1. Space News Update - September 30, 2014 - In the News Departments
Story 1: MOM Eyes the Limb of Mars after History Creating Arrival
Story 2: This Huge Alien Planet Is Making Its Host Star Age Prematurely
Story 3: Construction of Texas launch site to begin next year
Departments
The Night Sky
ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights
Space Calendar
Food for Thought
Space Image of the Week

2. MOM Eyes the Limb of Mars after History Creating Arrival
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. This Huge Alien Planet Is Making Its Host Star Age Prematurely

4. Construction of Texas launch site to begin next year

5. The Night Sky Tuesday, September 30
Arcturus is the bright star due west at nightfall. It's an orange giant 37 light-years away. Off to its right in the northwest is the Big Dipper, most of whose stars are about 80 light-years away. They're both sinking lower every week now.
Wednesday, October 1
First-quarter Moon (exact at 3:33 p.m. EDT). The Moon shines above the Sagittarius Teapot in the south at nightfall.
Thursday, October 2
Look high above the Moon at nightfall for Altair. Crossing the zenith (for the mid-northern latitudes) are the other two stars of the Summer Triangle: Vega and Deneb.
Friday, October 3
As early as 8 p.m. now look for Fomalhaut, the Autumn Star, on its way up from the southeast horizon. This evening it's very far lower left of the Moon.
Saturday, October 4
The W of Cassiopeia now stands vertically (on its dimmer end) high in the northeast around 10 or 11 p.m., depending on your location. By then the Big Dipper is lying level just above the north-northwest horizon — if you're in the mid-northern latitudes. As far south as San Diego and Jacksonville, the Dipper will lie partly below the horizon..
Sky & Telescope

6. ISS Sighting Opportunities
ISS For Denver:
Date
Visible
Max Height
Appears
Disappears
Tue Sep 30, 4:24 AM
< 1 min
15°
15 above ENE
Tue Sep 30, 5:57 AM
5 min
43°
17 above WNW
12 above SSE
Wed Oct 1, 5:11 AM
3 min
64°
64 above SE
11 above SE
Thu Oct 2, 5:58 AM
2 min
15 above SW
10 above SSW
Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information

7. NASA-TV Highlights Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website
(all times Eastern Daylight Time)
2 p.m., Friday, October 3 - ISS Expedition 41 U.S. Spacewalk Briefing (all channels)
Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

8. Little Joe Tests Mercury Escape System
Space Calendar
Sep 29-Oct 05 - [Sep 29] Astronomy Week
Sep 30 - Kondor-E 1 Strela Launch
Sep 30 - Comet 113P/Spitaler Closest Approach To Earth (1.625 AU)
Sep 30 - Comet 264P/Larsen At Opposition (4.139 AU)
Sep th Anniversary (1994), STS-68 Launch (Space Shuttle Endeavour, Radar Imaging)
Sep 30 - Phil Plait's 50th Birthday (1964)
Oct 01 - [Sep 28] Comet P/2014 S4 (Gibbs) Closest Approach To Earth (1.436 AU)
Oct 01 - Asteroid 2012 SL50 Near-Earth Flyby (0.028 AU)
Oct 01 - Asteroid 2014 HR178 Near-Earth Flyby (0.057 AU)
Oct 01 - Asteroid Babbage Closest Approach To Earth (1.454 AU)
Oct 01 - Asteroid Rayman Closest Approach To Earth (1.576 AU)
Oct 01 - Asteroid 1772 Gagarin Closest Approach To Earth (1.797 AU)
Oct 01 - Galaxy Forum Canada, Toronto, Canada
Oct 02 - Comet C/2014 L5 (Lemmon) Closest Approach To Earth (5.406 AU)
Oct 02 - Comet C/2014 L5 (Lemmon) At Opposition (5.406 AU)
Oct 03 - Comet 308P/Lagerkvist-Carsenty At Opposition (3.365 AU)
Oct 03 - [Sep 28] Asteroid 2014 SX261 Near-Earth Flyby (0.023 AU)
Oct 03 - Asteroid 2011 PT Near-Earth Flyby (0.045 AU)
Oct 03 - [Sep 28] Asteroid 2014 SU261 Near-Earth Flyby (0.056 AU)
Oct 03 - Asteroid Lugh Closest Approach To Earth (1.084 AU)
Oct 03 - Asteroid Tukmit Closest Approach To Earth (1.260 AU)
Oct 03 - Asteroid 4766 Malin Closest Approach To Earth (1.586 AU)
Oct 03 - Asteroid 9661 Hohmann Closest Approach To Earth (2.110 AU)
Oct 04 - [Sep 27] Astronomy Day
Oct 04 - [Sep 28] Comet P/2014 S4 (Gibbs) At Opposition (1.436 AU)
Oct 04 - Comet 170P/Christensen Closest Approach To Earth (1.936 AU)
Oct 04 - Comet 286P/Christensen Closest Approach To Earth (2.109 AU)
Oct 04 - Comet P/2008 Y2 (Gibbs) At Opposition (2.555 AU)
Oct 04 - Comet 211P/Hill At Opposition (2.627 AU)
Oct 04 - Asteroid 2012 HN1 Near-Earth Flyby (0.086 AU)
Oct 04 - Asteroid 5799 Brewington Closest Approach To Earth (1.208 AU)
Oct th Anniversary (2004), SpaceShipOne Launch F-3 (3rd Private Manned Space Flight)
Oct th Anniversary (1959), Luna 3 Launch (USSR Moon Flyby Mission)
Oct th Anniversary (1959), Little Joe 1 Launch
Little Joe Tests Mercury Escape System
JPL Space Calendar

9. Cassini Watches Mysterious Feature Evolve in Titan Sea
Food for Thought
Cassini Watches Mysterious Feature Evolve in Titan Sea

10. Unusual Rocks near Pahrump Hills on Mars
Space Image of the Week
Unusual Rocks near Pahrump Hills on Mars
Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS