Space News Update - August 24, In the News Story 1: Story 1: Radiation Belt Storm Probes to Launch Saturday Story 2: Story 2: Curiosity Begins Driving at Bradbury Landing Story 3: Story 3: Link Between Cold European Winters and Solar Activity Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Radiation Belt Storm Probes to Launch Saturday NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes is now set to launch at 4:07 a.m. EDT Saturday, after Friday's launch attempt was scrubbed due to a technical issue, which engineers are now troubleshooting.

Curiosity Begins Driving at Bradbury Landing This 360-degree panorama shows evidence of a successful first test drive for NASA's Curiosity rover. On Aug. 22, 2012, the rover made its first move, going forward about 15 feet (4.5 meters), rotating 120 degrees and then reversing about 8 feet (2.5 meters). Curiosity is about 20 feet (6 meters) from its landing site, now named Bradbury Landing. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Link Between Cold European Winters and Solar Activity Hunters In The Snow (1565). © Pieter Brueghel the Elder

The Night Sky Friday, August 24 First-quarter Moon this evening. Look for Antares to its lower left. The other stars of upper Scorpius are scattered around them. This evening — before the Moon becomes too bright for the rest of the week — you can still use binoculars to try for the Lagoon and Swan nebulae, M8 and M7, above the Sagittarius Teapot as shown here. To the naked eye, the Teapot is roughly the size of your fist at arm's length. Saturday, August 25 The Moon at nightfall shines about equidistant from Antares to its lower right and the Teapot of Sagittarius pouring to its left. Sunday, August 26 The Moon shines above the Sagittarius Teapot in the south after dark. Monday, August 27 This is the time of year when the Big Dipper, swinging down in the northwest in evening, catches water dumping from the bowl of the dim Little Dipper high above it. Much of the Little Dipper is made of 4th- and 5th- magnitude stars and requires a fairly dark sky.

ISS Sighting Opportunities Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information For Denver: SATELLITELOCALDURATIONMAX ELEVAPPROACHDEPARTURE DATE/TIME(MIN)(DEG)(DEG-DIR) ISSFri Aug 24/08:24 PM53417 above NNW13 above E ISSFri Aug 24/10:01 PM12313 above W23 above WSW ISSSat Aug 25/09:13 PM25025 above WNW40 above S ISSSun Aug 26/08:25 PM48735 above NW15 above SE ISSMon Aug 27/09:12 PM31712 above W13 above SSW

NASA-TV Highlights August 25, Saturday 2: a.m. - Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Launch Coverage (Launch at 4:07 a.m. ET) - KSC (All Channels) 6:30 a.m. - Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Post-Launch News Conference - KSC (All Channels) August 27, Monday 11:55 a.m. - ISS Expedition 32 In-Flight Event for “Destination Station” at the JFK Library in Boston - JSC (All Channels) 5 p.m. – NASA Science Curiosity Mission News Conference – JPL (All Channels) Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.NASA website

Space Calendar Aug 24 - Neptune At OppositionNeptuneAt Opposition Aug 24 - Asteroid Mossbauer Closest Approach To Earth (1.446 AU)Asteroid Mossbauer Aug 24 - Asteroid JPL Closest Approach To Earth (1.991 AU)Asteroid JPL Aug 24 - Kuiper Belt Object (2007 OR10) At Opposition ( AU)Kuiper Belt Object (2007 OR10)At Opposition Aug 25 - [Aug 24] RBSP-A & B (Radiation Belt Storm Probes) Atlas 5 LaunchRBSP-A & B (Radiation Belt Storm Probes)Atlas 5 Launch Aug 25 - Northern Iota Aquarids Meteor Shower PeakNorthern Iota Aquarids Meteor Shower Aug 25 - Asteroid 2012 FM52 Near-Earth Flyby (0.060 AU)Asteroid 2012 FM52Near-Earth Flyby Aug 25 - Asteroid 3140 Stellafane Closest Approach To Earth (1.759 AU)Asteroid 3140 Stellafane Aug 25 - Asteroid Kalpanachawla Closest Approach To Earth (2.085 AU)Asteroid Kalpanachawla Aug th Anniversary (1997), Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) LaunchAdvanced Composition Explorer (ACE) Aug 26 - Comet 119P/Parker-Hartley Closest Approach To Earth (3.100 AU)Comet 119P/Parker-HartleyClosest Approach To Earth Aug 26 - Comet 95P/Chiron Closest Approach To Earth ( AU)Comet 95P/ChironClosest Approach To Earth Aug 26 - [Aug 21] Asteroid 2012 QV2 Near-Earth Flyby (0.027 AU)Asteroid 2012 QV2Near-Earth Flyby Aug 26 - Asteroid 2200 Pasadena Closest Approach To Earth (1.654 AU)Asteroid 2200 Pasadena Aug 27 - [Aug 20] 50th Anniversary (1962), Mariner 2 LaunchMariner 2 Aug 27 - Moon Occults PlutoMoon Occults Pluto Aug 27 - Asteroid Garneau Closest Approach To Earth (1.771 AU)Asteroid Garneau JPL Space Calendar

Food for Thought Epic Struggle Between Birds and Pigs Goes on with a Martian Twist Screen shot of Angry Birds Space with Mars update. Image credit: Rovio.

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