Space News Update- November 2, 2012 -

In the News

Story 1: NASA Rover Finds Clues to Changes in Mars' Atmosphere

Story 2: Fermi Measures Light from All the Stars That Have Ever Existed

Story 3: Asteroid Belts at Just the Right Place are Friendly to Life

Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

NASA Rover Finds Clues to Changes in Mars' Atmosphere

>

Fermi Measures Light from All the Stars That Have Ever Existed

Asteroid Belts at Just the Right Place are Friendly to Life

The Night SkyFriday, November 2 · Watch for the waning gibbous Moon to rise below Jupiter and Beta Tauri this evening. One the Moon is high up late in the evening, look lower right of it for wintry Orion making his sparkly appearance, as shown at lower right. Betelgeuse marks Orion's lower shoulder. Saturday, November 3 · Fomalhaut, the "Autumn Star," culminates (reaches its highest point due south) around 9 p.m. daylight saving time. The western side of the Great Square of Pegasus, high above, points almost down to it. The other side of the Great Square points down roughly to Beta Ceti (Diphda), not quite so far. · Standard time returns (for most of North America) at 2 a.m. tonight. Clocks "fall back" an hour. Sunday, November 4 · This is the time of year when the W of Cassiopeia stands on end (its fainter end) high in the northeast in early evening. This is also when the Big Dipper lies level low in the north-northwest. Monday, November 5 · By 8 p.m. Vega is shining in the west-northwest. It's the brightest star there. Look well left of it for Altair in the west-southwest. Above Altair, by a little more than a fist-width at arm's length, is the dim but distinctive little constellation Delphinus, the Dolphin

ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

For Denver:

SATELLITE LOCAL DURATIONMAX ELEV

APPROACH DEPARTURE

DATE/TIME (MIN) (DEG) (DEG-DIR) (DEG-DIR)

ISS Fri Nov 02/06:53 PM 1 13 13 above SW 10 above SSW

ISS Sun Nov 11/05:31 AM 2 20 10 above S 20 above SE

ISS Mon Nov 12/04:43 AM 1 11 10 above SSE 11 above SE

ISS Mon Nov 12/06:17 AM 2 34 10 above WSW 34 above WSW

NASA-TV Highlights

Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.

November 2, Friday6:30 a.m. - Live Coverage of Space Shuttle Atlantis' Departure from the Vehicle Assembly Building and Retirement Ceremony - KSC (All Channels)11 a.m. – ISS Update – JSC (Media and Education Channels)11 a.m. – Continued Coverage of Space Shuttle Atlantis’ Move and Retirement Ceremony at to the KSC Visitor Complex – KSC (Public Channel)12 p.m. – NASA Television Video File – HQ(Media and Education Channels)

Space Calendar· Nov 02 - Luch 5-B/ Yamal 300K Proton M-Briz M Launch · Nov 02 - Moon Occults Jupiter · Nov 02 - Asteroid 4798 Mercator Closest Approach To Earth (1.405 AU) · Nov 02 - Asteroid 16046 Gregnorman Closest Approach To Earth (2.335 AU) · Nov 02 - Asteroid 1268 Libya Closest Approach To Earth (2.868 AU) · Nov 02 - 10th Anniversary (2002), Stardust, Asteroid 5535 Annefrank Flyby · Nov 02 - 95th Anniversary (1917), Mount Wilson 100-inch Telescope First Light · Nov 03 - Taurids Meteor Shower Peak · Nov 03 - Asteroid 1604 Tombaugh Occults TYC 1180-01189-1 (11.2 Magnitude Star) · Nov 03 - [Oct 30] Asteroid 2012 UL171 Near-Earth Flyby (0.020 AU) · Nov 03 - Asteroid 2009 SB15 Near-Earth Flyby (0.078 AU) · Nov 03 - Asteroid 16857 Goodall Closest Approach To Earth (1.246 AU) · Nov 03 - Asteroid 2985 Shakespeare Closest Approach To Earth (1.859 AU) · Nov 03 - Asteroid 52422 LPL Closest Approach To Earth (2.387 AU) · Nov 03 - 55th Anniversary (1957), Sputnik 2 Launch (Laika Dog) · Nov 04 - Daylight Saving - Set Clock Back 1 Hour (United States) · Nov 04 - Comet P/1997 C1 (Gehrels) Closest Approach To Earth (2.923 AU) · Nov 04 - Comet C/2012 S4 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (4.002 AU) · Nov 04 - [Oct 26] Asteroid 2012 UX136 Near-Earth Flyby (0.007 AU) · Nov 04 - Asteroid 2011 EL51 Near-Earth Flyby (0.082 AU) · Nov 04 - Asteroid 3753 Cruithne Closest Approach To Earth (0.450 AU) · Nov 04 - Asteroid 3018 Godiva Closest Approach To Earth (1.441 AU) · Nov 05 - Comet P/2012 T1 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (1.444 AU) · Nov 05 - Comet C/2012 A2 (LINEAR) Perihelion (3.537 AU) · Nov 05 - Asteroid 214869 (2007 PA8) Near-Earth Flyby (0.043 AU) · Nov 05 - Asteroid 9949 Brontosaurus Closest Approach To Earth (1.500 AU) · Nov 05 - 5th Anniversary (2007), Chang'e 1, Moon Orbit Insertion· Nov 05 - 10th Anniversary (2002), Galileo, Amalthea 34 Flyby

JPL Space Calendar

Food for Thought

Could Plasma Jet Thrusters Kickstart Interplanetary Travel?

Space Image of the Week

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems