Space News Update- December 31, 2013 -

In the News

Story 1: Spider-Like Spacecraft Aims to Touch a Comet Next Year After Rosetta

Reactivates

Story 2:Mars Express heading towards daring flyby of Phobos

Story 3: Yutu Flexes Robot Arm then Enters Hibernation During Long Lunar Night

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The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

Space CalendarNASA-TV Highlights

Food for ThoughtSpace Image of the Week

Happy New Year!!

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Spider-Like Spacecraft Aims to Touch a Comet Next Year After Rosetta

Reactivates

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The NightSky

ISSSightings

NASA-TV

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SpaceCalendar

Mars Express Heading Towards Daring Flyby of Phobos

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The NightSky

ISSSightings

NASA-TV

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SpaceCalendar

Yutu Flexes Robot Arm then Enters Hibernation During Long Lunar Night

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NASA-TV

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The Night Sky

Sky & Telescope

Tuesday, December 31 • After the New Year's cheering at midnight, step outside into the silent dark.

Sirius shines almost due south. Jupiter, even brighter, beams much higher to the south. Orion strides to the upper right of Sirius. Procyon shines to Sirius's upper left, and Leo is climbing the eastern sky.

Wednesday, January 1 • New Moon (exact at 6:14 a.m. EST). Shortly after the Sun sets, in central and

western North America you can try to spot what will almost certainly be your personal record-young crescent Moon, perhaps for the rest of your life. An extremely thin trace of the Moon will be almost straight above the sunset point — and conveniently for locating it, 8° to 9° lower right of Venus. And the Moon is at perigee.

• The sighting should be possible with binoculars on the West Coast, where the Moon will be approximately 14 hours old and 8.5° from the Sun. Figure its age from the time of new Moon: 11:14 UT (3:14 a.m. Pacific Standard Time).

Thursday, January 2 • As twilight starts to fade, look for the thin crescent Moon (24 hours older

now, much easier than yesterday) above Venus low in the southwest, as shown at right. Venus too is a (tiny) crescent. The two crescents face almost the same way toward their light source, the Sun.

• In parts of western North America, a telescope will show the Moon's dark, Earthlit limb occulting the wide double star Beta Capricorni.

• The brief Quadrantid meteor shower is predicted to peak around 19h or 20h UT (11 a.m. or noon Pacific Standard Time). This is good timing for the eastern half of Asia but broad daylight in North America. By one prediction, however, the Quads may come a few hours early and be active before dawn for the West Coast.

Friday, January 3 • After sunset, look far lower right of the waxing crescent Moon for Venus,

dropping lower every day. How much longer can you keep Venus in view? It will reach inferior conjunction, 5° north of the Sun, on January 11th.

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ISS Sighting Opportunities

Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information

ISS For Denver:

Not Available

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NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Time Zone)

Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

MAVEN Launch November 18, 2013NASAMAVEN Launch November 18, 2013NASAMAVEN Launch November 18, 2013NASA

December 31, Tuesday

11 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Replay of Space Station Research: Top 10 Results; Parts 1 and 2 (preempts Space Station Live) -

HQ (All Channels)

1 p.m. - NASA Television Video File 2013 Year in Review - HQ (All Channels)

2:30 p.m. - This Year at NASA 2013 - HQ (All Channels)

3 p.m. - Replay of Space Station Research: Top 10 Results; Parts 1 and 2 (preempts Space Station Live) - HQ (All

Channels)

4 p.m. - NASA Television Video File 2013 Year in Review - HQ (All Channels)

6 p.m. - NASA Television Video File - HQ (All Channels)

7 p.m. - Replay of Space Station Research: Top 10 Results; Parts 1 and 2 - HQ (All Channels)

8 p.m.  - This Year at NASA 2013 - HQ (All Channels)

9 p.m. - NASA Television Video File 2013 Year in Review - HQ (All Channels)

10:30 p.m. - This Year at NASA 2013 - HQ (All Channels)

11 p.m. - Replay of Space Station Research: Top 10 Results; Parts 1 and 2 - HQ (All Channels)

January 2, Thursday

7:05 a.m. - ISS Expedition 38 In-Flight Event with WGN Radio, Chicago - JSC (All Channels)

January 4, Saturday

10:30 a.m. - FIRST 2014 Season Kick-Off - HQ (Public and Education Channels)

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Space Calendar

JPL Space Calendar

• Dec 31 - Comet 110P/Hartley Closest Approach To Earth (1.494 AU)

• Dec 31 - Asteroid 25143 Itokawa Closest Approach To Earth (1.610 AU)

• Dec 31 - Asteroid 6032 Nobel Closest Approach To Earth (1.898 AU)

• Dec 31 - 10th Anniversary (2004), Cassini, Iapetus Flyby

• Dec 31 - Robert Aiken's 150th Birthday (1864)

• Jan 01 - Cassini, Titan Flyby

• Jan 01 - Comet 110P/Hartley At Opposition (1.494 AU)

• Jan 01 - Comet 191P/McNaught At Opposition (1.705 AU)

• Jan 01 - Asteroid 18725 Atacama Closest Approach To Earth (1.446 AU)

• Jan 02 - Comet 271P/van Houten-Lemmon Closest Approach To Earth (4.086 AU)

• Jan 02 - Asteroid 2005 YQ96 Near-Earth Flyby (0.026 AU)

• Jan 02 - Asteroid 241418 Darmstadt Closest Approach To Earth (2.019 AU)

• Jan 02 - Asteroid 1981 Midas Closest Approach To Earth (2.210 AU)

• Jan 02 - Isaac Asimov's 95th Birthday (1920)

• Jan 02 - Leslie Peltier's 115th Birthday (1900)

• Jan 03 - Thaicom 6 Falcon 9 Launch

• Jan 03 - Quadrantids Meteor Shower Peak

• Jan 03 - Comet 268P/Bernardi Closest Approach To Earth (1.618 AU)

• Jan 03 - Comet 37P/Forbes At Opposition (4.312 AU)

• Jan 03 - 15th Anniversary (2000), Galileo, Europa 26 Flyby

• Jan 04 - Earth At Perihelion (0.983 AU From Sun)

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Food for ThoughtApollo 8: Christmas at the Moon – the 45th

Anniversary

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Dawn Creates Guide to Vesta’s Hidden AttractionsImage Credit: NASA