Space News Update - February 21, In the News Story 1: Story 1: NuSTAR sheds light on supernova mechanisms Story 2: Story 2: Wheel concerns prompt new route for Mars rover Story 3: Story 3: Hubble Watches Stars' Clockwork Motion In Nearby Galaxy Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

NuSTAR sheds light on supernova mechanisms

Wheel concerns prompt new route for Mars rover

Hubble Watches Stars' Clockwork Motion In Nearby Galaxy

The Night Sky Sunday, February 23  The asteroid 2 Pallas, barely past opposition, is a few degrees southeast of Alphard in Hydra. It remains at magnitude 7.0 all week as it creeps northward, visible in binoculars and small telescopes. Monday, February 24  During dawn on Tuesday the 25th, the waning crescent Moon shines upper right of Venus in the southeast. Tuesday, February 25  During dawn on Wednesday the 26th, Venus shines upper right of the waning Moon low in the southeast, as shown here. At the time of dawn in the Americas they appear closer together than they did on Tuesday morning. Several hours earlier, the Moon passes right across — occults — Venus for central and western Africa, India, and parts of China and Southeast Asia (at roughly 5h Universal Time February 26 th ). Sky & Telescope Friday, February 21  Capella passes closest to straight overhead (for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes) around 7 p.m. now, depending on how far east or west you are in your time zone. Whenever Capella crosses highest overhead, Rigel in Orion's leading foot marks due south over your landscape.  Saturn glows to the right of the Moon as dawn begins on Saturday morning the 22nd, as shown below. And look lower left of the Moon for Antares. Saturday, February 22  This year's big, bright "Winter Diamond" — Jupiter at the top, Sirius at the bottom, and Procyon and Betelgeuse forming the two side corners — stands upright in the south around 8 or 9 p.m. now.

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 Feb 21, 6:28 PM4 min21°11 above NNW14 above ENE Fri Feb 21, 8:05 PM< 1 min18°15 above WNW18 above WNW Sat Feb 22, 7:15 PM3 min78°10 above NW77 above ENE Sun Feb 23, 6:26 PM6 min44°10 above NW14 above ESE Sun Feb 23, 8:05 PM< 1 min16°15 above W16 above WSW Mon Feb 24, 7:16 PM3 min34°26 above W21 above S Tue Feb 25, 6:27 PM5 min65°27 above WNW11 above SE

NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Daylight Time) February 25, Tuesday 1:35 p.m. - ISS Expedition 38 In-Flight Interview with WLS Radio, Chicago - JSC (All Channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA websiteNASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Feb 21 - Moon Occults SaturnMoon Occults Saturn Feb 21 - Comet C/2012 X1 (LINEAR) Perihelion (1.599 AU)Comet C/2012 X1 (LINEAR)Perihelion Feb 21 - Comet 168P/Hergenrother At Opposition (3.262 AU)Comet 168P/HergenrotherAt Opposition Feb 21 - Comet C/2013 B2 (Catalina) Closest Approach To Earth (3.338 AU)Comet C/2013 B2 (Catalina)Closest Approach To Earth Feb 21 - Comet P/2011 R3 (Novichonok-Gerke) At Opposition (3.630)Comet P/2011 R3 (Novichonok-Gerke)At Opposition Feb 21 - Asteroid 2 Pallas Occults TYC (9.4 Magnitude Star)Asteroid 2 Pallas Occults TYC Feb 21 - Asteroid 1995 CR Near-Earth Flyby (0.020 AU)Asteroid 1995 CRNear-Earth Flyby Feb 21 - Asteroid 2012 DY43 Near-Earth Flyby (0.040 AU)Asteroid 2012 DY43Near-Earth Flyby Feb 21 - Asteroid 1278 Kenya Closest Approach To Earth (2.067 AU)Asteroid 1278 Kenya Feb 22 - Asteroid 4464 Vulcano Closest Approach To Earth (1.148 AU)Asteroid 4464 Vulcano Feb 22 - Asteroid 2874 Jim Young Closest Approach To Earth (1.356 AU)Asteroid 2874 Jim Young Feb 22 - Asteroid Texas Closest Approach To Earth (1.846 AU)Asteroid Texas Feb 22 - Asteroid 6456 Golombek Closest Approach To Earth (1.909 AU)Asteroid 6456 GolombekClosest Approach To Earth Feb 22 - Asteroid Ecuador Closest Approach To Earth (2.362 AU)Asteroid Ecuador Feb 23 - Comet 80P/Peters-Hartley Closest Approach To Earth (2.114 AU)Comet 80P/Peters-HartleyClosest Approach To Earth Feb 23 - Comet P/2007 T2 (Kowalski) At Opposition (2.845 AU)Comet P/2007 T2 (Kowalski)At Opposition Feb 23 - Kuiper Belt Object Orcus At Opposition ( AU)Kuiper Belt Object OrcusAt Opposition Feb 24 - Asteroid 2014 CR Near-Earth Flyby (0.021 AU)Asteroid 2014 CRNear-Earth Flyby Feb 24 - Asteroid 4768 Hartley Closest Approach To Earth (2.923 AU)Asteroid 4768 Hartley Feb th Anniversary (1969), Mariner 6 Launch (Mars Flyby Mission)Mariner 6 Feb th Anniversary (1949), Bumper WAC LaunchBumper WAC Feb 25 - Uragan-M #42 Soyuz-2-1b Fregat-M LaunchUragan-M #42 Feb 25 - Comet 266P/Christensen At Opposition (1.601 AU)Comet 266P/ChristensenAt Opposition Feb 25 - Comet P/1996 R2 (Lagerkvist) At Opposition (3.541 AU)Comet P/1996 R2 (Lagerkvist)At Opposition Feb 25 - Comet 242P/Spahr At Opposition (3.975 AU)Comet 242P/SpahrAt Opposition Feb 25 - Asteroid South Dakota Closest Approach To Earth (1.739 AU)Asteroid South Dakota Feb 25 - Asteroid Berndpauli Closest Approach To Earth (3.509 AU)Asteroid Berndpauli Feb 26 - MAVEN, Trajectory Correction Maneuver #2 (TCM-2)MAVENTrajectory Correction Maneuver #2 (TCM-2) Feb 26 - Moon Occults VenusMoon Occults Venus Feb 26 - Comet 277P/LINEAR At Opposition (1.925 AU)Comet 277P/LINEARAt Opposition Feb 26 - Comet 88P/Howell At Opposition (2.545 AU)Comet 88P/HowellAt Opposition Feb 26 - Comet 10P/Tempel At Opposition (3.276 AU)Comet 10P/TempelAt Opposition Feb 26 - Comet P/2006 F1 (Kowalski) At Opposition (4.176 AU)Comet P/2006 F1 (Kowalski)At Opposition Feb 26 - Asteroid 2 Pallas At Opposition (6.3 Magnitude)Asteroid 2 Pallas At Opposition Feb 26 - Asteroid Duende Closest Approach To Earth (0.767 AU)Asteroid DuendeClosest Approach To Earth Feb 26 - Asteroid 4716 Urey Closest Approach To Earth (1.839 AU)Asteroid 4716 Urey Feb 26 - Asteroid 2597 Arthur Closest Approach To Earth (2.228 AU)Asteroid 2597 Arthur

Food for Thought We ‘Hype’ Alien World Findings Amid Little Data, Exoplanet Scientist Says

Space Image of the Week Speedster Star Shocks the Galaxy Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech