1. Space News Update - July 22, 2016 - In the News Departments Story 1:
NASA Mars Rover Can Choose Laser Targets on Its Own
Story 2:
Hubble Studies the Atmospheres of Earth-Sized Exoplanets
Story 3: Return to the Underwater Space Station
Departments
The Night Sky
ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar
NASA-TV Highlights
Food for Thought
Space Image of the Week

2. NASA Mars Rover Can Choose Laser Targets on Its Own
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. Hubble Studies the Atmospheres of Earth-Sized Exoplanets

4. Return to the Underwater Space Station

5. The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Friday, July 22
• Starry Scorpius is sometimes called "the Orion of Summer" for its brightness, its blue-giant stars, and its 1st-magnitude red supergiant (Antares). But Scorpius shines a lot lower in the south (for those of us at mid-northern latitudes). That means it has only one really good evening month: July. Catch Scorpius in the south just after dark now, before it starts to tilt lower toward the southwest. It's full of deep-sky objects for binoculars and telescopes. Not to mention Mars and Saturn close by!
Saturday, July 23
• After nightfall, Altair shines in the east-southeast. Above it by a finger-width at arm's length is its eternal sidekick, little orange Tarazed. Left of Altair by a bit more than a fist-width is little Delphinus, the Dolphin, leaping leftward away from it.
Sunday, July 24
• The tail of Scorpius lies low due south right after dark. Look for the two stars especially close together in the tail. These are Lambda and fainter Upsilon Scorpii, known as the Cat's Eyes. They're canted at an angle; the cat is tilting his head and winking.
The Cat's Eyes point west (right) by nearly a fist-width toward Mu Scorpii, a much tighter pair known as the Little Cat's Eyes. It takes very sharp vision to resolve Mu without binoculars!
Monday, July 25
• The Delta Aquariid meteor shower, modest but very long-lasting, should most active for the next week or so. Under a very dark sky, you might see a dozen Delta Aquariids per hour between midnight and the first light of dawn. The light of the waning Moon will present less interference each morning.
Tuesday, July 26
• Last-quarter Moon (exact at 7:00 p.m. EDT). The Moon rises around midnight or 1 a.m. daylight-saving time tonight, positioned near the Knot of Pisces. By early dawn Wednesday morning it stands high in the southeast.
Sky & Telescope

6. ISS Sighting Opportunities
ISS For Denver:
Date
Visible
Max Height
Appears
Disappears
Sat Jul 23, 2:13 AM
< 1 min
10°
10° above NNW
10° above N
Sat Jul 23, 3:49 AM
1 min
13°
13° above N
Sat Jul 23, 5:25 AM
3 min
43°
10° above NW
43° above N
Sun Jul 24, 2:57 AM
11°
11° above N
Sun Jul 24, 4:32 AM
27°
27° above NNE
Mon Jul 25, 3:40 AM
2 min
18°
18° above NNE
Mon Jul 25, 5:15 AM
6 min
72°
10° above SE
Mon Jul 25, 9:54 PM
5 min
50°
11° above SW
19° above ENE
Mon Jul 25, 11:31 PM
22°
10° above WNW
10° above NNE
Tue Jul 26, 2:47 AM
Tue Jul 26, 4:23 AM
55°
11° above ESE
Tue Jul 26, 9:02 PM
24°
11° above S
10° above ENE
Tue Jul 26, 10:38 PM
34°
12° above W
10° above NE
Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information

7. (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)
No Upcoming Live Event Programming. Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

8. Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar
Jul 22 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #454 (OTM-454)
Jul 22 - Asteroid 2 Pallas Occults TYC  (11.3 Magnitude Star)
Jul 22 -[Jul 18] Apollo Asteroid 2016 NJ39 Near-Earth Flyby (0.030 AU)
Jul 22 - Amor Asteroid (2002 KL6) Near-Earth Flyby (0.068 AU)
Jul th Anniversary (1951), Launch of the 1st Dogs Into Space (Dezik & Tsygan)
Jul  Dusty Visions Workshop 2016, Boulder, Colorado
Jul 23 - Moon Occults Neptune
Jul 23 - Comet 145P/Shoemaker-Levy Closest Approach To Earth (2.718 AU)
Jul 23 - Comet P/2009 WX51 (Catalina) At Opposition (2.913 AU)
Jul 23 - Kuiper Belt Object 5000 Quaoar Occults 2UCAC  (14.5 Magnitude Star)
Jul 23 - Apollo Asteroid 2016 LY48 Near-Earth Flyby (0.072 AU)
Jul 23 - Asteroid 484 Pittsburghia Closest Approach To Earth (1.507 AU)
Jul 23 - Apollo Asteroid 4660 Nereus Closest Approach To Earth (1.958 AU)
Jul 23 - Asteroid Babylon Closest Approach To Earth (2.740 AU)
Jul 23 - Arthur Brown's 130th Birthday (1886)
Jul 24 - Comet P/2009 K1 (Gibbs) Perihelion (1.340 AU)
Jul 24 - Asteroid 7000 Curie Closest Approach To Earth (1.133 AU)
Jul 24 - Asteroid Davidbowie Closest Approach To Earth (1.609 AU)
Jul 24 - Centaur Object Okyrhoe At Opposition (9.275 AU)
Jul 24 - Centaur Object Crantor At Opposition (16.999)
Jul 25 - Cassini, Titan Flyby
Jul 25 - Comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos At Opposition (1.651 AU)
Jul 25 - Comet 150P/LONEOS Perihelion (1.760 AU)
Jul 25 - Apollo Asteroid Ryugu Closest Approach To Earth (0.396 AU) (Hayabusa 2 Target)
Jul 25 - Asteroid 3265 Fletcher Closest Approach To Earth (1.256 AU)
Jul 25 - Asteroid 4716 Urey Closest Approach To Earth (2.616 AU)
Jul 25 - Apollo Asteroid Lugh Closest Approach To Earth (3.261 AU)
Jul th Anniversary (1976), Viking 1 Image of Cydonia Regon ("Face" on Mars)
Jul 26 - Superbird 8 (DSN 1) Ariane 5 Launch
Jul 26 - Comet 73P-AJ/Schwassmann-Wachmann Perihelion (0.957 AU)
Jul 26 -[Jul 18] Apollo Asteroid 2016 NE39 Near-Earth Flyby (0.017 AU)
Jul 26 - Amor Asteroid 2016 NW15 Near-Earth Flyby (0.035 AU)
Jul 26 - Apollo Asteroid 2135 Aristaeus Closest Approach To Earth (1.506 AU)
Jul 26 - Asteroid LPL Closest Approach To Earth (2.595 AU)
Jul 26 - Centaur Object 944 Hidalgo At Opposition (5.458 AU)
Jul th Anniversary (1971), Apollo 15 Launch (4th Manned Moon Landing)
JPL Space Calendar

9. Vulcan May Not Be Real, but Spock’s Home System Is
Food for Thought
Vulcan May Not Be Real, but Spock’s Home System Is

10. Falcon 9: Launch and Landing Image Credit & Copyright: Michael Seeley
Space Image of the Week
Falcon 9: Launch and Landing  Image Credit & Copyright: Michael Seeley