1. Space News Update - October 28, 2011 - In the News Story 1: Story 1: First Progress Launch Since Accident Looms Large for Space Station Program Story 2: Story 2: Faraway Eris is Pluto's Twin Story 3: Story 3: Astronomers Pin Down Galaxy Collision Rate Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

2. First Progress Launch Since Accident Looms Large for Space Station Program

3. Faraway Eris is Pluto's Twin

4. Astronomers Pin Down Galaxy Collision Rate

5. The Night Sky Friday, Oct. 28 · In bright twilight, look for the thin waxing crescent Moon very low in the southwest. Can you spot Venus to its lower right, as shown here? They're separated by roughly a fist-width at arm's length (depending on your longitude). Use binoculars to try for much fainter Antares and Mercury. · Jupiter is at opposition tonight, opposite the Sun as seen from Earth. Like last year's opposition, this is an unusually close one; see Jupiter under "This Week's Planet Roundup" below. Saturday, Oct. 29 · The crescent Moon is higher and easier to spot now after sunset than it was yesterday. The moon's round limb points to the lower right, toward very low Venus and Mercury as shown here. Sunday, Oct. 30 Comet Garradd continues glowing at 6th magnitude just as predicted. Find it with binoculars or a telescope near the head of Hercules in the western sky right dark, using our finder chart online or in the November Sky & Telescope, page 52.onlineNovember Sky & Telescope If you're in the Eastern time zone, you'll find Algol at its minimum brightness at nightfall. Farther west, Algol will already be rebrightening when the sky gets dark. Monday, Oct. 31 Halloween evening finds the crescent Moon lowering in the southwest and bright Jupiter rising higher in the east. Perfect for setting up your telescope in the driveway and giving looks to visiting trick-or-treaters! In this way are new astronomers sometimes made.

6. ISS Sighting Opportunities SATELLITELOCALDURATION MAX ELEV APPROACHDEPARTURE DATE/TIME(MIN)(DEG)(DEG-DIR) Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information For Denver: For Denver: No ISS Sighting Opportunities ISSFri Oct 28/07:31 PM11310 above NNW13 above N ISSSat Oct 29/06:34 PM11010 above N10 above NNE ISSSat Oct 29/08:09 PM< 11210 above NNW12 above NNW ISSSun Oct 30/07:13 PM21710 above NNW17 above NNE ISSMon Oct 31/07:51 PM22710 above NW27 above NNW ISSFri Oct 28/07:31 PM11310 above NNW13 above N

7. NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Daylight Time) Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA websiteNASA website October 30, Sunday 6 a.m. - ISS Progress 45 Launch Coverage from Baikonur, Kazakhstan (launch is scheduled at 6:11 a.m.) - JSC (All Channels) October 31, Monday 12 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 29/30 Crew Departure for Baikonur, Kazakhstan Ceremony at Star City, Russia - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels)

8. Space Calendar Oct 28 - [Oct 28] NPP/ RAX-2/DICE 1 & 2/ Aubiesat 1/ MCubed/ E1P F2 Delta 2 Launch, Successful Oct 28 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #297 (OTM-297) Oct 28 - Moon Occults Mercury Oct 28 - [Oct 26] Asteroid 2011 UN91 Near-Earth Flyby (0.028 AU) Oct 28 - Asteroid 4150 Starr Closest Approach To Earth (1.126 AU) Oct 28 - 40th Anniversary (1971), Prospero Launch (Great Britian's First Space Launch) Oct 29 - Jupiter At Opposition Oct 29 - Asteroid 2011 LC19 Near-Earth Flyby (0.058 AU) Oct 29 - Kuiper Belt Object 55637 (2002 UX25) At Opposition (40.454 AU) Oct 29 - 20th Anniversary (1991), Galileo, Asteroid Gaspra Flyby Oct 30 - [Oct 23] Progress M-13M/ Chibis-M Soyuz U Launch (International Space Station 45P) Oct 30 - [Oct 25] Asteroid 2011 UU63 Near-Earth Flyby (0.033 AU) Oct 30 - Asteroid 2023 Asaph Closest Approach To Earth (1.319 AU) Oct 30 - Asteroid 1941 Wild Closest Approach To Earth (1.990 AU) Oct 30 - 30th Anniversary (1981), Venera 13 Launch (USSR Venus Lander/Flyby Mission) Oct 31 - [Oct 24] Shenzhou 8 CZ-2F/H Launch (Unmanned China Launch to Tian Gong 1 Space Station) Oct 31 - Comet C/2011 L2 (McNaught) Perihelion (1.965 AU) Oct 31 - Asteroid 2010 VU98 Near-Earth Flyby (0.046 AU) Oct 31 - Asteroid 214476 Stephencolbert Closest Approach To Earth (2.215 AU) Oct 31 - Kuiper Belt Object 84522 (2002 TC302) At Opposition (45.071 AU) Oct 31 - 75th Anniversary (1936), 1st Successful Rocket Engine Test in Pasadena, California (JPL's Beginnings) Johann Gottfried Galle

9. Food for Thought NASA Planetary Science Not Being Killed, Says NASA Official

10. Space Image of the Week Spooky, Giant Prominence Haunts the Sun Credit: Monty Leventhal, OAM