Space News Update - October 17, In the News Story 1: Story 1: Saturn Moon May Hide a 'Fossil' Core or an Ocean Story 2: Story 2: NASA's IRIS Helps Explain Mysterious Heating of the Solar Atmosphere Story 3: Story 3: Curious Signal Hints at Dark Matter - First Evidence of Axions? Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Saturn Moon May Hide a 'Fossil' Core or an Ocean

NASA's IRIS Helps Explain Mysterious Heating of the Solar Atmosphere

Curious Signal Hints at Dark Matter - First Evidence of Axions?

The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Friday, October 17 Before dawn Saturday morning, Jupiter shines above the waning Moon, as shown at right. Although they look rather close together, Jupiter is 2,100 times farther in the background — it's at a distance of 47 light-minutes, compared to the Moon's 1.3 light-seconds. Saturday, October 18 This is the time of year when, right after nightfall, W-shaped Cassiopeia stands on end halfway up the northeastern sky — and when, off to its left, the dim Little Dipper extends leftward from Polaris in the north. Sunday, October 19 Today the faint Comet Siding Spring (C/2013 A1) makes its much- awaited close pass by Mars, as told in the September Sky & Telescope, page 53, with chart. This will be an extremely challenging observation photographically, and probably impossible visually, with Mars low in the southwest right at the end of twilight and the comet only about 11th magnitude, fainter than originally predicted. At least you can follow a webcast of the encounter courtesy of the Virtual Telescope project; watch in real time starting at 16:45 UT (12:45 p.m. EDT) today, or watch the recording later. Also see NASA's website for this event; NASA's fleet of spacecraft at Mars will carry out observations from their much better vantage point.webcastNASA's website for this event Monday, October 20 The annual Orionid meteor shower should be active before dawn's first light this morning and for the next few mornings. The shower's radiant (apparent perspective point of origin) is in the top of Orion's Club, and this is highest in a dark sky just before morning twilight begins.

ISS Sighting Opportunities Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information ISS For Denver: DateVisible Max HeightAppearsDisappears Fri Oct 17, 8:06 PM< 1 min12°10 above NNW12 above N Sat Oct 18, 7:17 PM2 min11°10 above N10 above NNE Sun Oct 19, 8:04 PM1 min14°10 above NNW14 above N Mon Oct 20, 7:16 PM3 min14°10 above NNW13 above NNE

NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Daylight Time) Friday, October 17 6 a.m., Live Media Interviews on the “Mars flyby of Comet Siding Spring” (10/19/2014) (NTV-3 (Media)) Tuesday, October a.m., Unberthing and Release of the SpaceX/Dragon CRS-4 Cargo Craft from the ISS (all channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA websiteNASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Oct 17 - Comet 32P/Comas Sola Perihelion (2.001 AU)Comet 32P/Comas SolaPerihelion Oct 17 - Comet P/2013 P1 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (4.279 AU)Comet P/2013 P1 (PANSTARRS)At Opposition Oct 17 - Asteroid 2014 SN260 Near-Earth Flyby (0.067 AU)Asteroid 2014 SN260 Oct 17 - Asteroid 4581 Asciepius Closest Approach To Earth (0.273 AU)Asteroid 4581 AsciepiusClosest Approach To Earth Oct 17 - Asteroid 2011 MD Closest Approach To Earth (1.506 AU)Asteroid 2011 MDClosest Approach To Earth Oct 17 - Dwarf Planet Eris At Opposition ( AU)Dwarf Planet ErisAt Opposition Oct 18 - [Oct 11] Dragon CRS-4 Return To Earth (International Space Station)Dragon CRS-4 Return To Earth Oct 18 - [Oct 11] Ames Research Center Open House, Moffett Field, CaliforniaAmes Research Center Open House Oct 18 - [Oct 13] 25th Anniversary (1989), STS-34 Launch (Space Shuttle Atlantis, Galileo Launch - Jupiter Orbiter)STS-34 LaunchGalileo Launch Oct 18 - Comet 108P/Ciffreo Perihelion (1.709 AU)Comet 108P/CiffreoPerihelion Oct 18 - Asteroid 3 Juno Occults TYC (12.0 Magnitude Star)Asteroid 3 Juno Occults TYC Oct 18 - Asteroid 2014 TV Near-Earth Flyby (0.011 AU)Asteroid 2014 TVNear-Earth Flyby Oct 18 - Asteroid 2014 SU1 Near-Earth Flyby (0.035 AU)Asteroid 2014 SU1Near-Earth Flyby Oct 18 - Asteroid 1850 Kohoutek Closest Approach To Earth (1.413 AU)Asteroid 1850 Kohoutek Oct 18 - Asteroid 2315 Czechoslovakia Closest Approach To Earth (1.712 AU)Asteroid 2315 Czechoslovakia Oct 18 - Asteroid 7307 Takei Closest Approach To Earth (1.920 AU)Asteroid 7307 Takei Oct 18 - Asteroid 5441 Andymurray Closest Approach To Earth (2.181 AU)Asteroid 5441 Andymurray Oct 19 - [Oct 13] Comet 2013 A1 (Siding Spring) Near-Mars FlybyComet 2013 A1 (Siding Spring)Near-Mars Flyby Oct 19 - Comet P/2005 RV25 (LONEOS-Christensen) Closest Approach To Earth (2.842 AU)Comet P/2005 RV25 (LONEOS-Christensen)Closest Approach To Earth Oct 19 - Comet 216P/LINEAR At Opposition (3.219 AU)Comet 216P/LINEARAt Opposition Oct 19 - Asteroid 3144 Brosche Occults HIP 3823 (6.9 Magnitude Star)Asteroid 3144 Brosche Occults HIP 3823 Oct 19 - Asteroid 6373 Stern Closest Approach To Earth (1.870 AU)Asteroid 6373 Stern Oct 20 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #394 (OTM-394)Cassini Oct 20 - Comet C/2014 S3 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (1.226 AU)Comet C/2014 S3 (PANSTARRS) Oct 20 - Comet 70P/Kojima Perihelion (2.007 AU)Comet 70P/KojimaPerihelion Oct 20 - Asteroid 2014 SM143 Near-Earth Flyby (0.029 AU)Asteroid 2014 SM143 Oct 20 - Asteroid 5786 Talos Closest Approach To Earth (0.296 AU)Asteroid 5786 TalosClosest Approach To Earth Oct 20 - Asteroid Johnnyweir Closest Approach To Earth (1.156 AU)Asteroid Johnnyweir Oct 20 - Asteroid 2575 Bulgaria Closest Approach To Earth (1.451 AU)Asteroid 2575 Bulgaria Oct 20 - Asteroid 2224 Tucson Closest Approach To Earth (1.886 AU)Asteroid 2224 Tucson Oct th Anniversary (1994), Coleman Meteorite Fall (Hit House in Michigan)Coleman Meteorite Fall

Food for Thought NASA's Opportunity Rover Gets Panorama Image at 'Wdowiak Ridge'

Space Image of the Week Stuck on the Rings