Space News Update - October 21, In the News Story 1: Story 1: Spiral Arms Hint at the Presence of Planets Story 2: Story 2: Syracuse University Scientists Discover New Way to Determine When Water Was Present on Mars and Earth Story 3: Story 3: Space Weather Prediction Model Improves NOAA's Forecast Skill Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Spiral Arms Hint at the Presence of Planets

Syracuse University Scientists Discover New Way to Determine When Water Was Present on Mars and Earth

Space Weather Prediction Model Improves NOAA's Forecast Skill

The Night Sky Friday, Oct. 21 · The modest Orionid meteor shower should peak in the early morning hours of Saturday. You might count a dozen or more Orionids per hour under ideal observing conditions. Some are also visible for several mornings before and after. · The Moon, just past last quarter, shines near Regulus below Mars before and during dawn Saturday morning, as shown below. Saturday, Oct. 22 · Fomalhaut, the Autumn Star, shines low in the south-southeast after dusk. It's due south later in the evening. The western (right-hand) edge of the Great Square of Pegasus, very high in the sky, points down nearly to it. Sunday, Oct. 23 · The summery constellation Cygnus remains nearly overhead after dinnertime, even higher than bright Vega when you face west and crane your neck. Have you hunted out the subtle star clusters in Cygnus's Milky-Way-rich center? See Sue French's "Deep-Sky Wonders" article, finder chart, and photos in the October Sky & Telescope, page 56.Sky & Telescope Monday, Oct. 24 · The tiny black shadow of Jupiter's satellite Europa crosses Jupiter tonight from 12:26 to 2:54 a.m. Tuesday morning Eastern Daylight Time (9:26 to 11:54 p.m. Monday evening Pacific Daylight Time). Europa itself follows only about 15 minutes behind its shadow.

ISS Sighting Opportunities Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information For Denver: SATELLITELOCALDURATION MAX ELEV APPROACHDEPARTURE DATE/TIME(MIN)(DEG)(DEG-DIR) ISSFri Oct 21/07:47 PM21310 above NW13 above N ISSSat Oct 22/06:49 PM41915 above NW10 above NNE ISSSun Oct 23/07:29 PM21110 above NNW10 above N ISSMon Oct 24/06:30 PM31410 above NW10 above NNE

NASA-TV Highlights October 21, Friday 10:30 a.m. - ISS Expedition 29 In-Flight Educational Event with the Carver High School in Birmingham, AL - JSC (All Channels) October 24, Monday 3 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 29/30 Crew News Conference at Star City, Russia and Visit to Red Square in Moscow - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels) 3:45 p.m. - NEEMO B-Roll Feed - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels) p.m. - Live interviews with the NEEMO 15 crew from the Aquarius Underwater Habitat at Key Largo, FL - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels) Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.NASA website.

Space Calendar Oct 21 - Orionids Meteor Shower PeakOrionids Meteor Shower Oct 21 - [Oct 21] Asteroid 2011 UL10 Near-Earth Flyby (0.009 AU)Asteroid 2011 UL10Near-Earth Flyby Oct 21 - Kuiper Belt Object (1992 QB1) At Opposition ( AU)Kuiper Belt Object (1992 QB1)At Opposition Oct 22 - [Oct 15] ROSAT Satellite Reenters Earth's AtmosphereROSAT Satellite Reenters Earth's Atmosphere Oct 22 - Asteroid 2011 SM68 Near-Earth Flyby (0.093 AU)Asteroid 2011 SM68Near-Earth Flyby Oct th Anniversary (1966), Luna 12 Launch (USSR Moon Orbiter)Luna 12 Oct 23 - Comet C/2011 S2 Perihelion (1.133 AU)Comet C/2011 S2Perihelion Oct 23 - Asteroid 433 Eros Occults TYC (9.9 Magnitude Star)Asteroid 433 Eros Occults TYC Oct 23 - Asteroid 4337 Arecibo Closest Approach To Earth (2.564 AU)Asteroid 4337 Arecibo Oct 24 - MESSENGER, Orbit Correction Maneuver #4 (OCM-4)MESSENGEROrbit Correction Maneuver #4 (OCM-4) Oct 24 - Comet 198P/ODAS Closest Approach To Earth (1.217 AU)Comet 198P/ODASClosest Approach To Earth Oct 24 - Comet P/2011 R3 (Novichonok-Gerke) Closest Approach To Earth (2.654 AU)Comet P/2011 R3 (Novichonok-Gerke)Closest Approach To Earth Oct 24 - Comet 111P/Helin-Roman-Crockett Closest Approach To Earth (2.951 AU)Comet 111P/Helin-Roman-CrockettClosest Approach To Earth Oct 24 - Comet P/2011 P1 (McNaught) Closest Approach To Earth (4.426 AU)Comet P/2011 P1 (McNaught)Closest Approach To Earth Oct 24 - Comet C/2009 W2 (Boattini) Closest Approach To Earth (6.765 AU)Comet C/2009 W2 (Boattini)Closest Approach To Earth Oct 24 - Asteroid 230 Athamantis At Opposition (9.9 Magnitude)Asteroid 230 AthamantisAt Opposition Oct 24 - [Oct 21] Asteroid 2011 UH10 Near-Earth Flyby (0.025 AU)Asteroid 2011 UH10Near-Earth Flyby Oct 24 - [Oct 21] Asteroid 2011 UE10 Near-Earth Flyby (0.032 AU)Asteroid 2011 UE10Near-Earth Flyby Oct 24 - Asteroid 2003 FH Near-Earth Flyby (0.065 AU)Asteroid 2003 FHNear-Earth Flyby Oct 24 - ATUC Science Meeting: Time Domain Astronomy, Sydney, AustraliaATUC Science Meeting: Time Domain Astronomy Oct th Anniversary (2006), MESSENGER, 1st Venus FlybyMESSENGER Oct th Anniversary (1851), William Lassell's Discovery of Uranus Moons Umbriel and ArielWilliam Lassell'sUmbrielAriel JPL Space Calendar

Food for Thought Student Scientists to Submit Space Station Experiments

Space Image of the Week Draconid Meteors Over Spain Image Credit & Copyright: Juan Carlos Casado (TWAN)CopyrightJuan Carlos CasadoTWAN