1. Space News Update - October 24 - 28, 2011 - In the News Story 1: Story 1: “Baby” Planet Caught in the Act of Forming Story 2: Story 2: Dead ROSAT Satellite Reenters Over South-East Asia Story 3: Story 3: Curiosity Buttoned Up for Martian Voyage in Search of Life’s Ingredients Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

2. “Baby” Planet Caught in the Act of Forming

3. Dead ROSAT Satellite Reenters Over South-East Asia

4. Curiosity Buttoned Up for Martian Voyage in Search of Life’s Ingredients

5. The Night Sky Monday, Oct. 24 · The tiny black shadow of Jupiter's satellite Europa crosses Jupiter tonight from 12:26 to 2:54 a.m. Tuesday morning Eastern Daylight Time (9:26 to 11:54 p.m. Monday evening Pacific Daylight Time). Europa itself follows only about 15 minutes behind its shadow. Tuesday, Oct. 25 · By 9 or 10 p.m. the Autumn Star, Fomalhaut, shines at its highest in the south (not all that high). Fomalhaut is 25 light-years away — exactly the same distance as Vega, shining brighter high in the west. So, the difference in brightness that you see is the two stars' actual difference in true luminosity. Vega looks 1 magnitude brighter than Fomalhaut (in other words, 2.5 times brighter), and so it really is. Wednesday, Oct. 26 · The Ghost of Summer Suns. Halloween is approaching, and this means that Arcturus, the star sparkling low in the west-northwest in twilight, is taking on its role as "the Ghost of Summer Suns." What does this mean? For several days centered on October 29th every year, Arcturus occupies a special place in the sky above your local landscape. It closely marks the spot there where the Sun stood at exactly the same time (by your clock) during warm June and July — in broad daylight, of course! So, in the last days of October each year, you can think of Arcturus as the chilly Halloween ghost of the departed summer Sun. Thursday, Oct. 27 · The shadow of Jupiter's moon Io starts crossing Jupiter around 11:19 p.m. EDT, followed by Io itself just 3 minutes behind almost on top of the shadow. Then at 11:37 p.m. EDT, Ganymede disappears into eclipse by Jupiter's own shadow, just a hairsbreadth beyond Jupiter's western limb. · 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.

6. ISS Sighting Opportunities Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information For Denver: SATELLITELOCALDURATION MAX ELEV APPROACHDEPARTURE DATE/TIME(MIN)(DEG)(DEG-DIR) ISSMon Oct 24/06:30 PM31410 above NW10 above NNE ISSTue Oct 25/07:10 PM< 11010 above N ISSWed Oct 26/07:49 PM< 11010 above N ISSThu Oct 27/06:53 PM< 11010 above N ISSFri Oct 28/07:31 PM113 10 above NNW 13 above N

7. NASA-TV Highlights October 24, Monday 3 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 29/30 Crew News Conference at Star City, Russia and Visit to Red Square in Moscow - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels) 3:45 p.m. - NEEMO B-Roll Feed - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels) 4 - 5 p.m. - Live interviews with the NEEMO 15 crew from the Aquarius Underwater Habitat at Key Largo, FL - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels) October 25, Tuesday 9:55 a.m. - ISS Expedition 29 In-Flight Interviews with CNN and MSNBC October 26, Wednesday 8:10 a.m. - JAXA ISS Expedition 29 In-Flight Educational Event with Takayama Village, Japan and the Saga Newspaper (in native language and replayed with interpretation on ISS Update at 11 a.m.) - JSC (All Channels) 1:30 p.m. - NEEMO B-Roll Feed - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels) 2 - 2:30p.m. - Live interviews with NEEMO 15 astronaut/aquanaut Shannon Walker at the Aquarius Underwater Habitat at Key Largo, FL - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels) 4 p.m. – NPP Prelaunch News Conference - VAFB/KSC (Public, HD and Media Channels) October 27, Thursday 12:30 p.m. - Tweet-Up for NPP Mission - VAFB/KSC (Public, HD and Education Channels) October 28, Friday 3:01 a.m. – NPP Launch Coverage (Launch window is 5:48:01 – 5:57:11 a.m.) – VAFB/KSC (All Channels) 8:30 a.m. – NPP Post Launch News Conference – VAFB (Public, HD and Media Channels) Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.NASA website.

8. Space Calendar · Oct 24 - MESSENGER, Orbit Correction Maneuver #4 (OCM-4)MESSENGEROrbit Correction Maneuver #4 (OCM-4) · Oct 24 - Comet 198P/ODAS Closest Approach To Earth (1.217 AU)Comet 198P/ODASClosest Approach To Earth · Oct 24 - Comet P/2011 R3 (Novichonok-Gerke) Closest Approach To Earth (2.654 AU)Comet P/2011 R3 (Novichonok-Gerke)Closest Approach To Earth · Oct 24 - Comet 111P/Helin-Roman-Crockett Closest Approach To Earth (2.951 AU)Comet 111P/Helin-Roman-CrockettClosest Approach To Earth · Oct 24 - Comet P/2011 P1 (McNaught) Closest Approach To Earth (4.426 AU)Comet P/2011 P1 (McNaught)Closest Approach To Earth · Oct 24 - Comet C/2009 W2 (Boattini) Closest Approach To Earth (6.765 AU)Comet C/2009 W2 (Boattini)Closest Approach To Earth · Oct 24 - Asteroid 230 Athamantis At Opposition (9.9 Magnitude)Asteroid 230 AthamantisAt Opposition · Oct 24 - Asteroid 2011 UH10 Near-Earth Flyby (0.025 AU)Asteroid 2011 UH10Near-Earth Flyby · Oct 24 - Asteroid 2011 UE10 Near-Earth Flyby (0.032 AU)Asteroid 2011 UE10Near-Earth Flyby · Oct 24 - Asteroid 2003 FH Near-Earth Flyby (0.065 AU)Asteroid 2003 FHNear-Earth Flyby · Oct 24 - 5th Anniversary (2006), MESSENGER, 1st Venus FlybyMESSENGER · Oct 24 - 160th Anniversary (1851), William Lassell's Discovery of Uranus Moons Umbriel and ArielWilliam Lassell'sUmbrielAriel · Oct 25 - Comet C/2011 Q3 (McNaught) Closest Approach To Earth (1.372 AU)Comet C/2011 Q3 (McNaught) · Oct 25 - Asteroid 2011 UJ21 Near-Earth Flyby (0.040 AU)Asteroid 2011 UJ21Near-Earth Flyby · Oct 25 - Asteroid 3769 Arthurmiller Closest Approach To Earth (1.137 AU)Asteroid 3769 Arthurmiller · Oct 25 - 5th Anniversary (2006), STEREO LaunchSTEREO · Oct 25 - 340th Anniversary (1671), Giovanni Cassini's Discovery of Saturn Moon IapetusGiovanni Cassini'sIapetus · Oct 26 - Asteroid 4 Vesta Occults TYC 6923-01354-1 (11.7 Magnitude Star)Asteroid 4 Vesta Occults TYC 6923-01354-1 · Oct 26 - Asteroid 433 Eros Occults 2UCAC 47528641 (12.5 Magnitude Star)Asteroid 433 Eros Occults 2UCAC 47528641 · Oct 26 - Asteroid 1993 VD Near-Earth Flyby (0.090 AU)Asteroid 1993 VDNear-Earth Flyby · Oct 26 - Asteroid 2006 SP19 Near-Earth Flyby (0.091 AU)Asteroid 2006 SP19Near-Earth Flyby · Oct 26 - Asteroid 17033 Rusty Closest Approach To Earth (1.329 AU)Asteroid 17033 Rusty · Oct 26 - Asteroid 2866 Hardy Closest Approach To Earth (1.522 AU)Asteroid 2866 Hardy · Oct 26 - Asteroid 2002 Euler Closest Approach To Earth (1.585 AU)Asteroid 2002 Euler · Oct 27 - Asteroid 2011 QY39 Near-Earth Flyby (0.082 AU)Asteroid 2011 QY39Near-Earth Flyby · Oct 27 - Asteroid 2005 CJ Near-Earth Flyby (0.082 AU)Asteroid 2005 CJNear-Earth Flyby · Oct 27 - 50th Anniversary (1961), 1st Test Flight of Saturn 1 Launch VehicleSaturn 1 · Oct 28 - NPP/ RAX-2/DICE 1 & 2/ Aubiesat 1/ MCubed/ E1P F2 Delta 2 LaunchNPPRAX-2Aubiesat 1MCubedE1P F2Delta 2 Launch · Oct 28 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #297 (OTM-297)Cassini · Oct 28 - Moon Occults MercuryMoon Occults Mercury · Oct 28 - Asteroid 4150 Starr Closest Approach To Earth (1.126 AU)Asteroid 4150 Starr · Oct 28 - 40th Anniversary (1971), Prospero Launch (Great Britian's First Space Launch)Prospero JPL Space Calendar

9. Food for Thought NASA Releases Visual Tour of Earth's Fires

10. Space Image of the Week Sunset with the Massive Sun Spot 1302 (Upper left on the Sun) Credit: Adrian Scott