Space News Update - November 12, In the News Story 1: Story 1: Indian Mars mission weathers first snag Story 2: Story 2: Soyuz returns to Earth with three station fliers and Olympic torch Story 3: Story 3: The Day the Earth Smiled: Saturn Shines in this Amazing Image from the Cassini Team Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week
Indian Mars mission weathers first snag
Soyuz returns to Earth with three station fliers and Olympic torch
The Day the Earth Smiled: Saturn Shines in this Amazing Image from the Cassini Team
The Night Sky Tuesday, November 12 As evening grows late, catch Sirius for perhaps your first time this season! Look for it rising far below Orion (by about two fist-widths at arm's length), nearly at the place on the horizon where Orion's Belt points. Sirius rises around 10 or 11 p.m. depending on your location. Wednesday, November 13 Go out very early this morning or Thursday morning to try for the four pre-dawn comets while the sky is still moonless (see the top of this page). Print out your charts and get everything prepared the evening before. As dawn begins to brighten and you're packing up to go back in, don't miss Mercury rising low in the east-southeast. Mercury, brightening each day, is entering its best dawn showing of Thursday, November 14 Look left of the waxing gibbous Moon after dusk for the two or three leading stars of Aries, lined up more or less horizontally. High above the Moon and perhaps a bit right is the Great Square of Pegasus. The Moon itself inhabits dim Pisces. Friday, November 15 The bright star high in the west-northwest after dark this month is Vega, often associated with summer. The brightest star higher above it is Deneb. Farther to Vega's left or lower left is Altair, dimmer than Vega but outshining Deneb. These three stars form the Summer Triangle, which is sinking lower each week as summer becomes a distant memory. Saturday, November 16 The Moon is almost equally full this evening and tomorrow evening. Tonight, look above the Moon for the leading star or two of Aries glimmering through the moonlight. About twice as far to the Moon's left twinkles bright Capella. Sky & Telescope
ISS Sighting Opportunities Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information ISS For Denver: DateVisibleMax HeightAppearsDisappears Tue Nov 12, 5:29 AM6 min85°15 above SW11 above NE Wed Nov 13, 4:44 AM3 min50°50 above ESE10 above ENE Wed Nov 13, 6:18 AM2 min22°10 above WNW22 above NNW Thu Nov 14, 5:31 AM4 min32°28 above WNW11 above NE Fri Nov 15, 4:45 AM1 min23°23 above NE11 above NE Fri Nov 15, 6:19 AM3 min14°10 above NW11 above NNE Sat Nov 16, 5:32 AM3 min18°17 above NNW10 above NNE
NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Daylight Time) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA websiteNASA website November 12, Tuesday 9 a.m. - Beyond Earth: Removing the Barriers to Deep Space Exploration a Presentation by NASA’s Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Bill Gerstenmaier Live from the Newseum - HQ (All Channels) 10:20 a.m. - ISS Expedition 38 In-Flight Interview with WCIA-TV, Champaign, IL - JSC (Public and Media Channels) November 13, Wednesday 6 – 11 a.m. – Live Interviews on MAVEN Science Objectives – GSFC (Public Channel) 8:30 a.m. - News Conference for ESA Media with Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano (will be in native language) - JSC (Media channel) 10 a.m. - Space Station Live - JSC (Media channel) 11:30 a.m. - NASA News Conference on the Completion of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program - HQ (All Channels) 4 p.m. - MAVEN Science Objectives Google+ Hangout – GSFC (All Channels) November 14, Thursday 12:25 p.m. - ISS Expedition 38 In-Flight Interviews with ESPN “SportsCenter” and WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT - JSC (Public and Media Channels) November 15, Friday 1 – 2 p.m. - MAVEN Prelaunch News Conference – KSC – (All Channels) 2 – 3 p.m. - MAVEN Spanish Language Prelaunch News Conference – KSC (All Channels) November 16, Saturday p.m. - NASA Social - MAVEN Launch #NASASocial - KSC (Public and Education Channels)
Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Nov 12 - [Nov 05] Raduga 1M-3 (Cosmos-Globus 1M3) Proton M-Briz M LaunchRaduga Nov 12 - Comet P/2013 O2 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (1.179 AU)Comet P/2013 O2 (PANSTARRS)Closest Approach To Earth Nov 12 - [Nov 07] Asteroid 2013 VO4 Near-Earth Flyby (0.029 AU)Asteroid 2013 VO4Near-Earth Flyby Nov 12 - Asteroid 2013 UC1 Near-Earth Flyby (0.061 AU)Asteroid 2013 UC1Near-Earth Flyby Nov 12 - Asteroid 3905 Doppler Closest Approach To Earth (1.001 AU)Asteroid 3905 Doppler Nov 12 - Asteroid 216 Kleopatra Closest Approach To Earth (1.137 AU)Asteroid 216 Kleopatra Nov 12 - Asteroid 3124 Kansas Closest Approach To Earth (1.717 AU)Asteroid 3124 Kansas Nov 12 - Asteroid 3317 Paris Closest Approach To Earth (4.699 AU)Asteroid 3317 Paris Nov 13 - Comet 158P/Kowal-LINEAR Closest Approach To Earth (3.633 AU)Comet 158P/Kowal-LINEARClosest Approach To Earth Nov 13 - Comet C/2012 U1 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (4.775 AU)Comet C/2012 U1 (PANSTARRS)At Opposition Nov 13 - [Nov 08] Asteroid 2013 VX4 Near-Earth Flyby (0.037 AU)Asteroid 2013 VX4Near-Earth Flyby Nov 13 - Asteroid 7644 Cslewis Closest Approach To Earth (1.381 AU)Asteroid 7644 Cslewis Nov th Anniversary (1978), HEAO-2 LaunchHEAO-2 Nov 14 - Comet 158P/Kowal-LINEAR At Opposition (3.633 AU)Comet 158P/Kowal-LINEARAt Opposition Nov 14 - Comet C/2013 G8 (PANSTARRS) Perihelion (5.141 AU)Comet C/2013 G8 (PANSTARRS)Perihelion Nov 14 - [Nov 05] Asteroid 2011 JY1 Near-Earth Flyby (0.017 AU)Asteroid 2011 JY1Near-Earth Flyby Nov 14 - Asteroid 2012 VS76 Near-Earth Flyby (0.072 AU)Asteroid 2012 VS76Near-Earth Flyby Nov 15 - Comet 259P/Garradd At Opposition (1.635 AU)Comet 259P/GarraddAt Opposition Nov 15 - Asteroid 2008 GD110 Near-Earth Flyby (0.069 AU)Asteroid 2008 GD110Near-Earth Flyby Nov 15 - Asteroid Conscience Closest Approach To Earth (1.206 AU)Asteroid Conscience Nov 15 - Asteroid 3473 Sapporo Closest Approach To Earth (1.620 AU)Asteroid 3473 Sapporo Nov th Anniversary (1988), Buran Launch (USSR Space Shuttle)Buran Nov 15 - William Herschel's 275th Birthday (1738)William Herschel's Nov 16 - Asteroid 2006 UA216 Near-Earth Flyby (0.098 AU)Asteroid 2006 UA216Near-Earth Flyby Nov 16 - Asteroid 2614 Torrence Closest Approach To Earth (1.271 AU)Asteroid 2614 Torrence Nov 16 - Asteroid Vellinga Closest Approach To Earth (1.711 AU)Asteroid Vellinga Nov 16 - Asteroid 3162 Nostalgia Closest Approach To Earth (1.812 AU)Asteroid 3162 Nostalgia Nov 16 - Kuiper Belt Object Sedna At Opposition ( AU)Kuiper Belt Object SednaAt Opposition Nov th Anniversary (1973), Skylab 4 Launch (Last Launch to Skylab)Skylab 4 Einstein Observatory (HEAO-2) Buran SkyLab 4
Food for Thought Spitzer and ALMA Reveal a Star's Bubbly Birth
Space Image of the Week Image Credit & Copyright: Damian Peach Comet Lovejoy with M44