1. Space News Update - August 9, 2016 - In the News Departments Story 1:
Buildup of unusual launcher begins for NASA’s asteroid sample return mission
Story 2:
Simulations suggest Venus may have once been able to support life
Story 3: Will You See a Bumper Crop of Perseid Meteors?
Departments
The Night Sky
ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar
NASA-TV Highlights
Food for Thought
Space Image of the Week

2. Buildup of unusual launcher begins for NASA’s asteroid sample return mission
In this computer graphic, NASA's Voyager 1 probe, moving toward upper left, nears the edge of the sun's influence, flying through a region of space dominated by a "magnetic highway" that helps mediate the flow of particles into and out of the solar system. The region includes particles from the sun's southern hemisphere that have been forced northward by the pressure of the interstellar wind. Voyager 1 is expected to cross the boundary into interstellar space sometime within the next few years if not sooner. (Credit: NASA)

3. Simulations suggest Venus may have once been able to support life

4. Will You See a Bumper Crop of Perseid Meteors?

5. The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Tuesday, August 9
• Have you seen Venus yet? It's slowly beginning a long and eventually spectacular evening apparition that will run all the way through the end of the coming winter. About 20 minutes after sunset, start by spotting Jupiter low due west through the twilight. Venus shines to Jupiter's lower right by 18°, about two fist-widths at arm's length.
Wednesday, August 10
• As twilight fades away, Vega shines near the zenith (if you're in the mid-northern latitudes), and Arcturus shines in the west.
A third of the way from Arcturus up to Vega, look for Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, with its one modestly bright star: Alphecca or Gemma.
Two thirds of the way from Arcturus to Vega is the dim Keystone of Hercules, with the 6th-magnitude globular cluster M13 in its western side.
Thursday, August 11
• The Moon this evening forms a tilted diamond shape with Saturn, Mars, and Antares, as shown in the second panel above. The shape of the diamond will depend on your time and place.
• The annual Perseid meteor shower should peak late tonight. The Moon, just past first quarter, sets around 1 a.m., leaving the sky dark for the best meteor-watching hours leading up to dawn. Find a dark spot, wrap up in blankets or a sleeping bag, lie back in a reclining lawn chair, and gaze at the stars overhead. Be patient. If this is a typical year you might see a meteor a minute on average, depending on your sky's light pollution.
But this year meteor scientists are predicting a chance of an especially strong shower, due to Jupiter slightly perturbing some of the Perseid meteoroid stream 16 months ago. That periodic event has been associated with especially good Perseid showers in the past; see the August Sky & Telescope, page 48. And photographers: see Capturing the Perseids: How to Photograph a Meteor Shower by astrophoto expert Jerry Lodriguss.
Friday, August 12
• This evening, the waxing gibbous Moon looks down on the Saturn-Mars-Antares triangle from the upper left (as shown in the second panel above).
• The Perseids continue late tonight, a day after their nominal peak. Now the Moon doesn't set until about 1:30 or 2 a.m. local daylight saving time (Saturday morning).
Sky & Telescope

6. ISS Sighting Opportunities
ISS For Denver:
Date
Visible
Max Height
Appears
Disappears
Tue Aug 9, 9:35 PM
3 min
21°
15° above NNW
17° above ENE
Tue Aug 9, 11:10 PM
< 1 min
12°
10° above WNW
12° above WNW
Wed Aug 10, 8:42 PM
4 min
15°
11° above NNW
10° above NE
Wed Aug 10, 10:19 PM
36°
23° above NW
36° above NW
Thu Aug 11, 9:26 PM
37°
21° above NNW
29° above ENE
Fri Aug 12, 8:32 PM
5 min
23°
13° above NNW
10° above E
Fri Aug 12, 10:09 PM
1 min
18° above WNW
36° above W
Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information

7. NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Time Zone)
MAVEN Launch November 18, 2013
NASA
MAVEN Launch November 18, 2013
NASA
MAVEN Launch November 18, 2013
NASA
NASA-TV Highlights
(all times Eastern Time Zone)
7:30 a.m., Tuesday, August 16 - ISS Expedition 48 In-Flight Event for JAXA with the Space Kyodai Project and Flight Engineer Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (NTV-1 with English interpretation; NTV-3 in native language) (NTV-1 (Public), NTV-3 (Media))
6:30 a.m., Friday, August 19 - ISS Expedition 48 Spacewalk Coverage (Spacewalk begins at 8:05 a.m. ET; Williams and Rubins) (NTV-1 will carry hosted coverage and commentary; NTV-3 will carry regular commentary) (NTV-1 (Public), NTV-3 (Media))
Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

8. Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar
Aug 09 - Comet 298P/Christensen At Opposition (3.843 AU)
Aug 09 - Atira Asteroid (2008 EA32) Closest Approach To Earth (0.599 AU)
Aug 09 - Asteroid 5392 Parker Closest Approach To Earth (2.211 AU)
Aug th Anniversary (1976), Luna 24 Launch (USSR Moon Sample Return)
Aug 09 - Roman Romanenko's 45th Birthday (1971)
Aug 09 - William Fowler's 105th Birthday (1911)
Aug 10 - [Aug 06] Cassini, Titan Flyby
Aug 10 - [Aug 06] 50th Anniversary (1966), Lunar Orbiter 1 Launch
Aug 10 - Asteroid NEAT Closest Approach To Earth (1.336 AU)
Aug 10 - Apollo Asteroid Nut Closest Approach To Earth (1.657 AU)
Aug 10 - Lecture: JPL Visitors - Juno and Dawn Missions, Sydney, Australia
Aug th Anniversary (2001), STS-105 Launch (Space Shuttle Discovery, International Space Station)
Aug 10 - Leonid Elenin's 35th Birthday (1981)
Aug 11 - Comet P/2015 K5 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (3.214 AU)
Aug 11 - Asteroid Topeka Closest Approach To Earth (1.359 AU)
Aug th Anniversary (1976), Acapulco Meteorite Fall in Mexico
Aug 12 - Perseids Meteor Shower Peak
Aug 12 - Amor Asteroid 2016 OX Near-Earth Flyby (0.077 AU)
Aug 12 - Asteroid 3001 Michelangelo Closest Approach To Earth (1.413 AU)
Aug 12 - Asteroid 3297 Hong Kong Closest Approach To Earth (1.997 AU)
Aug 12 - Asteroid Dennisritchie Closest Approach To Earth (2.718 AU)
JPL Space Calendar

9. Commercial Space to Smash the Astronomy 'Funding Wall'?
Food for Thought
Commercial Space to Smash the Astronomy 'Funding Wall'?

10. Aurora and Manicouagan Crater
Space Image of the Week
Aurora and Manicouagan Crater