Space News Update- February 15, 2013 -

In the News

Story 1: Lessons from Today’s Russia Meteor Impact

Story 2: Next Private Spacecraft Launch to Space Station Set for March 1

Story 3: Asteroid 2012 DA14? Or Antares launch story

Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

Lessons from Today’s Russia Meteor Impact

Next Private Spacecraft Launch to Space Station Set for March 1

>

Asteroid 2012 DA14? Or Antares launch story

The Night Sky

Friday, February 15· After dark, look to the right of the crescent Moon by roughly a fist-width at arm's length for the two or three leading stars of Aries (outside the frame above). They're lined up almost vertically.· Algol should be at minimum light for a couple hours centered on 8:12 p.m. EST.

Saturday, February 16· Bright Jupiter shines upper left of the Moon. Aldebaran is to Jupiter's left, and the Pleiades are a little farther to Jupiter's right.· Mercury is at greatest elongation, 18° east of the Sun in evening twilight. A telescope shows (in reasonably good seeing) that this tiny little sphere, just 7 arcseconds wide, is now half-lit.

Sunday, February 17· The first-quarter Moon shines to the right of Jupiter just after dark, as shown above. Watch it move closer to Jupiter through the evening, by about one Moon-diameter per hour, as they tilt down toward the west. They set around 1 or 2 a.m.

Monday, February 18· The Moon now shines to the left or upper left of Jupiter and Aldebaran, drawing farther away from them through the evening.

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 Feb 15/06:14 PM 4 15 10 above NW 10 above NNE

ISS Sat Feb 16/07:02 PM 2 10 10 above NNW 10 above NNE

ISS Sun Feb 17/06:11 PM 2 11 10 above NNW 10 above NNE

ISS Sun Feb 17/07:48 PM < 1 10 10 above NNW 10 above NNW

ISS Mon Feb 18/06:57 PM 2 11 10 above NNW 11 above NNE

NASA-TV Highlights

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

No Special Programming

Space Calendar

Feb 15 - [Feb 14] Asteroid 2012 DA14 Near-Earth Flyby (0.0002 AU)Feb 15 - Asteroid 2005 RZ2 Near-Earth Flyby (0.081 AU)Feb 15 - Asteroid 4345 Rachmaninoff Closest Approach To Earth (1.824 AU)Feb 16 - Mercury At Its Greatest Eastern Elongation (18 Degrees)Feb 16 - Asteroid 2008 DG17 Near-Earth Flyby (0.096 AU)Feb 16 - Asteroid 4536 Drewpinsky Closest Approach To Earth (1.073 AU)Feb 16 - Comet 125P/Spacewatch Perihelion (1.525 AU)Feb 16 - 65th Anniversary (1948), Gerard Kuiper's Discovery of Uranus Moon MirandaFeb 17 - [Feb 10] Cassini, Titan FlybyFeb 17 - Comet 175P/Hergenrother Closest Approach To Earth (1.123 AU)Feb 17 - [Feb 13] Asteroid 2013 CE82 Near-Earth Flyby (0.012 AU)Feb 17 - Asteroid 10195 Nebraska Closest Approach To Earth (2.345 AU)Feb 17 - Asteroid 11911 Angel Closest Approach To Earth (2.534 AU)Feb 18 - Moon Occults JupiterFeb 18 - Moon Occults Asteroid 4 VestaFeb 18 - Asteroid 9387 Tweeddledee Closest Approach To Earth (1.030 AU)Feb 18 - Asteroid 3043 San Diego Closest Approach To Earth (1.063 AU)Feb 18 - Asteroid 5062 Glennmiller Closest Approach To Earth (1.411 AU)Feb 18 - Asteroid 4099 Wiggins Closest Approach To Earth (1.529 AU)

JPL Space Calendar

Gerard Peter Kuiper (December 7, 1905 - December 24, 1973) was a Dutch-American astronomer after whom the Kuiper beltwas named. He discovered two natural satellites of planets in the solar system, namely Uranus's satellite Miranda and Neptune's satellite Nereid.

Food for ThoughtEye-Popping Interactive Panorama from the

Curiosity Rover

Space Image of the Week

Image Credit:  Damian Peach

Shadows Across Jupiter