Space News Update - December 14, In the News Story 1: Story 1: NASA Probes Prepare for Mission-Ending Moon Impact Story 2: Story 2: Wide Binary Stars: Long-Distance Stellar Relationships Story 3: Story 3: First Census of Galaxies Near Cosmic Dawn Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

NASA Probes Prepare for Mission- Ending Moon Impact

Wide Binary Stars: Long-Distance Stellar Relationships >

First Census of Galaxies Near Cosmic Dawn

The Night Sky Friday, December 14 · Orion stands centered between two bright lights this year. High above it during evening shines dazzling Jupiter (with its orange sidekick Aldebaran). A similar distance below Jupiter, Sirius rises around 8 p.m. (the time depends on your location), with its own sidekick, Mirzam. · Sirius, just 8.6 light-years away, is the brightest star in the night sky. It's also the closest star beyond the Sun that's ever visible to the unaided eye from mid- northern latitudes. · Algol in Perseus should be at minimum light for a couple hours centered on 6:07 p.m. EST. Watch it rebrightening for much of the rest of the night. · Jupiter's Great Red Spot should cross Jupiter's central meridian around 8:22 p.m. EST. For all of the Great Red Spot's transit times, as well as all of Jupiter's satellite events, get the new JupiterMoons app! Saturday, December 15 · In early evening, the "Summer Star" Vega is still the brightest thing in the northwestern sky, though it's moving ever lower. The brightest above it is Deneb. Vega is 25 light-years away; supergiant Deneb is about 1,400.

The Night Sky Sunday, December 16 · Jupiter's moon Io crosses Jupiter's face from 8:19 to 10:29 p.m. EST, closely followed by its tiny black shadow (much plainer to see in a telescope) from 8:41 to 10:52 p.m. EST. Meanwhile, the Great Red Spot should cross Jupiter's central meridian around 10:00 p.m. EST. To track all of Jupiter's satellite events and the Great Red Spot's transit times, get the new JupiterMoons app. Monday, December 17 · The first-discovered asteroid, 1 Ceres, is at opposition tonight. It's not far from 4 Vesta, which is also in Taurus along with Jupiter. Ceres and Vesta are now magnitudes 6.7 and 6.5, respectively. Spot them in binoculars near the horns of Taurus using the finder chart in the December Sky & Telescope, page 50, or online.

ISS Sighting Opportunities Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information For Denver: Skywatch is under maintenance and not available at press time.

NASA-TV Highlights Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.NASA website December 14, Friday 2 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 34/35 Crew Activities in Baikonur, Kazakhstan - JSC (All Channels) December 17, Monday 12 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 34/35 Soyuz TMA-07M Spacecraft Encapsulation, Rocket Mating and Rollout in Baikonur, Kazakhstan - JSC (All Channels) 5 p.m. - Grail End of Mission Commentary - JPL (All Channels)

Space Calendar Dec 14 - Moon Occults Pluto Dec 14 - Comet C/2012 T5 (Bressi) Closest Approach To Earth (0.931 AU) Dec 14 - Asteroid 21 Lutetia Occults UCAC (12.0 Magnitude Star) Dec 14 - [Dec 14] Asteroid 2012 XB112 Near-Earth Flyby (0.002 AU) Dec 14 - [Dec 12] Asteroid 2012 XQ55 Near-Earth Flyby (0.036 AU) Dec 14 - Asteroid Lugosi Closest Approach To Earth (1.186 AU) Dec 14 - Asteroid 4134 Schutz Closest Approach To Earth (1.457 AU) Dec 14 - Asteroid 793 Arizona Closest Approach To Earth (1.883 AU) Dec 14 - Asteroid Oscarwilde Closest Approach To Earth (1.933 AU) Dec 14 - [Dec 13] 50th Anniversary (1962), Mariner 2, Venus Flyby Dec th Anniversary (1807), Weston Meteorite Fall Dec 15 - Cassini, Distant Flyby of Titan Dec 15 - Comet 36P/Whipple Closest Approach To Earth (2.560 AU) Dec 15 - Asteroid 21 Lutetia Occults UCAC (11.5 Magnitude Star) Dec 15 - [Dec 14] Asteroid 2012 XH112 Near-Earth Flyby (0.004 AU) Dec 15 - Asteroid Stooke Closest Approach To Earth (1.789 AU) Dec 16 - [Dec 09] Asteroid 2012 XM16 Near-Earth Flyby (0.008 AU) Dec 16 - Asteroid 2002 XQ40 Near-Earth Flyby (0.091 AU) Dec 16 - Asteroid 1862 Apollo Closest Approach To Earth (0.729 AU) Dec 16 - Asteroid Itokawa Closest Approach To Earth (0.645 AU) Dec 16 - Asteroid 6563 Steinheim Closest Approach To Earth (1.166 AU) Dec 16 - Asteroid 9395 Saint Michel Closest Approach To Earth (1.727 AU) Dec 16 - Asteroid 8353 Megryan Closest Approach To Earth (2.128 AU) Dec th Anniversary (1997), Galileo, Europa 12 Flyby Dec 16 - Arthur C. Clarke's 95th Birthday (1917) Dec 16 - Edward Barnard's 155th Birthday (1857) JPL Space Calendar

Space Calendar Dec 17 - [Dec 14] GRAIL, Moon Impacts Dec 17 - Cygnus Mass Simulator/ Dove 1/ Phonesat v1A, v1B & v1C Antares Launch (Inagural Antares Launch) Dec 17 - Comet P/2011 U2 (Bressi) Closest Approach To Earth (3.887 AU) Dec 17 - Asteroid 2979 Murmansk Occults HIP (5.9 Magnitude Star) Dec 17 - Asteroid 631 Philippina Occults HIP A (6.0 Magnitude Star) Dec 17 - Asteroid 631 Philippina Occults HIP B (6.0 Magnitude Star) Dec 17 - Asteroid 2004 YA5 Near-Earth Flyby (0.060 AU) Dec 17 - Asteroid 3831 Pettengill Closest Approach To Earth (1.530 AU) Dec 17 - Asteroid 232 Russia Closest Approach To Earth (1.762 AU) JPL Space Calendar

Food for Thought NASA Celebrates 50 Years of Planetary Exploration

Space Image of the Week Credit: Jim Nelson – Thanks very much, Jim!!