denver: DateVisibleMax HeightAppearsDisappears Fri Dec 13, 5:56 PM3 min29°18 above WNW19 above NNE Sat Dec 14, 5:09 PM4 min44°29 above W11 above NE Sat Dec 14, 6:46 PM< 1 min12°10 above NW12 above NW Sun Dec 15, 5:57 PM3 min16°11 above WNW13 above N Mon Dec 16, 5:09 PM5 min21°12 above WNW11 above NNE

NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Daylight Time) December 13, Friday 9:40 a.m. - ISS Expedition 38 In-Flight Interviews with the Associated Press and space.com - JSC (All Channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA websiteNASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Dec 13 - Geminids Meteor Shower PeakGeminids Meteor Shower Dec 14 - [Dec 07] Chang'e 3, Moon Landing (China)Chang'e 3Moon Landing Dec 14 - Asteroid 2009 XP2 Near-Earth Flyby (0.052 AU)Asteroid 2009 XP2Near-Earth Flyby Dec 14 - Asteroid 1381 Danubia Closest Approach To Earth (1.269 AU)Asteroid 1381 Danubia Dec 14 - Asteroid 4103 Chahine Closest Approach To Earth (1.565 AU)Asteroid 4103 Chahine Dec 14 - Asteroid Bardot Closest Approach To Earth (2.255 AU)Asteroid Bardot Dec th Anniversary (2003), Nozomi, Mars FlybyNozomi Dec 15 - Comet 291P/NEAT Perihelion (2.591 AU)Comet 291P/NEATPerihelion Dec 15 - Comet P/2012 O2 (McNaught) At Opposition (3.233 AU)Comet P/2012 O2 (McNaught)At Opposition Dec 15 - Asteroid 1254 Erfordia Occults HIP (6.9 Magnitude Star)Asteroid 1254 Erfordia Occults HIP Dec 16 - Comet P/2013 O2 (PANSTARRS) Perihelion (2.146 AU)Comet P/2013 O2 (PANSTARRS)Perihelion Dec 16 - Comet C/2011 J2 (LINEAR) Closest Approach To Earth (3.017 AU)Comet C/2011 J2 (LINEAR)Closest Approach To Earth Dec 16 - Comet C/2011 J2 (LINEAR) At Opposition (3.017 AU)Comet C/2011 J2 (LINEAR)At Opposition Dec 16 - Comet C/2013 U2 (Holvorcem) Closest Approach To Earth (4.943 AU)Comet C/2013 U2 (Holvorcem)Closest Approach To Earth Dec 16 - Comet P/2010 TO20 (LINEAR-Grauer) Closest Approach To Earth (4.994 AU)Comet P/2010 TO20 (LINEAR-Grauer)Closest Approach To Earth Dec 16 - Asteroid 2063 Bacchus Closest Approach To Earth (0.302 AU)Asteroid 2063 BacchusClosest Approach To Earth Dec 16 - Asteroid Hawaii Closest Approach To Earth (1.768 AU)Asteroid Hawaii

Food for Thought See If You Can #SpotOrion

Space Image of the Week Crab Nebula, as Seen by Herschel and Hubble Image Credit: ESA/Herschel/PACS/MESS Key Programme Supernova Remnant Team; NASA, ESA and Allison Loll/Jeff Hester (Arizona State University)