Space News Update - February 27, In the News Story 1: Story 1: Aurora Mystery Solved? Story 2: Story 2: Twenty-five years after supernova 1987A Story 3: Story 3: A Planetary Exo-splosion Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Aurora Mystery Solved?

Twenty-five years after supernova 1987A

A Planetary Exo-splosion

The Night Sky Monday, February 27 · See the six or seven brightest night objects at once. The last few days of February and first few days of March offer a rare chance for people at mid-northern latitudes to see at least a half dozen of the night sky's brightest objects simultaneously, 30 to 60 minutes after sunset. In order of brightness these are the Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Sirius, Mars, Mercury, and (for southerners) Canopus. See our article, with pictures. Tuesday, February 28 · Now the evening Moon shines left of the Pleiades. Wednesday, February 29 · First-quarter Moon (exact at 8:21 p.m. EST). The Moon shines near Aldebaran in Taurus. · Thursday, March 1 · Early this evening, the Moon occults (covers) the 5th-magnitude star 114 Tauri for most of the eastern U.S. and southern Ontario. Some times for the star's disappearance behind the Moon's dark limb: Toronto, 7:47 p.m. EST; Atlanta, 7:18 p.m. EST; Chicago, 6:23 p.m. CST. Then later tonight, the Moon's dark limb covers 3rd-magnitude Zeta Tauri for the Northeast and much of the Midwest. Some times: Toronto, 1:25 a.m. EST; Washington, DC, 1:36 a.m. EST; Chicago, 12:39 a.m. CST; Winnipeg, 12:16 a.m. CST. Friday, March 2 · The dark limb of the Moon occults the 4.1-magnitude star Nu Geminorum late tonight for most of eastern and central North America. Some times: Montreal, 12:15 a.m. EST; Washington, DC, 12:29 a.m. EST; Atlanta, 12:49 a.m. EST; Chicago, 11:21 p.m. CST; Kansas City, 11:34 p.m. CST, Edmonton, 9:32 p.m.

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) ISSMon Feb 27/06:20 PM41911 above NNW10 above ENE ISSMon Feb 27/07:56 PM< above WNW24 above WNW ISSTue Feb 28/06:58 PM45710 above NW33 above E ISSWed Feb 29/07:40 PM12721 above W27 above SW ISSThu Mar 01/06:43 PM46529 above WNW10 above SE ISSFri Mar 02/07:23 PM21313 above WSW10 above SSW ISSSat Mar 03/06:27 PM32929 above SW11 above SSE

NASA-TV Highlights February 27, Monday 10:35 a.m. - ISS Expedition 30 In-Flight Interviews with KGO-TV, San Francisco and ABC Radio Network - JSC (Public and Media Channels) March 1, Thursday 12:05 p.m. - Digital Learning Network ISS Mission Control Event – HQ (All Channels) March 2, Friday 1 p.m. - Celebrating John Glenn’s Legacy: 50 Years of Americans in Orbit GRC (All Channels) Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.NASA website

Space Calendar Feb 27 - Asteroid 4031 Mueller Closest Approach To Earth (0.946 AU) Feb 27 - Asteroid 1776 Kuiper Closest Approach To Earth (2.084 AU) Feb 27 - Asteroid 5102 Benfranklin Closest Approach To Earth (2.260 AU) Feb 27 - Bernard Lyot's 115th Birthday (1897) Feb 28 - Asteroid 2002 QC7 Near-Earth Flyby (0.071 AU) Feb 28 - Asteroid Squyres Closest Approach To Earth (2.418 AU) Feb th Anniversary (2007), New Horizons, Jupiter Flyby Feb 29 - Asteroid 7336 Saunders Closest Approach To Earth (2.344 AU) Mar 01 - Asteroid 3352 McAuliffe Closest Approach To Earth (0.410 AU) Mar th Anniversary (1982), Venera 13, Venus Landing/Flyby (USSR) Mar 02 - Comet P/2011 VJ5 (Lemmon) Closest Approach To Earth (0.813 AU) Mar 02 - Comet C/2012 A2 (LINEAR) Closest Approach To Earth (3.521 AU) Mar 02 - Asteroid Donald Duck Closest Approach To Earth (1.105 AU) Mar 02 - Asteroid 2933 Amber Closest Approach To Earth (1.749 AU) Mar th Anniversary (1972), Pioneer 10 Launch (Jupiter Flyby Mission) Mar 03 - Mars At Opposition Mar 03 - Comet P/2012 A3 (SOHO) Closest Approach To Earth (0.791 AU) Mar 03 - Asteroid 2008 CE119 Near-Earth Flyby (0.067 AU) Mar 03 - Asteroid 8209 Toscanelli Closest Approach To Earth (1.683 AU) JPL Space Calendar

Food for Thought 35 Years Later, the ‘Wow!’ Signal Still Tantalizes

Space Image of the Week NASA Cassini Image: The Plumes of Enceladus