Space News Update- October 8, 2012 -

In the News

Story 1: SpaceX rocket boosts Dragon cargo ship into orbit

Story 2: Curiosity: First Scoopful A Success

Story 3: Rare X-Ray Nova Reveals a New Black Hole in the Milky Way

Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

SpaceX rocket boosts Dragon cargo ship into orbit

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Curiosity: First Scoopful A Success

Rare X-Ray Nova Reveals a New Black Hole in the Milky Way

The Night SkyMonday, October 8· Even as the stars begin to come out in twilight, Cassiopeia is already higher in the northeast now than the sinking Big Dipper is in the northwest. Cassiopeia's broad W pattern is standing on end.

Tuesday, October 9· Algol should be near minimum light for a couple hours centered on 8:21 p.m. EDT (see Saturday above).

Wednesday, October 10· Jupiter's Great Red Spot should cross the planet's central meridian around 10:54 p.m. EDT.· In early dawn for the next couple mornings, watch the waning crescent Moon passing to the right of Regulus, then Venus, as shown here.

Thursday, October 11· Bright Arcturus is twinkling lower in the western twilight every week, riding off into the sunset for this year. How many more weeks can you follow it down? Well to its right, look for the Big Dipper lying down low.

Friday, October 12· Jupiter's Great Red Spot should cross the planet's central meridian tonight around 12:47 a.m. Saturday morning EDT.· Before dawn Saturday morning, along a path from Southern California through central Texas, the faint asteroid 371 Bohemia should occult an 8.9-magnitude star high in the sky near the Beehive Cluster in Cancer. The occultation should last up to 2 seconds. Details and charts.

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 Mon Oct 08/07:58 PM 1 18 11 above S 18 above S

ISS Tue Oct 09/07:10 PM 3 14 10 above SSE 12 above ESE

ISS Tue Oct 09/08:45 PM 1 18 10 above WSW 18 above WSW

ISS Wed Oct 10/07:56 PM 4 79 10 above SW 65 above ENE

ISS Thu Oct 11/07:07 PM 6 41 10 above SSW 14 above ENE

ISS Thu Oct 11/08:46 PM < 1 19 17 above WNW 19 above WNW

ISS Fri Oct 12/07:57 PM 2 38 27 above WNW 28 above NNE

ISS Fri Oct 05/05:46 AM 2 22 22 above SSW 10 above S

NASA-TV Highlights

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

October 9, Tuesday12 p.m. - Video File of ISS Expedition 33/34 Crew Departure from Star City, Russia for Baikonur, Kazakhstan - JSC (All Channels)1-3 p.m. - Science Systems Engineering for JWST: Why are we building it like this? - GSFC (Public Channel)

October 10, Wednesday4 a.m. - Coverage of the Grapple of the SpaceX/Dragon CRS-1 at the International Space Station (Grapple scheduled at 7:22 a.m. ET) - JSC (All Channels)9:15 a.m. - Coverage of the Berthing of the SpaceX/Dragon CRS-1 to the International Space Station (Berthing begins at 9:40 a.m. ET) - JSC (All Channels)

October 11, Thursday10:25 a.m. - ISS Expedition 33 Interview with ABC News and Collectspace.com - JSC (All Channels)

October 12, Friday10 a.m. - ISS Expedition 33 Interviews with WBZ-TV, Boston and WCVB-TV, Boston - JSC (Public and Media Channels)

Space Calendar

Oct 08 - Comet C/2009 F4 (McNaught) Closest Approach To Earth (5.536 AU)Oct 08 - Asteroid 2975 Spahr Closest Approach To Earth (1.470 AU)Oct 08 - 20th Anniversary (1992), Pioneer Venus' Burnup in Venus' AtmosphereOct 09 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #333 (OTM-333)Oct 09 - Draconids Meteor Shower PeakOct 09 - Asteroid 2012 QE50 Near-Earth Flyby (0.082 AU)Oct 09 - Asteroid 434 Hungaria Closest Approach To Earth (0.961 AU)Oct 09 - 20th Anniversary (1992), Peekskill Meteorite Fall (Hit Car)Oct 10 - Asteroid 9885 Linux Closest Approach To Earth (1.313 AU)Oct 10 - 45th Anniversary (1967), Enactment of the Outer Space TreatyOct 11 - Asteroid 9342 Carygrant Closest Approach To Earth (0.918 AU)Oct 11 - Asteroid 6469 Armstrong Closest Approach To Earth (1.040 AU)Oct 11 - Asteroid 6123 Aristoteles Closest Approach To Earth (1.205 AU)Oct 11 - Lecture: Herschel Opens Up the Cool Universe, Pasadena, CaliforniaOct 12 - [Oct 02] Galileo IOV 3 & 4 Soyuz STB-Fregat LaunchOct 12 - Comet P/2010 A2 (LINEAR) Closest Approach To Earth (1.203 AU)Oct 12 - Asteroid 7100 Martin Luther Closest Approach To Earth (1.757 AU)Oct 12 - Asteroid 9995 Alouette Closest Approach To Earth (1.777 AU)

JPL Space Calendar

The 1980 Chevy Malibu and the Peekskill meteorite. The car, as well as the main mass of the meteorite, are currently in the Macovich Collection of Meteorites.Additional specimens of the meteorite can be found in Chicago's Field Museum, the American National History Museum, and the Smithsonian.

Food for Thought

Envisat Puts ESA in Unenviable Position

Space Image of the Week

CubeSats Launched from the Space StationCredit: NASA