Space News Update - September 18, In the News Story 1: Pluto ‘Wows’ in Spectacular New Backlit Panorama Story 2: Orion spacecraft may not fly with astronauts until 2023 Story 3: Story 3: Cassini Finds Global Ocean in Saturn's Moon Enceladus Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Pluto ‘Wows’ in Spectacular New Backlit Panorama

Orion spacecraft may not fly with astronauts until 2023 Lockheed Martin engineers perform the first weld for the Exploration Mission-1 Orion crew module at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility on Sept. 5. Credit: NASA/Radislav Sinyak

Cassini Finds Global Ocean in Saturn's Moon Enceladus

The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Friday, September 18 As twilight fades, look low in the southwest for Saturn close to the waxing crescent Moon, as shown here. To their left are Antares and other stars of upper Scorpius. Saturday, September 19 The crescent Moon at dusk now forms a triangle with Antares below it and Saturn to their right, as shown here. Sunday, September 20 This is the time of year when, during the evening, the dim Little Dipper in the north "dumps water" into the bowl of the Big Dipper way down below it. The Big Dipper dumps it back in the evenings of spring. Monday, September 21 First-quarter Moon (exact at 4:59 a.m. Monday morning EDT). This evening the Moon shines above the Teapot of Sagittarius. At this time of year, the Teapot is tipping increasingly far over, as if pouring out the last of summer. Tuesday, September 22 The eclipsing binary star Algol should be at minimum brightness, magnitude 3.4 instead of its usual 2.1, for a couple hours centered on 9:20 p.m. EDT according to Algol's recently updated schedule.

ISS Sighting Opportunities Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information DateVisibleMax HeightAppearsDisappears Fri Sep 18, 4:56 AM1 min12°11 above NNW10 above N Sat Sep 19, 5:40 AM1 min10°10 above N10 above NNE Sun Sep 20, 4:48 AM1 min10°10 above N Sun Sep 20, 6:24 AM< 1 min12°10 above NNW12 above NNW Mon Sep 21, 5:32 AM3 min12°10 above NNW10 above NE Tue Sep 22, 4:40 AM1 min11°10 above N10 above NNE Tue Sep 22, 6:16 AM3 min25°11 above NNW24 above NE

NASA-TV Highlights 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 1 p.m., Friday, September 18 - Replay of “The Martian” to the Real Martians: Science Fiction to Science Fact on NASA’s Journey to Mars – a Discussion with NASA Leaders, Scientists, Engineers and Andy Weir the Author of “The Martian” (all channels) 2 p.m., Friday, September 18 - Replay of NASA’s Digital Learning Network Presents a Discussion on Surviving & Thriving on MARS with Author of “The Martian” Andy Weir Network (all channels) (all times Eastern Time Zone)

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Sep 18 - Comet P/1999 XN120 (Catalina) Closest Approach To Earth (3.112 AU)Comet P/1999 XN120 (Catalina)Closest Approach To Earth Sep 18 - Comet 282P/2003 BM80 At Opposition (3.638 AU)Comet 282P/2003 BM80At Opposition Sep 18 - Comet C/2015 B1 (PANSTARRS) Perihelion (5.976 AU)Comet C/2015 B1 (PANSTARRS)Perihelion Sep 18 - Asteroid 742 Edisona Closest Approach To Earth (1.678 AU)Asteroid 742 Edisona Sep th Anniversary (1965), 1st Episode of "I Dream of Jeannie" Airs on TVI Dream of Jeannie Sep 19 - [Sep 12] Astronomy DayAstronomy Day Sep 19 - International Observe the Moon NightInternational Observe the Moon Night Sep 19 - LilacSat 2/Tiantuo-3/ XW-2/ ZDPS 2A & 2B CZ-6 LaunchLilacSat 2XW-2ZDPS 2A & 2B Sep 19 - Comet 34D/Gale At Opposition (0.828 AU)Comet 34D/Gale Sep 19 - Comet C/2013 P3 (Palomar) At Opposition (7.847 AU)Comet C/2013 P3 (Palomar)At Opposition Sep 19 - Asteroid 8277 Machu-Picchu Closest Approach To Earth (1.618 AU)Asteroid 8277 Machu-Picchu Sep 19 - Asteroid 6136 Gryphon Closest Approach To Earth (2.057 AU)Asteroid 6136 Gryphon Sep 19 - Griffith Observatory Star Party, Los Angeles, CaliforniaGriffith Observatory Star Party Sep 19 - Sunita Williams' 50th Birthday (1965)Sunita Williams' Sep 20 - Comet 144P/Kushida Closest Approach To Earth (2.513 AU)Comet 144P/KushidaClosest Approach To Earth Sep 20 - Comet 212P/NEAT At Opposition (2.535 AU)Comet 212P/NEATAt Opposition Sep 20 - Asteroid Ilanramon Closest Approach To Earth (1.742 AU)Asteroid Ilanramon Sep th Anniversary (1950), Murray Meteorite Fall (Hit Buildings in Kentucky)Murray Meteorite Fall Sep 21 - Comet P/2015 P4 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (1.734 AU)Comet P/2015 P4 (PANSTARRS)Closest Approach To Earth Sep 21 - Comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke Closest Approach To Earth (1.915 AU)Comet 7P/Pons-WinneckeClosest Approach To Earth Sep 21 - Comet C/2014 XB8 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (2.505 AU)Comet C/2014 XB8 (PANSTARRS)Closest Approach To Earth Sep 21 - Comet C/2014 W8 (PANSTARRS) Perihelion (4.910 AU)Comet C/2014 W8 (PANSTARRS)Perihelion Sep 21 - Centaur Object Chariklo Occults UCAC (14.9 Magnitude Star)Centaur Object Chariklo Occults UCAC Sep 21 - Aten Asteroid 2007 TD Near-Earth Flyby (0.077 AU)Aten Asteroid 2007 TDNear-Earth Flyby Sep 21 - Asteroid Jeffgrossman Closest Approach To Earth (2.334 AU)Asteroid Jeffgrossman Sep 21 - Kuiper Belt Object (2006 SQ372) At Opposition ( AU)Kuiper Belt Object (2006 SQ372)At Opposition Sep 21 - Kuiper Belt Object 2010 RE64 At Opposition ( AU)Kuiper Belt Object 2010 RE64At Opposition Sep 21 - Phobos and Deimos Webcast: The Age and Cratering History of Phobos and DeimosPhobos and Deimos Webcast: The Age and Cratering History of Phobos and Deimos Sep 22 - Comet 227P/Catalina-LINEAR At Opposition (3.434 AU)Comet 227P/Catalina-LINEARAt Opposition Sep 22 - Asteroid Allancheuvront Closest Approach To Earth (1.551 AU)Asteroid Allancheuvront Sep 22 - Kuiper Belt Object Salacia At Opposition ( AU)Kuiper Belt Object SalaciaAt Opposition

Food for Thought New Evidence for Black Hole Binary

Space Image of the Week Pluto’s Majestic Mountains, Frozen Plains and Foggy Hazes