Space News Update - December 17, In the News Story 1: Story 1: Chinese Rover & Lander Beam Back Portraits with China’s Flag Shining on Moon’s Surface Story 2: Story 2: A Sunny Outlook for NASA Kepler's Second Light Story 3: Story 3: Mars One Foundation Inks Deals with Lockheed, Surrey Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Chinese Rover & Lander Beam Back Portraits with China’s Flag Shining on Moon’s Surface

A Sunny Outlook for NASA Kepler's Second Light

Mars One Foundation Inks Deals with Lockheed, Surrey

The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Tuesday, December 17 The bright Moon shines in the dim Club of Orion this evening (for the Americas). No, the Moon doesn't always stay quite within the constellations of the zodiac. Lower left of the Moon is Jupiter, and lower right of it is Betelgeuse. Wednesday, December 18 The Moon and Jupiter shine together after they rise in early evening, with Pollux and Castor to their left. Although Jupiter looks close to the Moon, it's 1,600 times farther away. Thursday, December 19 Once the waning gibbous Moon rises after dinnertime, you'll find Jupiter above it, Pollux and Castor left of Jupiter, and Procyon to the Moon's right or lower right. Much farther right of Procyon, watch for brilliant Sirius coming up. Friday, December 20 This evening, use a telescope to watch Io disappear into eclipse by the shadow of Jupiter around 9:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, barely off Jupiter's western limb. Forty-five minutes later, Ganymede emerges onto dark sky in front of Jupiter's western limb. Then around 11:23 p.m. EST, the Great Red Spot (strong orange this season) transits Jupiter's central meridian. Saturday, December 21 Today is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and the longest day in the Southern Hemisphere. Winter in the north begins at the solstice: at 12:11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Happy Yule. If there's one constellation that everyone should know at this time of year, it's wintry Orion climbing up in the east-southeast.

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 Dec 17, 5:59 PM2 min12°10 above NNW11 above N Wed Dec 18, 5:10 PM 4 min14°10 above NW10 above NNE Thu Dec 19, 6:00 PM1 min11°10 above NNW10 above N Fri Dec 20, 5:12 PM2 min11°10 above NNW10 above N Sat Dec 21, 6:00 PM1 min12°10 above NNW12 above N

NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Time Zone) December 18, Wednesday 3 p.m. - Orbital-1 Pre-Launch Briefing - WFF (All Channels) December 19, Thursday 6:45 p.m. - Replay of the Orbital-1 Science Briefing (Recorded Dec. 18) - HQ (All Channels) 7:45 p.m. - Replay of the Orbital-1 Pre-Launch Briefing (Recorded Dec. 18) - HQ (All Channels) 8:30 p.m. - Video B-Roll of Orbital Sciences/Cygnus Launch Preparations - HQ (All Channels) 9 p.m. - Coverage of the Launch of the Orbital Sciences/Cygnus-1 Cargo Mission to the ISS (Launch scheduled at 9:19 p.m. EST) - JSC/WFF (All Channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA websiteNASA website MAVEN Launch November 18, 2013 NASA MAVEN Launch November 18, 2013 NASA MAVEN Launch November 18, 2013 NASA

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Dec 17 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #366 (OTM-366) Dec 17 - Comet P/2010 TO20 (LINEAR-Grauer) At Opposition (4.994 AU) Dec 17 - Asteroid 2013 VC10 Near-Earth Flyby (0.036 AU) Dec 17 - Asteroid 2013 XG17 Near-Earth Flyby (0.061 AU) Dec 17 - Asteroid Laurelclark Closest Approach To Earth (1.644 AU) Dec th Anniversary (1958), Project Mercury Created Dec th Anniversary (1903), Wright Brothers' First Airplane Flight Dec 18 - Asteroid 8925 Boattini Closest Approach To Earth (1.543 AU) Dec 19 - Cygnus-2/ Flock-1 (1-28) Antares Launch (International Space Station) Dec 19 - Comet 87P/Bus Perihelion (2.102 AU) Dec 19 - Comet 218P/LINEAR At Opposition (3.068 AU) Dec 19 - Comet C/2012 J1 (Catalina) At Opposition (3.805 AU) Dec 19 - Comet C/2013 W2 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (3.936 AU) Dec 19 - Asteroid 916 America Occults HIP (6.1 Magnitude Star) Dec 19 - Asteroid 2013 XG10 Near-Earth Flyby (0.029 AU) Dec 19 - Asteroid (1950 DA) Closest Approach To Earth (1.245 AU) Dec 19 - Asteroid Scottsheppard Closest Approach To Earth (1.258 AU) Dec 19 - Asteroid 9618 Johncleese Closest Approach To Earth (1.433 AU) Dec 19 - Asteroid Chrisrussell Closest Approach To Earth (1.563 AU) Dec 19 - Asteroid 6227 Alanrubin Closest Approach To Earth (2.749 AU) Dec th Anniversary (1798), Benares Meteorite Fall (Hit House in India) Dec 20 - GAIA Soyuz STB-Fregat-MT Launch Dec 20 - Tupac Katari (TK-Sat 1) CZ-3B/E Launch Dec 20 - Thaicom 6 Falcon 9 Launch

Food for Thought Can Stars Collide?

Space Image of the Week Gibbous Europa Image Credit: Galileo Project, JPL, NASA; reprocessed by Ted Stryk