Space News Update - January 11, In the News Story 1: Story 1: Life Possible on Extrasolar Moons Story 2: Story 2: NASA, ESA Telescopes Find Evidence for Asteroid Belt Around Vega Story 3: Story 3: Spacetime: A Smoother Brew Than We Knew Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Life Possible on Extrasolar Moons

NASA, ESA Telescopes Find Evidence for Asteroid Belt Around Vega >

Spacetime: A Smoother Brew Than We Knew

The Night Sky Friday, January 11 · In early evening at this time of year, the Great Square of Pegasus balances on one corner high in the west. The vast Andromeda- Pegasus constellation complex runs all the way from near the zenith (Andromeda's foot) down through the Great Square (Pegasus's body) to low in the west (Pegasus's nose). Saturday, January 12 · As twilight turns to night, look low in the northwest for Vega. To its upper left, by two or three fists at arm's length, shines Deneb. Deneb is the head of the big Northern Cross, which is now swinging down and soon will stand nearly upright on the northwest horizon (as seen from mid-northern latitudes). Sunday, January 13 · In twilight this evening, look below the waxing crescent Moon in the west to see if you can still spot faint little Mars, as shown here. Mars has been hanging in there in twilight ever since August (!) but is now gradually creeping lower week by week. Monday, January 14 · Before moonlight returns in force to wash out low-surface- brightness telescopic objects, try tonight for the Bubble and Pac- Man Nebulae in Cassiopeia using Ken Hewitt-White's "Hot Gas in Cass" article with finder chart and photos in the January Sky & Telescope, page 65.January 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) ISSSat Jan 12/05:57 AM58623 above SW11 above NE ISSSun Jan 13/05:09 AM23333 above E11 above ENE ISSSun Jan 13/06:43 AM52411 above W10 above NNE ISSMon Jan 14/05:55 AM33737 above NW11 above NE

NASA-TV Highlights Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.NASA website No Special Programming

Space Calendar Jan 11 - [Jan 07] Asteroid 2013 AB4 Near-Earth Flyby (0.017 AU)Asteroid 2013 AB4Near-Earth Flyby Jan 11 - Asteroid Richardnorton Closest Approach To Earth (1.418 AU)Asteroid Richardnorton Jan 11 - Asteroid 1777 Gehrels Closest Approach To Earth (1.593 AU)Asteroid 1777 Gehrels Jan 11 - Asteroid Kimclijsters Closest Approach To Earth (2.794 AU)Asteroid Kimclijsters Jan 12 - Asteroid 6336 Dodo Closest Approach To Earth (1.492 AU)Asteroid 6336 Dodo Jan 12 - Asteroid Stephencolbert Closest Approach To Earth (2.393 AU)Asteroid Stephencolbert Jan 13 - Asteroid 5891 Gehrig Closest Approach To Earth (1.286 AU)Asteroid 5891 Gehrig Jan 13 - Asteroid Leiden Closest Approach To Earth (2.269 AU)Asteroid Leiden Jan 14 - Asteroid Okinawa Closest Approach To Earth (1.191 AU)Asteroid Okinawa Jan 14 - Asteroid 1913 Sekanina Closest Approach To Earth (1.842 AU)Asteroid 1913 Sekanina Jan 14 - Kuiper Belt Object Varuna At Opposition ( AU)Kuiper Belt Object VarunaAt Opposition Jan th Anniversary (2008), MESSENGER, 1st Mercury FlybyMESSENGER JPL Space Calendar Messenger at Mercury

Food for Thought The Self-Assembling Particles That Come From InSPACE e

Space Image of the Week Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/DSS