Space News Update- July 29, 2014 -

In the News

Story 1: Extension Granted for NASA's Spitzer Infrared Telescope

Story 2:Cassini Spacecraft Reveals 101 Geysers and More on Icy Saturn Moon

Story 3: Rough Road Ahead: Rocky Mars Terrain Challenges Curiosity Rover

Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

Space CalendarNASA-TV Highlights

Food for ThoughtSpace Image of the Week

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The NightSky

ISSSightings

NASA-TV

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Image ofthe Week

SpaceCalendar

Extension Granted for NASA's Spitzer Infrared Telescope

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The NightSky

ISSSightings

NASA-TV

Food forThought

Image ofthe Week

SpaceCalendar

Cassini Spacecraft Reveals 101 Geysers and More on Icy Saturn Moon

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The NightSky

ISSSightings

NASA-TV

Food forThought

Image ofthe Week

SpaceCalendar

Rough Road Ahead: Rocky Mars Terrain Challenges Curiosity Rover

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The NightSky

ISSSightings

NASA-TV

Food forThought

Image ofthe Week

SpaceCalendar

The Night Sky

Sky & Telescope

Tuesday, July 29

Vega is the brightest star very high in the east. Far down to its lower right shines Altair, almost as bright. Altair is flagged by little Tarazed (3rd magnitude) a finger-width above it, an orange giant far in Altair's background.

Wednesday, July 30

The two brightest stars of summer are Vega, just east of the zenith after dark, and Arcturus, less high toward the west. Both are zero magnitude.

The next zero-magnitude star to make its appearance will be Capella. It doesn't emerge until the early-morning hours. Look for it low in the north-northeast after about 1 a.m. local time (depending on your location, especially your latitude).

Thursday, July 31

In a really dark sky, the Milky Way now forms a magnificent arch high across the whole eastern sky after darkness is complete. It runs all the way from below Cassiopeia in the north-northeast, up and across Cygnus and the Summer Triangle high in the east, and down past the spout of the Sagittarius Teapot in the south.

Friday, August 1

At dusk this evening, the Moon forms the lower-right end of a very long, curving line of celestial objects. Counting to the Moon's upper left, these are Spica, Mars, and Saturn, as shown here.

Today is Lammas Day or Lughnasadh, one of the four traditional "cross-quarter" days midway between the solstices and equinoxes. More or less. The actual midpoint between the June solstice and the September equinox this year comes at 2:40 a.m. August 7th Eastern Daylight Time (6:40 UT). That will be the exact midpoint of astronomical summer.

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The NightSky

ISSSightings

NASA-TV

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ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

ISS For Denver:

Date Visible Max Height Appears Disappears

Tue Jul 29, 4:57 AM 2 min 19° 10 above NNW 19 above NNE

Wed Jul 30, 2:32 AM 1 min 11° 10 above NNW 11 above N

Wed Jul 30, 4:09 AM 2 min 15° 11 above NNW 15 above NNE

Thu Jul 31, 3:20 AM 1 min 12° 10 above NNW 12 above N

Thu Jul 31, 4:56 AM 6 min 37° 10 above NW 11 above E

Fri Aug 1, 2:32 AM < 1 min 11° 10 above NNW 11 above N

Fri Aug 1, 4:08 AM 5 min 25° 11 above NNW 10 above E

Fri Aug 1, 10:26 PM < 1 min 10° 10 above SW 10 above SW

Sat Aug 2, 3:19 AM 5 min 19° 10 above NNW 10 above ENE

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NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Time Zone)

Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

MAVEN Launch November 18, 2013NASAMAVEN Launch November 18, 2013NASAMAVEN Launch November 18, 2013NASA

Tuesday, July 29

8:15 a.m. - ISS Expedition 40 In-Flight Event with Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst for ESA and the German ARD Network (all channels)

8:45 a.m. - ISS Expedition 40 In-Flight Event with Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst for ESA and the German ARD Network (will be interpreted) (all channels)

7:15 p.m. - Coverage of the Launch of the European Space Agency’s “Georges Lemaitre” Automated Transfer Vehicle to the ISS (all channels) Thursday, July 31 12 p.m. - Mars Announcement (all channels)1:10 p.m. - ISS Expedition 40 In-Flight Event with ABC “Nightline” (all channels)

 

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Space Calendar

JPL Space Calendar

• Jul 29 - ATV-5 (Georges Lemaitre) Ariane 5 Launch (International Space Station)

• Jul 29 - South Delta-Aquarids Meteor Shower Peak

• Jul 29 - Comet C/2014 N2 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (1.431 AU)

• Jul 29 - Comet 2P/Encke Closest Approach To Earth (2.130 AU)

• Jul 29 - Comet 282P/2003 BM80 Closest Approach To Earth (3.017 AU)

• Jul 29 - Comet C/2013 H1 (La Sagra) At Opposition (4.040 AU)

• Jul 29 - Asteroid 19578 Kirkdouglas Closest Approach To Earth (1.069 AU)

• Jul 29 - Asteroid 9674 Slovenija Closest Approach To Earth (1.829 AU)

• Jul 29 - 15th Anniversary (1999), Deep Space 1, Asteroid Braille Flyby

• Jul 30 - Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu At Opposition (2.117 AU)

• Jul 30 - Asteroid 103 Hera Occults HIP 91781 (6.1 Magnitude Star)

• Jul 30 - Asteroid 11926 Orinoco Closest Approach To Earth (1.327 AU)

• Jul 30 - Asteroid 3665 Fitzgerald Closest Approach To Earth (1.387 AU)

• Jul 30 - Asteroid 2135 Aristaeus Closest Approach To Earth (1.503 AU)

• Jul 31 - GPS 2F-7 Atlas 5 Launch

• Jul 31 - Comet P/2013 G1 (Kowalski) Closest Approach To Earth (2.693 AU)

• Jul 31 - Asteroid 2014 MD6 Near-Earth Flyby (0.075 AU)

• Jul 31 - Asteroid 3904 Honda Closest Approach To Earth (1.697 AU)

• Jul 31 - Asteroid 79896 Billhaley Closest Approach To Earth (1.980 AU)

• Jul 31 - 15th Anniversary (1999), Lunar Prospector, Moon Impact

• Jul 31 - 45th Anniversary (1969), Mariner 6, Mars Flyby

• Aug 01 - Alpha Capricornids Meteor Shower Peak

• Aug 01 - Comet P/1999 XN120 (Catalina) At Opposition (3.740 AU)

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Food for ThoughtThe Most Precise Measurement of an Alien World's

Size

New Technique Puts Exoplanets on the ScaleNew Technique Puts Exoplanets on the Scale

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Space Image of the Week

SN 1006 Supernova Remnant Image Credit: NASA,ESA, Zolt Levay

(STScI)