Space News Update - January 20, In the News Story 1: Story 1: Rocks From Mars Story 2: Story 2: Dragon ISS flight slips – SpaceX determined to return US crewed access to LEO Story 3: Story 3: First-Ever Image of a Black Hole to be Captured by Earth-Sized Scope Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Rocks From Mars

Dragon ISS flight slips – SpaceX determined to return US crewed access to LEO

First-Ever Image of a Black Hole to be Captured by Earth-Sized Scope

The Night Sky Friday, January 20 · Jupiter's moon Io crosses Jupiter's face from 8:07 to 10:17 p.m. EST. Io's tiny black shadow follows behind from 9:28 to 11:37 p.m. EST. Saturday, January 21 · Bright Capella passes closest to your zenith around 9 or 10 tonight, depending on how far east or west you are in your time zone. How accurately can you time when this happens, just by looking? Capella crosses right through your zenith if you're at north latitude 46°: Oregon, Montreal, central France. Sunday, January 22 · Bright Orion stands upright at its highest in the south around 8 or 9 p.m. this week. Orion's top left corner is fire- colored Betelgeuse, one of the stars of the equilateral Winter Triangle. The other two are Procyon, about two fist- widths at arm's length lower left of Betelgeuse, and bright Sirius, a similar distance below Betelgeuse. · Algol in Perseus is at minimum light, magnitude 2.4 instead of its usual 2.1, for about two hours centered on 9:05 p.m. EST (6:05 p.m. PST). · New Moon (exact at 2:39 a.m. Monday morning EST). Monday, January 23 · By 9 p.m. the Big Dipper is already standing vertically on its handle, well up in the northeast — an early sign of the approach of spring. · Jupiter's Great Red Spot crosses the planet's central meridian around 7:54 p.m. EST. · How well do you know the telescopic sights of Orion's Belt and Sword, really? Make new finds here with Sue French's Deep-Sky Wonders article and chart in the January Sky & Telescope, page 54.January Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities SATELLITELOCALDURATION MAX ELEV APPROACHDEPARTURE DATE/TIME(MIN)(DEG)(DEG-DIR) Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information For Denver: For Denver: No ISS Sighting Opportunities ISSSat Jan 21/06:11 AM21414 above NNW10 above NNE ISSSun Jan 22/05:16 AM< above NNE10 above NNE ISSSun Jan 22/06:51 AM11010 above N ISSMon Jan 23/05:54 AM11111 above N10 above NNE

NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Daylight Time) Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA websiteNASA website January 21, Saturday 6 a.m., 11:30 a.m. - Replay of NASA News Conference - GRAIL Spacecraft Renamed - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 6:25 a.m., 1:35 p.m., 10:30 p.m. - Replay of Expedition 31 Crew News Conference - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 7 a.m., 7 p.m. - Replay of ISS Update (1/17/11) - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 8 a.m., 8 p.m. - Replay of ISS Update (1/18/11) - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 9 a.m., 12 p.m., 6 p.m. - NASA Television Video File - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 10 a.m., 9 p.m. - Replay of ISS Update Special Edition (1/19/11) - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 1 p.m. - Replay of Expedition 31 Crew News Conference - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 3 p.m. - Replay of ISS Update (1/20/11) - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 4 p.m. - Replay of FIRST Robotics Kickoff Event - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels)

NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Daylight Time) Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA websiteNASA website January 22, Sunday 6 a.m., 7 p.m. - Replay of NASA News Conference - GRAIL Spacecraft Renamed - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 6:25 a.m., 7:25 p.m. - Replay of Expedition 31 Crew News Conference - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 7 a.m., 2 p.m., 9:15 p.m. - Replay of ISS Update (1/17/11) - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 8 a.m., 3 p.m., 10:15 p.m. - Replay of ISS Update (1/18/11) - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 9 a.m., 8 p.m. - Replay of FIRST Robotics Kickoff Event - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 10:15 a.m. - Replay of ISS Update Special Edition (1/19/11) - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 12 p.m., 6 p.m. - NASA Television Video File - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 1 p.m., 11:15 p.m. - Replay of ISS Update (1/20/11) - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) 4 p.m. - Replay of ISS Update Special Edition (1/19/11) - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels) January 23, Monday 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. – Zero Robotics ISS Finals – AMES/MIT (Public, HD and Education Channels) 11 a.m. – ISS Update – JSC (Media Channels)

Space Calendar Jan 20 - Comet 244P/Scotti Perihelion (3.918 AU) Jan 20 - Asteroid 2012 AX Near-Earth Flyby (0.074 AU) Jan 21 - Comet P/2011 JB15 (Spacewatch-Boattini) Perihelion (5.019 AU) Jan 21 - Asteroid 4341 Poseidon Closest Approach To Earth (0.397 AU) Jan 21 - Asteroid 2801 Huygens Closest Approach To Earth (2.141 AU) Jan 21 - Asteroid 624 Hektor Closest Approach To Earth (4.202 AU) Jan 22 - Asteroid 2012 AY Near-Earth Flyby (0.091 AU) Jan 22 - Asteroid 1772 Gagarin Closest Approach To Earth (1.411 AU) Jan 22 - Asteroid Thumper Closest Approach To Earth (1.839 AU) Jan 23 - Chinese New Year Jan 23 - Comet P/2011 W1 (PANSTARRS) Perihelion (3.310 AU) Jan 23 - Asteroid 2012 AC3 Near-Earth Flyby (0.073 AU) Jan 23 - Asteroid 1193 Africa Closest Approach To Earth (1.808 AU) Johann Gottfried GalleWilhelm Beer

Food for Thought Solar Flare May Spark Weekend Northern Lights Show

Space Image of the Week The Helix in New Colors Photo credit: ESO