Space News Update - August 22, In the News Story 1: Story 1: European Probe Survives Daring Dive Through Venus Atmosphere Story 2: Story 2: Super-Black Nano-Coating to Be Tested for the First Time in Space Story 3: Story 3: Engineers and Technicians Install Protective Shell on NASA’s Orion Spacecraft Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

European Probe Survives Daring Dive Through Venus Atmosphere

Super-Black Nano-Coating to Be Tested for the First Time in Space

Engineers and Technicians Install Protective Shell on NASA’s Orion Spacecraft

Monday, August 25 Before moonlight comes back into the evening sky, take the opportunity to explore the dim nebulae, and the somewhat brighter star clusters, around Deneb and the North America Nebula in Cygnus nearly overhead. They're not easy; use Sue French's maps, drawing, photo, and article in the September Sky & Telescope, page 56, to pinpoint what you're looking for. New Moon (exact at 10:13 a.m. EDT). Tuesday, August 26 If you're in the Earth's mid-northern latitudes, bright Vega shines near your zenith just as night becomes fully dark. Whenever you see Vega most nearly straight up, you know that Sagittarius, with its deep-sky riches, is highest in the south. The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Friday, August 22 Altair is the brightest star shining halfway up the southeastern sky after nightfall. Look to its left, by a little more than a fist at arm's length, for the dim but distinctive constellation Delphinus, the Dolphin. He's leaping leftward, just below the Milky Way. Saturday, August 23 August is prime Milky Way time. After dark, the Milky Way runs from Sagittarius and Scorpius in the south-southwest, up and left across Aquila and through the big Summer Triangle very high in the southeast and east, and on down through Cassiopeia to Perseus rising low in the north-northeast. Sunday, August 24 Mars and Saturn are closest together this evening and Monday evening, separated by 3.4°. They're the same brightness but not the same color. And, compare Mars's color to that of its rival Antares, not quite as bright, in Scorpius about 20° to the left. (See the last illustration below.) Mars will pass Antares by just 3° in late September.

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 Aug 22, 9:30 PM 2 min26°15 above W25 above SSW Sat Aug 23, 8:43 PM 4 min48°31 above W15 above SSE Mon Aug 25, 8:42 PM 3 min16°14 above WSW10 above S

NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Daylight Time) 1 p.m., Monday, August 25 - NASA Science Briefing, New Horizons Pluto Mission: Mirroring the Voyager Spacecraft Legacy (all channels) 2 p.m., Monday, August 25 - NASA Science Briefing, The Voyager Mission Experience: Memories from the Team (all channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA websiteNASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Aug 22 - [Aug 21] Galileo FM1 & FM2 Soyuz 2-1B-Fregat LaunchGalileo FM1 & FM2Soyuz 2-1B-Fregat Launch Aug 22 - Comet 19P/Borrelly Closest Approach To Earth (2.220 AU)Comet 19P/BorrellyClosest Approach To Earth Aug 22 - Asteroid 5143 Heracles Closest Approach To Earth (0.843 AU)Asteroid 5143 HeraclesClosest Approach To Earth Aug th Anniversary (1984), Tomiya Meteorite Fall (Hit Houses in Japan)Tomiya Meteorite Fall Aug 23 - Comet 303P/NEAT At Opposition (1.510 AU)Comet 303P/NEATAt Opposition Aug 23 - Asteroid 2559 Svoboda Occults HIP (6.2 Magnitude Star)Asteroid 2559 Svoboda Occults HIP Aug 23 - Asteroid 2100 Ra-Shalom Closest Approach To Earth (1.337 AU)Asteroid 2100 Ra-ShalomClosest Approach To Earth Aug 23 - Asteroid 3769 Arthurmiller Closest Approach To Earth (1.388 AU)Asteroid 3769 Arthurmiller Aug 23 - Asteroid MPIA Closest Approach To Earth (1.459 AU)Asteroid MPIA Aug 23 - Asteroid 3061 Cook Closest Approach To Earth (1.490 AU)Asteroid 3061 Cook Aug 23 - Asteroid Hayabusa Closest Approach To Earth (1.586 AU)Asteroid Hayabusa Aug 23 - Centaur Object 7066 Nessus At Opposition ( AU)Centaur Object 7066 NessusAt Opposition Aug 23 - Kuiper Belt Object (2004 PG115) At Opposition ( AU)Kuiper Belt Object (2004 PG115)At Opposition Aug 24 - Asteroid 2001 Einstein Closest Approach To Earth (1.019 AU)Asteroid 2001 Einstein Aug 24 - Greg Jarvis' 70th Birthday (1944)Greg Jarvis' Aug 24-Sep 14 - Workshop: The Galaxy-Halo Connection Across Cosmic Time, Aspen, ColoradoWorkshop: The Galaxy-Halo Connection Across Cosmic Time Aug 25 - AsiaSat 6 (Thaicom 7) Falcon 9 LaunchAsiaSat 6 (Thaicom 7)Falcon 9 Launch Aug 25 - New Horizons Crosses Neptune's OrbitNew Horizons Crosses Neptune's Orbit Aug 25 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #389 (OTM-389)Cassini Aug 25 - Northern Iota Aquarids Meteor Shower PeakNorthern Iota Aquarids Meteor Shower Aug 25 - Comet 304P/Ory Perihelion (1.382 AU)Comet 304P/OryPerihelion Aug 25 - Comet 227P/Catalina-LINEAR At Opposition (4.270 AU)Comet 227P/Catalina-LINEARAt Opposition Aug 25 - Asteroid 63 Ausonia At Opposition (9.7 Magnitude)Asteroid 63 AusoniaAt Opposition Aug 25 - Asteroid 2008 RG1 Near-Earth Flyby (0.068 AU)Asteroid 2008 RG1Near-Earth Flyby Aug 25 - Asteroid 4535 Adamcarolla Closest Approach To Earth (1.791 AU)Asteroid 4535 Adamcarolla Aug 25 - Asteroid 2925 Beatty Closest Approach To Earth (1.806 AU)Asteroid 2925 Beatty Aug 25 - Asteroid Jefferson Closest Approach To Earth (1.956 AU)Asteroid Jefferson Aug th Anniversary (1989), Voyager 2, Neptune FlybyVoyager 2 Aug 26 - Kuiper Belt Object (2007 OR10) At Opposition ( AU)Kuiper Belt Object (2007 OR10)At Opposition

Food for Thought Ozone-Depleting Compound Persists, NASA Research Shows

Space Image of the Week Blue Marble, Eastern Hemisphere