1. Space News Update - April 8, 2016 - In the News Story 1: Searching for Far Out and Wandering Worlds Story 2: SpaceX ready to return to the space station Story 3: Story 3: Mars Longevity Champion Launched 15 Years Ago Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

2. Searching for Far Out and Wandering Worlds

3. SpaceX ready to return to the space station

4. Mars Longevity Champion Launched 15 Years Ago

5. The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Friday, April 8 Looking west in twilight, use the thin crescent Moon as your guidepost to Mercury as shown at right. Jupiter this evening is just 0.1° north of 5th-magnitude Chi Leonis. Binoculars show the star looking like an out-of-place moon of Jupiter. Compared to this star, a 6-inch telescope may show that Jupiter's moons are not quite pinpoints. Saturday, April 9 The crescent Moon shines in the west in twilight. Look for Mercury far down to its lower right. Then as the stars come out, spot Aldebaran to the Moon's upper left and the Pleiades to its upper right, as shown above. Sunday, April 10 The crescent moon occults Aldebaran in daylight this afternoon for almost all of North America. Get out the scope for this blue-sky observation (weather permitting). See Crescent Moon To Cover Aldebaran in Blue Sky, with local timetables for the star's disappearance on the Moon's dark limb and reappearance from behind the bright limb.Crescent Moon To Cover Aldebaran in Blue Sky After dark, Aldebaran will be shining in the free and clear close to the crescent's bright side for most of North America, as shown above. Monday, April 11 The crescent Moon hangs in the west at dusk. As the stars come out, look to the Moon's lower left for Orion, with his belt in its horizontal springtime position. The belt points left toward bright Sirius, and to the right more or less toward Aldebaran. Right of Aldebaran are the Pleiades. Tuesday, April 12 The almost-first-quarter Moon this evening shines in the feet of Gemini — with Pollux and Castor above it, Procyon to its left, and Betelgeuse, the top corner of departing Orion, below it.

6. 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 Apr 8, 8:42 PM< 1 min10°10° above N Fri Apr 8, 10:18 PM< 1 min12°10° above NNW12° above NNW Sat Apr 9, 9:25 PM2 min13°10° above NNW13° above NNE Sun Apr 10, 8:33 PM2 min11°10° above N10° above NNE Sun Apr 10, 10:09 PM< 1 min17°14° above NNW17° above NNW Mon Apr 11, 9:16 PM3 min20°11° above NNW19° above NNE Tue Apr 12, 8:24 PM4 min14°11° above NNW10° above NE Tue Apr 12, 10:01 PM< 1 min23°19° above NW23° above NW

7. 6 p.m., Friday, April 8 - SpaceX/Dragon CRS-8 Post-Launch News Conference (time subject to change) (all channels) 8:30 a.m., Saturday, April 9 - Simulcast of the NASA Rover Challenge from the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama (NTV-2 (Education)) 5:30 a.m., Sunday, April 10 - Coverage of the Rendezvous and Capture of the SpaceX/Dragon CRS-8 Cargo Craft at the ISS (Grapple scheduled at appx. 7 a.m. ET) (all channels) 9:30 a.m., Sunday, April 10 - Coverage of the Installation of the SpaceX/Dragon CRS-8 Cargo Craft to the ISS (time subject to change; Installation scheduled to begin at appx 10 a.m. ET) (all channels) 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 (all times Eastern Time Zone)

8. Apr 08 - [Apr 06] CRS-8/ BEAM/ AggieSat 4/ Bevo 2/ Flock-2D 1-8/ LONESTAR 2 Falcon 9 Launch (International Space Station)CRS-8BEAMAggieSat 4Bevo 2Flock-2D 1-8LONESTAR 2Falcon 9 Launch Apr 08 - [Apr 01] Progress M-29M Reenters Earth's AtmosphereProgress M-29M Reenters Earth's Atmosphere Apr 08 - Comet 190P/Mueller Perihelion (2.033 AU)Comet 190P/MuellerPerihelion Apr 08 - [Apr 08] Apollo Asteroid 2016 GO134 Near-Earth Flyby (0.002 AU)Apollo Asteroid 2016 GO134 Apr 08 - [Apr 05] Apollo Asteroid 2016 GF2 Near-Earth Flyby (0.012 AU)Apollo Asteroid 2016 GF2 Apr 08 - [Apr 07] Amor Asteroid 2016 GH3 Near-Earth Flyby (0.020 AU)Amor Asteroid 2016 GH3 Apr 08 - [Apr 04] Amor Asteroid 2016 GY Near-Earth Flyby (0.070 AU)Amor Asteroid 2016 GY Apr 08 - Amor Asteroid 2016 EF85 Near-Earth Flyby (0.085 AU)Amor Asteroid 2016 EF85 Apr 08 - Asteroid 3043 San Diego Closest Approach To Earth (1.163 AU)Asteroid 3043 San Diego Apr 08 - Asteroid 3654 AAS Closest Approach To Earth (1.714 AU)Asteroid 3654 AAS Apr 08 - Asteroid 8564 Anomalocaris Closest Approach To Earth (2.557 AU)Asteroid 8564 Anomalocaris Apr 08 - 45th Anniversary (1971), Wethersfield Meteorite Fall (Hit House in Connecticut)Wethersfield Meteorite Apr 09 - Moon Occults Asteroid 4 VestaMoon Occults Asteroid 4 Vesta Apr 09 - Comet 77P/Longmore At Opposition (1.349 AU)Comet 77P/LongmoreAt Opposition Apr 09 - [Apr 08] Apollo Asteroid 2016 GK134 Near-Earth Flyby (0.013 AU)Apollo Asteroid 2016 GK134 Apr 09 - [Apr 06] Aten Asteroid 2016 GN2 Near-Earth Flyby (0.066 AU)Aten Asteroid 2016 GN2 Apr 09 - Asteroid 36800 Katarinawitt Closest Approach To Earth (1.407 AU)Asteroid 36800 Katarinawitt Apr 09 - Asteroid 13752 Grantstokes Closest Approach To Earth (1.634 AU)Asteroid 13752 Grantstokes Apr 09 - Charles-Eugene Delaunay's 200th Birthday (1816)Charles-Eugene Delaunay's Apr 10 - Moon Occults AldebaranMoon Occults Aldebaran Apr 10 - Comet 321P/SOHO Perihelion (0.046 AU)Comet 321P/SOHOPerihelion Apr 10 - Comet 322P/SOHO Closest Approach To Earth (2.346 AU)Comet 322P/SOHOClosest Approach To Earth Apr 10 - [Apr 05] Apollo Asteroid 2016 FG39 Near-Earth Flyby (0.011 AU)Apollo Asteroid 2016 FG39 Apr 10 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 FV6 Near-Earth Flyby (0.050 AU)Apollo Asteroid 2016 FV6 Apr 10 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 EH157 Near-Earth Flyby (0.068 AU)Apollo Asteroid 2016 EH157 Apr 10 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 ED158 Near-Earth Flyby (0.074 AU)Apollo Asteroid 2016 ED158 Apr 10 - Apollo Asteroid 406952 (2009 KJ) Near-Earth Flyby (0.097 AU)Apollo Asteroid 406952 (2009 KJ)Near-Earth Flyby Apr 10 - Atira Asteroid 2013 JX28 Closest Approach To Earth (0.733 AU)Atira Asteroid 2013 JX28Closest Approach To Earth Apr 10 - Asteroid 3173 McNaught Closest Approach To Earth (1.261 AU)Asteroid 3173 McNaught Apr 10 - Asteroid 7291 Hyakutake Closest Approach To Earth (2.850 AU)Asteroid 7291 Hyakutake Apr 10 - John McClusky's 55th Birthday (1961)John McClusky's Apr 10 - John Leslie's 250th Birthday (1766)John Leslie's Apr 11 - Comet 268P/Bernardi Closest Approach To Earth (2.519 AU)Comet 268P/BernardiClosest Approach To Earth Apr 11 - Comet 110P/Hartley At Opposition (2.580 AU)Comet 110P/HartleyAt Opposition Apr 11 - Comet C/2015 H1 (Bressi) At Opposition (3.676 AU)Comet C/2015 H1 (Bressi)At Opposition Apr 11 - Comet P/2015 D6 (Lemmon-PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (3.760 AU)Comet P/2015 D6 (Lemmon-PANSTARRS)Closest Approach To Earth Apr 11 - Comet P/2012 TK8 (Tenagra) At Opposition (3.959 AU)Comet P/2012 TK8 (Tenagra)At Opposition Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar

9. Apr 11 - [Apr 02] Apollo Asteroid 2016 FV13 Near-Earth Flyby (0.005 AU)Apollo Asteroid 2016 FV13 Apr 11 - [Apr 04] Apollo Asteroid 2016 GU Near-Earth Flyby (0.007 AU)Apollo Asteroid 2016 GU Apr 11 - Apollo Asteroid 363599 (2004 FG11) Near-Earth Flyby (0.050 AU)Apollo Asteroid 363599 (2004 FG11)Near-Earth Flyby Apr 11 - [Apr 08] Apollo Asteroid 2016 GF134 Near-Earth Flyby (0.061 AU)Apollo Asteroid 2016 GF134 Apr 11 - Apollo Asteroid 2009 BC11 Near-Earth Flyby (0.081 AU)Apollo Asteroid 2009 BC11Near-Earth Flyby Apr 11 - [Apr 04] Apollo Asteroid 2016 GW Near-Earth Flyby (0.097 AU)Apollo Asteroid 2016 GW Apr 11 - Asteroid 1791 Patsayev Closest Approach To Earth (1.613 AU)Asteroid 1791 Patsayev Apr 11 - Asteroid 1065 Amundsenia Closest Approach To Earth (1.682 AU)Asteroid 1065 Amundsenia Apr 11 - Asteroid 134346 Pinatubo Closest Approach To Earth (1.771 AU)Asteroid 134346 Pinatubo Apr 11 - Donald Menzel's 115th Birthday (1901)Donald Menzel's Apr 12 - [Apr 05] Yuri's Night: World Space PartyYuri's Night: World Space Party Apr 12 - Comet 148P/Anderson-LINEAR At Opposition (2.056 AU)Comet 148P/Anderson-LINEARAt Opposition Apr 12 - Asteroid 1814 Bach Closest Approach To Earth (1.338 AU)Asteroid 1814 Bach Apr 12 - Asteroid 15332 CERN Closest Approach To Earth (1.430 AU)Asteroid 15332 CERN Apr 12 - Asteroid 3252 Johnny Closest Approach To Earth (1.609 AU)Asteroid 3252 Johnny Apr 12 - Asteroid 12485 Jenniferharris Closest Approach To Earth (1.898 AU)Asteroid 12485 Jenniferharris Apr 12 - Asteroid 336698 Melbourne Closest Approach To Earth (2.041 AU)Asteroid 336698 Melbourne Apr 12 - Asteroid 5540 Smirnova Closest Approach To Earth (2.216 AU)Asteroid 5540 Smirnova Apr 12 - Dwarf Planet 136108 Haumea At Opposition (49.764 AU)Dwarf Planet 136108 HaumeaAt Opposition Apr 12 - Yuri Ivashchenko's 55th Birthday (1961)Yuri Ivashchenko's Apr 12 - 115th Anniversary (1901), Viscara's Discovery of the Great Comet of 1901Great Comet of 1901 Apr 12 - Edward Maunder's 165th Birthday (1851)Edward Maunder's Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar

10. Food for Thought Supernovae showered Earth with radioactive debris

11. Space Image of the Week Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte Image Credit: ESO, VST/Omegacam Local Group Survey ESOVST/Omegacam Local Group Survey