Space News Update- February 6, 2012 -

In the News

Story 1: ESA's Mars Express radar gives strong evidence for former Mars ocean

Story 2:Manned Moon Shot Possible by 2020

Story 3: 600 Million Year Drought Makes Life on Surface of Mars Unlikely

 Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

ESA's Mars Express radar gives strong evidence for former Mars

ocean

Manned Moon Shot Possible by 2020

600 Million Year Drought Makes Life on Surface of Mars Unlikely

The Night Sky

Thursday, February 9 · The waning gibbous Moon rises in mid-evening with Mars and fainter Denebola lined up to its left, as shown here. · Uranus is 0.3° south (lower left) of Venus right after dark.

Friday, February 10 · In the western sky, bright Jupiter and brighter Venus are 30° apart and closing. Watch the gap between them narrow by 1° per day as they approach their March 13th conjunction.

Monday, February 6 · Action at Jupiter! Io reappears out of eclipse from Jupiter's shadow at 7:10 p.m. EST. Then Europa emerges from behind Jupiter's eastern limb at 7:48 p.m. EST. Eleven minutes later, Europa vanishes into eclipse by Jupiter's shadow at 7:59 p.m. EST, to reappear at 10:25 p.m. EST. All these events happen on or just off the planet's eastern (following) limb. Tuesday, February 7 · Full Moon (exact at 4:54 p.m. EST). The Moon shines in western Leo. Look lower left of the Moon for Regulus, as shown here.

Wednesday, February 8 · The evening Moon in the eastern sky is to the lower right of Regulus and farther upper right from Mars, as shown here. · Saturn is at its stationary point. It now starts moving west against the stars (retrograding), on its way to opposition April 15th.

ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

For Denver:

No Sightings Feb. 6 - 10

NASA-TV Highlights

February 8, Wednesday

10:45 a.m. - ISS Expedition 30 In-Flight Event for Questions Submitted on YouTube - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels)

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

Space Calendar

· Feb 06 - Comet 69P/Taylor Closest Approach To Earth (1.788 AU) · Feb 06 - Asteroid 2579 Spartacus Closest Approach To Earth (1.302 AU) · Feb 07 - Comet C/2010 M1 (Gibbs) Perihelion (2.299 AU) · Feb 07 - Asteroid 433 Eros At Opposition (8.6 Magnitude) · Feb 07 - Asteroid 4923 Clarke Closest Approach To Earth (1.570 AU) · Feb 08 - Asteroid 65228 (2002 EH58) Occults HIP 38140 (6.5 Magnitude Star) · Feb 08 - Asteroid 2012 BC77 Near-Earth Flyby (0.033 AU) · Feb 08 - Asteroid 8003 Kelvin Closest Approach To Earth (1.428 AU) · Feb 08 - Asteroid 12432 Usuda Closest Approach To Earth (2.065 AU) · Feb 08 - 20th Anniversay (1992), Ulysses, Jupiter Flyby · Feb 09 - Asteroid 4768 Hartley Occults HIP 3693 (4.1 Magnitude Star) · Feb 09 - Asteroid 30928 Jefferson Closest Approach To Earth (1.370 AU) · Feb 09 - Asteroid 763 Cupido Closest Approach To Earth (1.425 AU) · Feb 10 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #309 (OTM-309) · Feb 10 - Venus Passes 0.3 Degrees From Uranus · Feb 10 - Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner Closest Approach To Earth (1.850 AU) · Feb 10 - Asteroid 12923 Zephyr Closest Approach To Earth (1.934 AU) · Feb 10 - Asteroid 3623 Chaplin Closest Approach To Earth (2.073 AU) 

JPL Space Calendar

Food for ThoughtVIIRS Eastern Hemisphere Image - Behind the

Scenes

Space Image of the Week