Space News Update - January 16, In the News Story 1: Story 1: NASA expects continued use of Soyuz in era of commercial spaceships Story 2: Story 2: Cassini Catches Titan Naked in the Solar Wind Story 3: Story 3: What Asteroid 2004 BL86 and Hawaii Have in Common Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

NASA expects continued use of Soyuz in era of commercial spaceships

Cassini Catches Titan Naked in the Solar Wind

What Asteroid 2004 BL86 and Hawaii Have in Common

The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Friday, January 30 The waxing gibbous Moon shines to the upper left of Orion in twilight, as shown above. The Moon is straighter above Orion later in the evening. It's near Zeta (ζ) Tauri, the fainter of the two stars that mark the tips of Taurus's long horns. Algol in Perseus is at its minimum brightness this evening, magnitude 3.4 instead of its usual 2.1, for a couple hours centered on 7:31 p.m. EST. Saturday, January 31 With a small telescope, you can watch Jupiter's inner moon Io fade away into eclipse by Jupiter's shadow around 10:45 p.m. EST (7:45 p.m. PST). Io will be just barely off Jupiter's western limb when it dwindles into eclipse. That's because we're only 6 days from Jupiter's opposition, with the Sun almost straight behind our backs. Sunday, February 1 The tiny black shadow of Jupiter's moon Io crosses the face of the planet from 7:57 to 10:14 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, going from celestial east to west. Io itself follows just 7 minutes behind its shadow. Io then exits the planet's western limb at 10:21 EST — right near where Europa, in the background, is heading toward the limb. The two satellites appear to pass each other extremely closely. Then at 10:31 p.m. EST, Europa disappears into eclipse by Jupiter's shadow barely off the limb. Watch the shell games of these comings and goings! Meanwhile down in Jupiter's atmosphere, the Great Red Spot crosses Jupiter's central meridian around 9:39 p.m. EST. Monday, February 2 The bright Moon is just a day short of full this evening. Look to its right for Procyon (off the chart here), and to its lower left for brighter Jupiter. High above the Moon are Pollux and Castor. Tuesday, February 3 The full Moon climbs the eastern sky this evening with Jupiter shining a few degrees to its left. They may look paired, but Jupiter is actually 1,600 times farther away. (Which is why it looks small despite being 40 times larger than the Moon in diameter!)

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 Feb 3, 6:54 PM2 min25°12 above SSW25 above SSE

NASA-TV Highlights 12 p.m., Friday, January 30 - SMAP Mission Post-Launch News Conference (all channels) 10:20 a.m., Monday, February 2 - ISS Expedition 42 In-Flight Event with CNN Espanol and KUSA-TV, Denver (all channels) 1:30 p.m., Monday, February 2 - “State of NASA” -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will Address the Agency’s Scientific and Technological Achievements and the Exciting Work Ahead – KSC (all channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA websiteNASA website (all times Eastern Daylight Time)

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Jan 30 - [Jan 29] Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP)/ GRIFEX/ ExoCube/ FIREBIRD C & D Delta 2 LaunchSoil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP)GRIFEXExoCubeFIREBIRD C & DDelta 2 Launch Jan 30 - Comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke Perihelion (1.239 AU)Comet 7P/Pons-WinneckePerihelion Jan 30 - Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) Perihelion (1.290 AU)Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy)Perihelion Jan 30 - Comet P/2013 T2 (Schwartz) At Opposition (3.297 AU)Comet P/2013 T2 (Schwartz)At Opposition Jan 30 - Comet P/2006 G1 (McNaught) At Opposition (4.046 AU)Comet P/2006 G1 (McNaught)At Opposition Jan 30 - Comet 1P/Halley At Opposition ( AU)Comet 1P/HalleyAt Opposition Jan 30 - Asteroid 3 Juno At Opposition (7.8 Magnitude)Asteroid 3 JunoAt Opposition Jan 30 - [Jan 29] Asteroid 2015 BD511 Near-Earth Flyby (0.011 AU)Asteroid 2015 BD511 Jan 30 - Asteroid 2015 BE Near-Earth Flyby (0.083 AU)Asteroid 2015 BENear-Earth Flyby Jan 30 - Asteroid 4450 Pan Closest Approach To Earth (0.409 AU)Asteroid 4450 PanClosest Approach To Earth Jan 30 - Asteroid Petergabriel Closest Approach To Earth (1.696 AU)Asteroid Petergabriel Jan 30 - Asteroid 9777 Enterprise Closest Approach To Earth (1.947 AU)Asteroid 9777 Enterprise Jan 31 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #402 (OTM-402)Cassini Jan 31 - Comet 181P/Shoemaker-Levy At Opposition (1.921 AU)Comet 181P/Shoemaker-LevyAt Opposition Jan 31 - Comet C/2013 W2 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (3.472 AU)Comet C/2013 W2 (PANSTARRS)At Opposition Jan 31 - Comet C/2013 W2 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (3.472 AU)Comet C/2013 W2 (PANSTARRS)Closest Approach To Earth Jan 31 - Comet P/2013 N5 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (4.350 AU)Comet P/2013 N5 (PANSTARRS)At Opposition Jan 31 - Asteroid 2008 CQ Near-Earth Flyby (0.012 AU)Asteroid 2008 CQNear-Earth Flyby Feb 01 - Kanopus-ST/ Baumanets 2/ Venta 1 Soyuz-2.1v/Volga LaunchKanopus-STBaumanets 2Venta 1 Feb 01 - Venus Passes 0.8 Degrees From NeptuneVenusNeptune Feb 01 - Comet 292P/Li At Opposition (2.823 AU)Comet 292P/LiAt Opposition Feb 01 - Asteroid 2013 ND15 (Venus Trojan) Closest Approach To Earth (0.699 AU)Asteroid 2013 ND15 (Venus Trojan)Closest Approach To Earth Feb th Anniversary (1970), Argentina X-1 Panther Rocket Launch (Carried Cai Monkey) Feb 01 - Lloyd Berkner's 110th Birthday (1905)Lloyd Berkner's Feb 01 - Emilio Segre's 110th Birthday (1905)Emilio Segre's Feb 02 - [Jan 29] "State of NASA" Events"State of NASA" Events Feb 02 - Comet 215P/NEAT At Opposition (4.224 AU)Comet 215P/NEATAt Opposition Feb 02 - Comet C/2013 U2 (Holvorcem) Closest Approach To Earth (4.420 AU)Comet C/2013 U2 (Holvorcem)Closest Approach To Earth Feb 02 - Comet C/2014 G3 (PANSTARRS) Perihelion (4.699 AU)Comet C/2014 G3 (PANSTARRS)Perihelion Feb 02 - Asteroid 6154 Stevesynnott Closest Approach To Earth (1.833 AU)Asteroid 6154 Stevesynnott Feb 02 - Asteroid 2713 Luxemburg Closest Approach To Earth (1.923 AU)Asteroid 2713 Luxemburg Feb 02 - Asteroid 2046 Leningrad Closest Approach To Earth (2.557 AU)Asteroid 2046 Leningrad Feb 03 - Comet 237P/LINEAR At Opposition (3.205 AU)Comet 237P/LINEARAt Opposition Feb 03 - Comet P/2000 R2 (LINEAR) At Opposition (3.807 AU)Comet P/2000 R2 (LINEAR)At Opposition Feb 03 - Asteroid 632 Pyrrha Occults HIP (5.7 Magnitude Star)Asteroid 632 Pyrrha Occults HIP Feb 03 - Asteroid 21 Lutetia Occults TYC (11.3 Magnitude Star)Asteroid 21 Lutetia Occults TYC Feb 03 - Asteroid 2013 BZ45 Near-Earth Flyby (0.065 AU)Asteroid 2013 BZ45Near-Earth Flyby Feb 03 - Asteroid 449 Hamburga Closest Approach To Earth (1.124 AU)Asteroid 449 Hamburga Feb 03 - Asteroid Winnecke Closest Approach To Earth (1.594 AU)Asteroid Winnecke Feb 03 - Asteroid Puckett Closest Approach To Earth (1.953 AU)Asteroid Puckett Feb 03 - Asteroid Robinwilliams Closest Approach To Earth (2.005 AU)Asteroid Robinwilliams Feb th Anniversary (2010), Iran Kavoshgar 3 Launch (Carried Mouse, 2 Turtles & Worms)Iran Kavoshgar 3 Launch Feb th Anniversary (1995), STS-63 Launch (Space Shuttle Endeavour, ASTRO-2)STS-63 Launch

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