Space News Update - January 17, In the News Story 1: Story 1: Schedule for full-up Orion test flight to be reassessed Story 2: Story 2: European Space Agency's Gaia mission settles in at L2 Story 3: Story 3: The Rock that Appeared Out of Nowhere on Mars Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Schedule for full-up Orion test flight to be reassessed

European Space Agency's Gaia mission settles in at L2

The Rock that Appeared Out of Nowhere on Mars

The Night Sky Friday, January 17  As the stars come out, face north and look very high overhead for Cassiopeia, oriented now like a flattened letter M. As the night proceeds, the M swings down in the northwest and tilts sideways. Saturday, January 18  This the Big Dipper's time of year to swing up from the low north-northeast after dusk, to stand on its handle in the northeast by about 9 p.m.  Jupiter's Great Red Spot transits Jupiter's central meridian around 10:15 p.m. EST. Sky & Telescope Sunday, January 19  Sirius twinkles brightly after dinnertime below Orion in the southeast. Around 8 or 9 p.m., depending on your location, Sirius shines precisely below fiery Betelgeuse in Orion's shoulder. How accurately can you time this event for your location, perhaps using a plumb bob or the vertical edge of a building? Sirius leads early in the evening, Betelgeuse leads later. Welcome to pre-telescopic astronomy. Monday, January 20  Jupiter's moon Io crosses Jupiter's face from 8:07 to 10:22 p.m. EST, with its tiny black shadow (much more visible in a telescope) following 23 minutes behind. Later, Jupiter's Great Red Spot transits the planet's central meridian around 11:54 p.m. EST.

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 Jan 17, 5:50 AM1 min11°11 above N10 above NNE Sat Jan 18, 6:38 AM2 min11°10 above N10 above NNE Sun Jan 19, 5:50 AM1 min10°10 above N10 above NNE Mon Jan 20, 6:38 AM4 min14°10 above NNW10 above NE

NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Daylight Time) January 17, Friday 7:30 a.m p.m Zero Robotics Competition from MIT and the International Space Station - HQ (NTV-2, NTV-3) 7:30 a.m a.m Zero Robotics Competition from MIT and the International Space Station - HQ (NTV-1) :30 a.m. - Space Station Live - JSC (NTV-1) 11:30 a.m p.m Zero Robotics Competition from MIT and the International Space Station - HQ (NTV-1) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA websiteNASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Jan 17 - Asteroid 1554 Yugoslavia Closest Approach To Earth (1.961 AU)Asteroid 1554 Yugoslavia Jan 18 - [Jan 11] Comet C/2013 Y2 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (1.801 AU)Comet C/2013 Y2 (PANSTARRS)At Opposition Jan 18 - Asteroid 2 Pallas Occults TYC (11.2 Magnitude Star)Asteroid 2 Pallas Occults TYC Jan 18 - Asteroid Pebble Closest Approach To Earth (1.349 AU)Asteroid Pebble Jan 19 - [Jan 17] Comet P/2014 A2 (Hill) Closest Approach To Earth (1.332 AU)Comet P/2014 A2 (Hill)Closest Approach To Earth Jan 19 - Comet P/2012 U2 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (3.470 AU)Comet P/2012 U2 (PANSTARRS)At Opposition Jan 19 - Asteroid 1 Ceres Occults TYC (11.6 Magnitude Star)Asteroid 1 Ceres Occults TYC Jan 19 - Asteroid 3773 Smithsonian Closest Approach To Earth (1.409 AU)Asteroid 3773 Smithsonian Jan 19 - Asteroid 2451 Dollfus Closest Approach To Earth (2.155 AU)Asteroid 2451 Dollfus Jan 19 - Kuiper Belt Object (2003 AZ84) At Opposition ( AU)Kuiper Belt Object (2003 AZ84)At Opposition Jan 20 - [Jan 13] Rosetta, Wakes Up From HibernationRosettaWakes Up From Hibernation Jan 20 - Comet 213P/Van Ness At Opposition (3.642 AU)Comet 213P/Van NessAt Opposition Jan 20 - Comet C/2012 Y3 (McNaught) At Opposition (4.621 AU)Comet C/2012 Y3 (McNaught)At Opposition Jan 20 - Asteroid (2005 YP180) Near-Earth Flyby (0.078 AU)Asteroid (2005 YP180)Near-Earth Flyby Jan 20 - Asteroid Gregnorman Closest Approach To Earth (1.913 AU)Asteroid Gregnorman Jan 20 - Asteroid Vespucci Closest Approach To Earth (2.175 AU)Asteroid Vespucci Jan 20 - Asteroid Tell Closest Approach To Earth (2.369 AU)Asteroid Tell

Food for Thought New Horizons Spacecraft Gets Closer And Closer To Pluto

Space Image of the Week Despina, Moon of Neptune Image Credit: NASA, JPL - Processed Image Copyright: Ted StrykNASAJPLTed Stryk