Space News Update - May 20, In the News Story 1: Story 1: First quilter in space: NASA astronaut plans to turn orbital rags to stitches Story 2: Story 2: ‘Major Tim’ Peake to Make first British Long-duration Spaceflight Story 3: Story 3: Bright Explosion on the Moon Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

First quilter in space: NASA astronaut plans to turn orbital rags to stitches

‘Major Tim’ Peake to Make first British Long-duration Spaceflight

Bright Explosion on the Moon

The Night Sky Monday, May 20 Low in the afterglow of sunset, Jupiter has drawn to within 8° of Venus, which shines to its lower right. Can you see Mercury yet, 3° to the lower right of Venus? These three planets about to swing through a "trio" together. They'll appear closest together in a tight little triangle, 2° on a side, next Sunday the 26th. Tuesday, May 21 The star near the waxing gibbous Moon this evening is Spica in Virgo. Wednesday, May 22 Tonight the Moon shines with Saturn. Although they look close together, the Moon is only 1.3 light-seconds from Earth while Saturn is 74 light-minutes in the background. Thursday, May 23 Starting from Saturn in the south-southeast as evening grows late, follow a diagonal line of five objects toward the lower left: Saturn, fainter Alpha Librae, the glaring Moon, Delta Scorpii, and Antares. Friday, May 24 Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury, low in the afterglow of sunset, are now officially a "trio": they fit within a 5° circle. The means you could just about cover them with a golf ball at arm's length. They'll fit together in the view of most binoculars. This evening Venus and Mercury appear their closest together. But all three will fit in a circle just 2½° wide when they're grouped their tightest on Sunday. Full Moon (exact at 12:25 p.m. EDT tonight). The dazzling Moon occults (covers) the 2nd-magnitude star Beta Scorpii this evening for much of the eastern U.S. except the Northeast.

ISS Sighting Opportunities Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information ISS For Denver:

NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Daylight Time) May 22, Wednesday 8 a.m p.m. - NASA Edge Live coverage of the 2013 Lunabotics Mining Competition - KSC (Education Channel) 10:50 a.m. - ISS Expedition 36 In-Flight Event with Florida Today/USA Today and the Florida Institute of Technology - JSC (Public and Media Channels) 2 p.m. - ISS Expedition 36/37 Mission Overview Briefing - JSC (All Channels) 3 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 36/37 Crew Activities and Soyuz TMA-09M Spacecraft Encapsulation in Baikonur, Kazakhstan – JSC via Baikonur, Kazakhstan (All Channels) May 23, Thursday 8:30 a.m p.m. - NASA Edge Live coverage of the 2013 Lunabotics Mining Competition - KSC (Education Channel) 10:05 a.m. - ISS Expedition 36 In-Flight Educational Event with the Talbot Innovation Middle School in Fall River, MA - JSC (Public and Media Channels) 12:05 p.m. - ISS Mission Control On-Console Interview with the Digital Learning Network - JSC (All Channels) p.m. - NASA Edge Live coverage of the 2013 Lunabotics Mining Competition - KSC (Education Channel) May 24 Friday 8:30 a.m. - NASA Edge Live coverage of the 2013 Lunabotics Mining Competition - KSC (Education Channel) 12 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 36/37 Crew Activities in Baikonur, Kazakhstan - JSC via Baikonur, Kazakhstan (All Channels) p.m. - NASA Edge Live coverage of the 2013 Lunabotics Mining Competition - KSC (Education Channel) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA websiteNASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar May 20 - Comet 228P/LINEAR At Opposition (3.080 AU)Comet 228P/LINEARAt Opposition May 20 - Comet C/2010 S1 (LINEAR) Perihelion (5.900 AU)Comet C/2010 S1 (LINEAR)Perihelion May 20 - [May 15] Sally Ride Tribute, Washington DCSally Ride Tribute May th Anniversary (1978), Pioneer Venus 1 LaunchPioneer Venus 1 May 21 - Comet C/2012 K6 (McNaught) Perihelion (3.353 AU)Comet C/2012 K6 (McNaught)Perihelion May 21 - Comet 224P/LINEAR-NEAT At Opposition (3.820 AU)Comet 224P/LINEAR-NEATAt Opposition May 21 - Asteroid 2012 FC71 Near-Earth Flyby (0.057 AU)Asteroid 2012 FC71Near-Earth Flyby May 21 - Asteroid 5731 Zeus Closest Approach To Earth (1.106 AU)Asteroid 5731 Zeus May 21 - Asteroid Creedence Closest Approach To Earth (1.641 AU)Asteroid Creedence May 22 - [May 19] WGS F-5 Delta 4M LaunchWGS F-5Delta 4M Launch May 22 - Comet P/2010 A2 (LINEAR) Perihelion (2.004 AU)Comet P/2010 A2 (LINEAR)Perihelion May 22 - Comet C/2013 G1 (Kowalski) Closest Approach To Earth (2.609 AU)Comet C/2013 G1 (Kowalski)Closest Approach To Earth May 22 - Comet P/2003 U3 (NEAT) At Opposition (3.264 AU)Comet P/2003 U3 (NEAT)At Opposition May 22 - [May 19] Asteroid 2013 KB Near-Earth Flyby (0.008 AU)Asteroid 2013 KBNear-Earth Flyby May 22 - [May 12] Asteroid 2013 JK14 Near-Earth Flyby (0.059 AU)Asteroid 2013 JK14Near-Earth Flyby May 22 - Asteroid 6735 Madhatter Closest Approach To Earth (1.313 AU)Asteroid 6735 Madhatter May 22 - Asteroid 6349 Acapulco Closest Approach To Earth (1.376 AU)Asteroid 6349 Acapulco May 22 - Asteroid 1022 Olympiada Closest Approach To Earth (1.384 AU)Asteroid 1022 Olympiada May 22 - Asteroid 3654 AAS Closest Approach To Earth (1.598 AU)Asteroid 3654 AAS May 22 - Asteroid Dangoldin Closest Approach To Earth (2.087 AU)Asteroid Dangoldin May 23 - [May 18] Cassini, Titan FlybyCassiniTitan Flyby May 23 - Comet 175P/Hergenrother Perihelion (1.946 AU)Comet 175P/HergenrotherPerihelion May 23 - [May 12] Comet C/2013 J3 (McNaught) Perihelion (4.038 AU)Comet C/2013 J3 (McNaught)Perihelion May 23 - Asteroid (2002 OD20) Near-Earth Flyby (0.039 AU)Asteroid (2002 OD20)Near-Earth Flyby May 23 - Asteroid 5811 Keck Closest Approach To Earth (1.386 AU)Asteroid 5811 Keck May 24 - Comet C/2012 K1 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (4.915 AU)Comet C/2012 K1 (PANSTARRS)At Opposition May 24 - Asteroid 784 Pickeringia Closest Approach To Earth (1.367 AU)Asteroid 784 Pickeringia May 24 - Asteroid Seanokeefe Closest Approach To Earth (1.528 AU)Asteroid Seanokeefe May 24 - Asteroid Widmanstatten Closest Approach To Earth (2.515 AU)Asteroid Widmanstatten 35 year Anniversary of launch of Pioneer Venus 1, nearly 14 yrs at Venus Widmanstätten patterns in iron meteorites, discovered by Count Alois von Beckh Widmanstätten,

Food for Thought Opportunity Mars Rover Blazes Past 40 Year Old Space Driving Record

Space Image of the Week Humanity Explores the Solar System Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSL Illustration Credit & License: Olaf Frohn (The Planetary Society)