Space News Update - Aug 17, In the News Story 1: Story 1: ChemCam laser sets its sights on first Martian target Story 2: Story 2: Dawn Engineers Assess Reaction Wheel Story 3: Story 3: Star Clusters on a Clandestine Collision Course Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

ChemCam laser sets its sights on first Martian target >

Dawn Engineers Assess Reaction Wheel

Star Clusters on a Clandestine Collision Course

The Night Sky Friday, August 17 · The brightest star in the west these evenings is champaign-colored Arcturus. Look to its right in the northwest for the Big Dipper dipping down. At the bend of the Dipper's handle, you'll know to look for little Alcor shining directly above Mizar. That's because the line from Mizar through Alcor always points to Vega, and Vega is now near the zenith (as seen from mid- northern latitudes). Saturday, August 18 · In these waning weeks of summer, autumn's Great Square of Pegasus is already looming up in the east after dark. It's somewhat larger than your fist at arm's length, and is balancing on one corner. Sunday, August 19 · As soon as it's dark enough to see moderately faint stars, look high in the southeast for Altair. Above it by about a finger-width at arm's length is its eternal little companion Tarazed (Gamma Aquilae) in the far background. This is the time of year when the two stand vertically at nightfall. Monday, August 20 · Nine Messier objects float within just a couple binocular fields above the lid star of the Sagittarius Teapot, now at its highest in the south in early evening. How many can you detect? Some are easy in binoculars, some are tougher and require a dark sky. Use the finder chart in Gary Seronik's Binocular Highlight column in the August Sky & Telescope, page 45.August Sky & Telescope

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 Aug 17/09:28 PM21110 above NNW10 above NNE ISSSat Aug 18/08:36 PM11010 above N10 above NNE ISSSat Aug 18/10:13 PM11914 above NNW19 above N ISSSun Aug 19/09:21 PM31511 above NNW12 above NE ISSMon Aug 20/08:29 PM31210 above NNW10 above NE ISSMon Aug 20/10:06 PM12918 above NNW29 above NNW

NASA-TV Highlights Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.NASA website August 20, Monday 10 a.m. - ISS Expedition 32 Russian Spacewalk Coverage (Hatch open to begin the spacewalk is scheduled at 10:40 a.m. ET) - JSC (All Channels) 1 p.m. – Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Prelaunch Press Conference – KSC (Media Channel) 2 p.m. – Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Mission Science Briefing – KSC (Media Channel)

Space Calendar Aug 17 - Mars Passes 2.9 Degrees From SaturnMarsSaturn Aug 17 - Comet C/2011 P2 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (5.800 AU)Comet C/2011 P2 (PANSTARRS)Closest Approach To Earth Aug 17 - Asteroid 4330 Vivaldi Closest Approach To Earth (1.223 AU)Asteroid 4330 Vivaldi Aug 17 - Asteroid Topeka Closest Approach To Earth (1.406 AU)Asteroid Topeka Aug th Anniversary (1877), Asaph Hall's Discovery of Mars Moon PhobosAsaph Hall'sPhobos Aug th Anniversary (1757), The Opening of the Macfarlane ObservatoryMacfarlane Observatory Aug 18 - Comet C/2011 O1 (LINEAR) Perihelion (3.891 AU)Comet C/2011 O1 (LINEAR)Perihelion Aug 18 - Kuiper Belt Object (2004 PG115) At Opposition ( AU)Kuiper Belt Object (2004 PG115)At Opposition Aug 19 - Asteroid 3767 DiMaggio Closest Approach To Earth (1.826 AU)Asteroid 3767 DiMaggio Aug 19 - Asteroid 3162 Nostalgia Closest Approach To Earth (2.341 AU)Asteroid 3162 Nostalgia Aug th Anniversary (1997), Mabuhay 1 Launch (1st Philippine Satellite)Mabuhay 1 Aug 20 - Asteroid 2012 EC Near-Earth Flyby (0.081 AU)Asteroid 2012 ECNear-Earth Flyby Aug 20 - Asteroid 3688 Navajo Closest Approach To Earth (3.715 AU)Asteroid 3688 NavajoClosest Approach To Earth Aug th Anniversary (1977), Voyager 2 LaunchVoyager 2 JPL Space Calendar

Food for Thought US Astronomy Facing Severe Budget Cuts and Facility Closures

Space Image of the Week