Space News Update - December 19, In the News Story 1: Story 1: NASA's Kepler Reborn, Makes First Exoplanet Find of New Mission Story 2: Story 2: Origin of high-latitude auroras discovered Story 3: Story 3: Curiosity Finds Methane, Other Organics Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

NASA's Kepler Reborn, Makes First Exoplanet Find of New Mission

Origin of high-latitude auroras discovered

Curiosity Finds Methane, Other Organics

The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Friday, November 21 Does night already seem to be falling about as early as it ever will? You're right! We're still a whole month away from the winter solstice — but the Sun sets its earliest around December 7th, and right now it already sets within only about 5 minutes of that time (if you're near latitude 40° north). A surprising result of this: The Sun actually sets a trace earlier on Thanksgiving than on Christmas, even though Christmas is around solstice time. This offset is made up for by the opposite happening at sunrise: the Sun doesn't come up its latest for the year until January 7th. You can blame the tilt of Earth's axis and the eccentricity of its orbit. Saturday, November 22 High in the northeast, the W pattern of Cassiopeia stands on end as early as 6 p.m. now. Whenever this happens, the dim handle of the Little Dipper (far lower left of Cassiopeia) extends straight left from Polaris. Algol in Perseus should be at its minimum brightness, magnitude 3.4 instead of its usual 2.1, for a couple hours centered on 11:50 p.m. EST (8:50 p.m. PST). Algol takes several hours to fade beforehand and to rebrighten after. New Moon (exact at 7:32 a.m. EST). Sunday, November 23 We're two thirds of the way through fall, so Capella shines well up in the northeast as soon as the stars come out. As night grows darker, look to its right by about three fists at arm's length for the frosty little Pleiades cluster, the size of your fingertip at arm's length. Monday, November 24 With the waxing Moon still thin, plan some deep-sky observing while the evenings are still dark! Around the spilling water bucket of Aquarius are the Helix Nebula, the R Aquarii nebula, a little-known globular cluster, and some galaxies in the 11th- and 12th- magnitude range — as told in depth by Sue French in her Deep-Sky Wonders column in the November Sky & Telescope, page 56, with map and photos.Sky & Telescope Tuesday, November 25 Look for Mars left of the crescent Moon in twilight, as shown above. Algol is at minimum light for a couple hours centered on 8:39 p.m. EST.

ISS Sighting Opportunities Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information ISS For Denver: DateVisibleMax HeightAppearsDisappears Fri Dec 19, 5:33 PM1 min10°10 above N10 above NNE Sat Dec 20, 6:18 PM< 1 min12°11 above NNW12 above NNW Sun Dec 21, 5:28 PM2 min12°10 above N11 above NNE Mon Dec 22, 6:13 PM2 min22°11 above NNW22 above N Tue Dec 23, 5:22 PM4 min18°10 above NNW12 above ENE Tue Dec 23, 6:58 PM1 min19°10 above NW19 above NW

NASA-TV Highlights 5 a.m., Monday, December 22 - ISS Expedition 42 In-Flight Call from Italian President Giorgio Napolitano to Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti (all channels) 10:10 a.m., Monday, December 22 - ISS Expedition 42 In-Flight Interviews with WBAL Radio, Baltimore and the CBS Morning News (all channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA websiteNASA website (all times Eastern Daylight Time)

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Dec 19 - Comet 307P/LINEAR Perihelion (1.889 AU)Comet 307P/LINEARPerihelion Dec 19 - Asteroid Beowolf Closest Approach To Earth (0.484 AU)Asteroid BeowolfClosest Approach To Earth Dec 19 - Asteroid 3200 Phaethon Closest Approach To Earth (0.763 AU)Asteroid 3200 PhaethonClosest Approach To Earth Dec 19 - Asteroid Linshuhow Closest Approach To Earth (1.720 AU)Asteroid Linshuhow Dec 19 - Xmas Theoretical Physics Workshop, Athens, GreeceXmas Theoretical Physics Workshop Dec th Anniversary (1999), STS-103 Launch (Space Shuttle Discovery, Hubble Servicing Mission)STS-103 Launch Dec 20 - [Dec 14] Ames Research Center's 75th Birthday (1939)Ames Research Center's Dec 20 - [Dec 16] Asteroid 2014 XT7 Near-Earth Flyby (0.036 AU)Asteroid 2014 XT7Near-Earth Flyby Dec 20 - Asteroid 5020 Asimov Closest Approach To Earth (1.367 AU)Asteroid 5020 Asimov Dec 20 - Asteroid Fraschetti Closest Approach To Earth (1.800 AU)Asteroid Fraschetti Dec 20 - Mt. Wilson Observatory's 110th Birthday (1904)Mt. Wilson Observatory's Dec 21 - Winter Solstice, 23:03 UTWinter Solstice23:03 UT Dec 21 - Comet 300P/Catalina At Opposition (1.558 AU)Comet 300P/CatalinaAt Opposition Dec 21 - Comet 214P/LINEAR Closest Approach To Earth (2.226 AU)Comet 214P/LINEARClosest Approach To Earth Dec 21 - Comet P/2012 K3 (Gibbs) At Opposition (3.712 AU)Comet P/2012 K3 (Gibbs)At Opposition Dec 21 - Asteroid 136 Austria Closest Approach To Earth (1.449 AU)Asteroid 136 Austria Dec 21 - Asteroid 2653 Principia Closest Approach To Earth (1.368 AU)Asteroid 2653 Principia Dec 21 - Asteroid 2865 Laurel Closest Approach To Earth (1.786 AU)Asteroid 2865 Laurel Dec 21 - Plutino 2002 XV93 At Opposition ( AU)Plutino 2002 XV93At Opposition Dec th Anniversary (1999), ACRIMSAT LaunchACRIMSAT Dec 21 - Francis Bacon's 110th Birthday (1904)Francis Bacon's Dec 22 - Ursids Meteor Shower PeakUrsids Meteor Shower Dec 22 - Comet 257P/Catalina At Opposition (3.141 AU)Comet 257P/CatalinaAt Opposition Dec 22 - Asteroid 3 Juno Occults TYC (11.3 Magnitude Star)Asteroid 3 Juno Occults TYC Dec 22 - Asteroid 2012 YK Near-Earth Flyby (0.046 AU)Asteroid 2012 YKNear-Earth Flyby Dec 22 - Asteroid 2014 LW14 Near-Earth Flyby (0.074 AU)Asteroid 2014 LW14Near-Earth Flyby Dec 22 - Asteroid 6111 Davemckay Closest Approach To Earth (1.100 AU)Asteroid 6111 Davemckay Dec 22 - Asteroid 9523 Torino Closest Approach To Earth (1.367 AU)Asteroid 9523 Torino Dec 22 - Asteroid 1863 Antinous Closest Approach To Earth (2.627 AU)Asteroid 1863 AntinousClosest Approach To Earth Dec 23 - Comet 11P/Tempel-Swift-LINEAR Closest Approach To Earth (1.061 AU)Comet 11P/Tempel-Swift-LINEARClosest Approach To Earth Dec 23 - Comet P/2010 B2 (WISE) Closest Approach To Earth (1.302 AU)Comet P/2010 B2 (WISE)Closest Approach To Earth Dec 23 - Comet C/2014 C2 (STEREO) At Opposition (3.601 AU)Comet C/2014 C2 (STEREO)At Opposition Dec 23 - Comet C/2013 X1 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (4.803 AU)Comet C/2013 X1 (PANSTARRS)At Opposition Dec 23 - Asteroid Mont Blanc Closest Approach To Earth (1.105 AU)Asteroid Mont Blanc Dec 23 - Asteroid Hertz Closest Approach To Earth (1.646 AU)Asteroid Hertz Dec 23 - Asteroid Billcooke Closest Approach To Earth (1.706 AU)Asteroid Billcooke Dec 23 - Asteroid 5040 Rabinowitz Closest Approach To Earth (1.847 AU)Asteroid 5040 Rabinowitz Dec 23 - Asteroid 8991 Solidarity Closest Approach To Earth (2.221 AU)Asteroid 8991 Solidarity Dec 23 - Asteroid 6546 Kaye Closest Approach To Earth (2.270 AU)Asteroid 6546 Kaye Dec 23 - [Dec 15] 45th Anniversary (1969), Argentina's Canapus II Launch (Juan the Cai Monkey)

Food for Thought Science Unveils Top 10 Breakthroughs of 2014

Space Image of the Week Reflections on the 1970s Image Credit & Copyright: Jimmy WalkerCopyrightJimmy Walker