Space News Update- November 12, 2013 -

In the News

Story 1: Indian Mars mission weathers first snag

Story 2:Soyuz returns to Earth with three station fliers and Olympic torch

Story 3: The Day the Earth Smiled: Saturn Shines in this Amazing Image from the Cassini Team

 Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

Indian Mars mission weathers first snag

Soyuz returns to Earth with three station fliers and Olympic torch

The Day the Earth Smiled: Saturn Shines in this Amazing Image from

the Cassini Team

The Night Sky•Tuesday, November 12 •As evening grows late, catch Sirius for perhaps your first time this season! Look for it rising far below Orion (by about two fist-widths at arm's length), nearly at the place on the horizon where Orion's Belt points. Sirius rises around 10 or 11 p.m. depending on your location.

•Wednesday, November 13 •Go out very early this morning or Thursday morning to try for the four pre-dawn comets while the sky is still moonless (see the top of this page). Print out your charts and get everything prepared the evening before. As dawn begins to brighten and you're packing up to go back in, don't miss Mercury rising low in the east-southeast. Mercury, brightening each day, is entering its best dawn showing of 2013.

•Thursday, November 14 •Look left of the waxing gibbous Moon after dusk for the two or three leading stars of Aries, lined up more or less horizontally. High above the Moon and perhaps a bit right is the Great Square of Pegasus. The Moon itself inhabits dim Pisces.

•Friday, November 15 •The bright star high in the west-northwest after dark this month is Vega, often associated with summer. The brightest star higher above it is Deneb. Farther to Vega's left or lower left is Altair, dimmer than Vega but outshining Deneb. These three stars form the Summer Triangle, which is sinking lower each week as summer becomes a distant memory.

•Saturday, November 16 •The Moon is almost equally full this evening and tomorrow evening. Tonight, look above the Moon for the leading star or two of Aries glimmering through the moonlight. About twice as far to the Moon's left twinkles bright Capella.

Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

ISS For Denver:

Date Visible Max Height Appears Disappears

Tue Nov 12, 5:29 AM 6 min 85° 15 above SW 11 above NE

Wed Nov 13, 4:44 AM 3 min 50° 50 above ESE 10 above ENE

Wed Nov 13, 6:18 AM 2 min 22° 10 above WNW 22 above NNW

Thu Nov 14, 5:31 AM 4 min 32° 28 above WNW 11 above NE

Fri Nov 15, 4:45 AM 1 min 23° 23 above NE 11 above NE

Fri Nov 15, 6:19 AM 3 min 14° 10 above NW 11 above NNE

Sat Nov 16, 5:32 AM 3 min 18° 17 above NNW 10 above NNE

NASA-TV Highlights(all times Eastern Daylight Time)

Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

•November 12, Tuesday•9 a.m. - Beyond Earth: Removing the Barriers to Deep Space Exploration a Presentation by NASA’s Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Bill Gerstenmaier Live from the Newseum - HQ (All Channels)•10:20 a.m. - ISS Expedition 38 In-Flight Interview with WCIA-TV, Champaign, IL - JSC (Public and Media Channels)•November 13, Wednesday•6 – 11 a.m. – Live Interviews on MAVEN Science Objectives – GSFC (Public Channel)•8:30 a.m. - News Conference for ESA Media with Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano (will be in native language) - JSC (Media channel)•10 a.m. - Space Station Live - JSC (Media channel)•11:30 a.m. - NASA News Conference on the Completion of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program - HQ (All Channels)•4 p.m. - MAVEN Science Objectives Google+ Hangout – GSFC (All Channels)•November 14, Thursday•12:25 p.m. - ISS Expedition 38 In-Flight Interviews with ESPN “SportsCenter” and WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT - JSC (Public and Media Channels) •November 15, Friday•1 – 2 p.m. - MAVEN Prelaunch News Conference – KSC – (All Channels)•2 – 3 p.m. - MAVEN Spanish Language Prelaunch News Conference – KSC (All Channels)•November 16, Saturday•2 - 4 p.m. - NASA Social - MAVEN Launch #NASASocial - KSC (Public and Education Channels)

Space Calendar

JPL Space Calendar

Nov 12 - [Nov 05] Raduga 1M-3 (Cosmos-Globus 1M3) Proton M-Briz M Launch Nov 12 - Comet P/2013 O2 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (1.179 AU) Nov 12 - [Nov 07] Asteroid 2013 VO4 Near-Earth Flyby (0.029 AU) Nov 12 - Asteroid 2013 UC1 Near-Earth Flyby (0.061 AU) Nov 12 - Asteroid 3905 Doppler Closest Approach To Earth (1.001 AU) Nov 12 - Asteroid 216 Kleopatra Closest Approach To Earth (1.137 AU) Nov 12 - Asteroid 3124 Kansas Closest Approach To Earth (1.717 AU) Nov 12 - Asteroid 3317 Paris Closest Approach To Earth (4.699 AU) Nov 13 - Comet 158P/Kowal-LINEAR Closest Approach To Earth (3.633 AU) Nov 13 - Comet C/2012 U1 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (4.775 AU) Nov 13 - [Nov 08] Asteroid 2013 VX4 Near-Earth Flyby (0.037 AU) Nov 13 - Asteroid 7644 Cslewis Closest Approach To Earth (1.381 AU) Nov 13 - 35th Anniversary (1978), HEAO-2 Launch Nov 14 - Comet 158P/Kowal-LINEAR At Opposition (3.633 AU) Nov 14 - Comet C/2013 G8 (PANSTARRS) Perihelion (5.141 AU) Nov 14 - [Nov 05] Asteroid 2011 JY1 Near-Earth Flyby (0.017 AU) Nov 14 - Asteroid 2012 VS76 Near-Earth Flyby (0.072 AU) Nov 15 - Comet 259P/Garradd At Opposition (1.635 AU) Nov 15 - Asteroid 2008 GD110 Near-Earth Flyby (0.069 AU) Nov 15 - Asteroid 12524 Conscience Closest Approach To Earth (1.206 AU) Nov 15 - Asteroid 3473 Sapporo Closest Approach To Earth (1.620 AU) Nov 15 - 25th Anniversary (1988), Buran Launch (USSR Space Shuttle) Nov 15 - William Herschel's 275th Birthday (1738) Nov 16 - Asteroid 2006 UA216 Near-Earth Flyby (0.098 AU) Nov 16 - Asteroid 2614 Torrence Closest Approach To Earth (1.271 AU) Nov 16 - Asteroid 27320 Vellinga Closest Approach To Earth (1.711 AU) Nov 16 - Asteroid 3162 Nostalgia Closest Approach To Earth (1.812 AU) Nov 16 - Kuiper Belt Object 90377 Sedna At Opposition (85.454 AU) Nov 16 - 40th Anniversary (1973), Skylab 4 Launch (Last Launch to Skylab)

Einstein Observatory (HEAO-2)

Buran

SkyLab 4

Food for ThoughtSpitzer and ALMA Reveal a Star's Bubbly

Birth

Space Image of the Week

Image Credit & Copyright: Damian Peach

Comet Lovejoy with M44