Space News Update- March 11, 2011 -

In the News

Story 1: MESSENGER Poised for Mercury Orbit Insertion

Story 2:NASA Study Goes to Earth's Core for Climate Insights

Story 3: Endeavour’s Final Rollout

 Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

Space CalendarNASA-TV Highlights

Food for ThoughtSpace Image of the Week

MESSENGER Poised for Mercury Orbit Insertion

NASA Study Goes to Earth's Core for Climate Insights

Endeavour’s Final Rollout

The Night Sky

Friday, March 11 · Look lower left of the Moon this evening for Aldebaran, an orange giant star 65 light-years away. About three times farther to the Moon's upper right shines brighter Capella, 42 light-years distant. Saturday, March 12 · This evening until next Friday, Mercury is within 5° of brighter Jupiter very low in the western twilight — your easiest opportunity to spot Mercury all year. Mercury passes Jupiter on Tuesday, as shown below. Watch their changing configuration. Although they look close together, Jupiter is more than five times farther than Mercury; see article. · First-quarter Moon (exact at 6:45 p.m. Eastern Standard Time). The Moon is between the horn stars of Taurus: Beta (β) and Zeta (ζ) Tauri.  · Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday morning for most of the U.S. and Canada.  

The Night Sky

Sunday, March 13 · The third-brightest star that the Moon occults (covers) this year for North America slides behind the Moon's dark edge after sunset, for observers in the Northeast and along the Eastern Seaboard. The star is Mu Geminorum, magnitude 3.2 and orange-red. The Moon will be in fine view very high in the south; see article.

· Binoculars or a telescope show the 6th-magnitude star 46 Virginis only 9 arcminutes from Saturn tonight — looking like a big, wayward Saturnian moon.

Monday, March 14 · The Big Dipper glitters high in the northeast these evenings, standing on its handle. You probably know that the two stars forming the front of the Dipper's bowl (currently on top) are the Pointers; they point to Polaris, currently to their left.

ISS Sighting Opportunities

SATELLITE LOCAL DURATIONMAX ELEV

APPROACH DEPARTURE

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

ISS Fri Mar 11/06:39 PM 3 26 26 above SW 10 above SSE

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

For Denver:

NASA-TV Highlights

March 11, Friday3 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 27 Crew News Conference at Star City, Russia and Visit to Red Square in Moscow - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels)

March 14, Monday4:45 p.m. - ISS Expedition Change of Command Ceremony as Expedition 26 Hands Over to Expedition 27 – JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels)

Space Calendar

· Mar 11 - NROL-27 Delta 4M Launch · Mar 11 - Asteroid 21 Lutetia Occults TYC 6842-01871-1 (10.1 Magnitude Star) · Mar 11 - [Mar 10] Asteroid 2011 EU20 Near-Earth Flyby (0.004 AU) · Mar 11 - Asteroid 2005 EY169 Near-Earth Flyby (0.073 AU) · Mar 11 - Urbain Leverrier's 200th Birthday (1811) · Mar 12 - Asteroid 3 Juno At Opposition (8.9 Magnitude) · Mar 12 - [Mar 08] Asteroid 2011 EM11 Near-Earth Flyby (0.067 AU) · Mar 12 - Asteroid 18725 Atacama Closest Approach To Earth (1.728 AU) · Mar 13 - Daylight Saving - Set Clock Ahead 1 Hour (United States) · Mar 13 - Comet 249P/LINEAR Closest Approach To Earth (0.775 AU) · Mar 13 - Asteroid 2 Pallas Occults TYC 1058-01234-1 (10.2 Magnitude Star) · Mar 13 - [Mar 04] Asteroid 2011 ES4 Near-Earth Flyby (0.029 AU) · Mar 13 - Asteroid 3255 Tholen Closest Approach To Earth (1.668 AU) · Mar 13 - Asteroid 6984 Lewiscarroll Closest Approach To Earth (2.747 AU) · Mar 13 - 25th Anniversary (1986), Giotto, Comet Halley Flyby · Mar 13 - 230th Anniversary (1781), William Herschel's Discovery of Uranus · Mar 14 - Asteroid 2008 FL7 Near-Earth Flyby (0.033 AU) · Mar 14 - Asteroid 2005 ES70 Near-Earth Flyby (0.058 AU)

Food for ThoughtJapan M8.9 quake + tsunami

Space Image of the Week

NASA MRO HiRISE Image of Mars: Changes on Dunes in Russell Crater

Credit: NASA