Space News Update- May 04, 2012 -

In the News

Story 1: Paydirt at 8-Year-Old Mars Rover's 'New Landing Site'

Story 2:White Dwarf Stars Eat Earth-like Exoplanets

Story 3: Jupiter Picked for Next Major European Space Mission

Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

Paydirt at 8-Year-Old Mars Rover's 'New Landing Site'

White Dwarf Stars Eat Earth-like Exoplanets

Jupiter Picked for Next Major European Space Mission

The Night SkyFriday, May 4 · Look above the bright Moon this evening for Saturn and Spica, as shown here. Saturday, May 5 · Full Moon (exact at 11:35 p.m. EDT), in Libra. This is the closest and largest full Moon of 2012, though not remarkably so. The Moon is 8% closer and larger than average, and only 0.16 magnitude brighter than average, so you'd need measuring tools to really tell. Take a look. What do you think? Sunday, May 6 · Venus, the brilliant "Evening Star" in the west, is passing its closest to the star Beta Tauri, which is only 1/300 as bright at magnitude 1.6. During and after late twilight, look for the star 0.8° to Venus's upper right. That's about a pencil-width at arm's length. Although they look close together, they're not. Venus is 3 light-minutes from us; Beta Tauri is 130 light-years in the background. Monday, May 7 · The waning gibbous Moon is up in the southeast by around 11 p.m., depending on where you live. Look about a fist-width to the Moon's right for fiery Antares. Around and upper right of Antares are other stars of Scorpius.

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)

NO SIGHTINGS AVAILABLE

NASA-TV Highlights

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

May 5, Saturday3 p.m. - 2012 Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - KSC (All Channels)9 p.m. - Replay of 2012 Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - HQ (All Channels) May 6, Sunday9 a.m. - Replay of 2012 Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - HQ (All Channels)3 p.m. - Replay of 2012 Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - HQ (All Channels)8 p.m. - Replay of 2012 Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - HQ (All Channels)

Space CalendarMay 04 - [Apr 27] Space Day May 04 - [May 03] Comet C/2012 H2 (McNaught) Perihelion (1.735 AU) May 04 - Asteroid 2010 KX7 Near-Earth Flyby (0.039 AU) May 04 - Asteroid 6154 Stevesynnott Closest Approach To Earth (1.202 AU) May 04 - Asteroid 218998 Navi Closest Approach To Earth (1.248 AU) May 04 - 10th Anniversary (2002), AQUA Launch May 04 - 45th Anniversary (1967), Lunar Orbiter 4 Launch May 05 - Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower Peak May 05 - [May 02] 2012 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction, Kennedy Space Center, Florida May 06 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #320 (OTM-320) May 06 - Cassini, Distant Flyby of Titan May 06 - Comet P/2011 U2 (Bressi) Perihelion (4.838 AU) May 06 - Asteroid 5720 Halweaver Closest Approach To Earth (1.274 AU) May 06 - Willem de Sitter's 140th Birthday (1872) May 07 - [May 02] Dragon C-2 & C-3 Falcon 9 Launch (International Space Station) May 07 - Comet 123P/West-Hartley Closest Approach To Earth (2.094 AU) May 07 - Asteroid 3 Juno Occults UCAC2 30551972 (11.8 Magnitude Star) May 07 - Asteroid 2012 HL Near-Earth Flyby (0.054 AU) May 07 - Asteroid 12524 Conscience Closest Approach To Earth (1.431 AU) May 07 - Asteroid 1134 Kepler Closest Approach To Earth (1.864 AU) May 07 - 15th Anniversary (1997), Galileo, Ganymede 8 Flyby

JPL Space Calendar

Food for ThoughtStephen Colbert Receives NSS Award from

Buzz Aldrin

Credit: Colbert Report

Space Image of the Week

Credit: NASA, DOE, International Fermi LAT Collaboration