Space News Update- March 18, 2013 -

In the News

Story 1: ExoMars: ESA and Roscosmos set for Mars missions

Story 2:New Curiosity 'Safe Mode' Status Expected to be Brief

Story 3:

Herschel to Complete Its Mission Soon Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

ExoMars: ESA and Roscosmos set for Mars

missions

New Curiosity 'Safe Mode' Status Expected

to be Brief

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Herschel to Complete Its Mission Soon

The Night SkyMonday, March 18 • Look lower right of the Moon this evening for Jupiter, and upper right of the Moon for Beta Tauri (El Nath).

Tuesday, March 19 • First-quarter Moon (exact at 1:27 p.m. EDT). This evening the Moon shines between the feet of Gemini and the top of Orion's Club.

Wednesday, March 20 • Face southwest after dark. Very high there shines the Moon. Even higher (depending on where you live) are Pollux and Castor. To the Moon's left or lower left is Procyon. • Spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere at the equinox, 7:02 a.m. EDT, when the Sun crosses the equators of both Earth and sky heading north for the year. In the Southern Hemisphere, fall begins.

Thursday, March 21 • High in the south after dusk, the Moon forms part of a big arc with Pollux and Castor to its upper right and Procyon below it.

Friday, March 22 • Now that spring is here, Orion is in the southwest after dark and leaning over to slide soon down to the horizon. Orion's three-star belt is turning nearly horizontal. He is framed by the two brightest starlike points in the sky: Jupiter off to his right and Sirius to his left.

ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

ISS For Denver:

SATELLITE LOCAL DURATION MAX ELEV APPROACH DEPARTURE

DATE/TIME (MIN) (DEG) (DEG-DIR) (DEG-DIR)

ISS Mon Mar 18/05:52 AM 4 37 32 above WNW 10 above NE ISS Tue Mar 19/05:03 AM 1 66 34 above NE 15 above NE ISS Tue Mar 19/06:37 AM 4 15 10 above NW 10 above NNE ISS Wed Mar 20/05:47 AM 3 20 19 above NW 11 above NNE ISS Thu Mar 21/04:58 AM 1 29 21 above NNE 11 above NNE ISS Thu Mar 21/06:33 AM 2 11 10 above NNW 10 above NNE ISS Fri Mar 22/05:43 AM 3 13 12 above NW 10 above NNE

NASA-TV Highlights(all times Eastern Daylight Time)

March 18, Monday3 a.m., 7 am, 8 pm - Video File of ISS Expedition 34 Post-Landing Activities - HQ (Various Channels)11:10 a.m. - ISS Expedition 35 In-Flight News Conference- JSC (Public and Media Channels)12 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 35/36 Crew Departure- JSC (All Channels)1:10 p.m. - ISS Expedition 35 In-Flight Event with “30 Seconds to Mars” - JSC (All Channels)2 p.m. - Interpreted Replay of ISS Expedition 35 In-Flight News Conference with Canadian Media - JSC(All Channels)

March 19, Tuesday9 a.m. - ISS Update - JSC (All Channels)1:30 p.m. - ISS Expedition 36/37 Video B-Roll Footage of Training - JSC (All Channels)2 p.m. - ISS Expedition 36/37 Crew News Conference (Yurchikhin, Parmitano, Nyberg) - JSC (All Channels)

March 20, Wednesday12:05 p.m. - ISS Mission Control Console Interview with the Digital Learning Network - JSC (All Channels)

March 21, Thursday10 a.m. - ISS Update - JSC (All Channels)2 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 35/36 Crew Activities in Baikonur, Kazakhstan - JSC (All Channels)

Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar

JPL Space Calendar

•Mar 18 - MESSENGER, End of Extended Mission •Mar 18 - Comet 197P/LINEAR Closest Approach To Earth (1.180 AU) •Mar 18 - Comet C/2013 D1 (Holvorcem) At Opposition (1.498 AU) •Mar 18 - Comet 163P/NEAT Closest Approach To Earth (2.257 AU) •Mar 18 - [Mar 15] Comet P/2004 T1 (LINEAR-NEAT) At Opposition (3.587 AU) •Mar 18 - Asteroid 21 Lutetia Occults TYC 1867-00945-1 (9.3 Magnitude Star) •Mar 18 - Asteroid 2007 EO88 Near-Earth Flyby (0.011 AU) •Mar 18 - Asteroid 2013 EA Near-Earth Flyby (0.076 AU) •Mar 18 - Asteroid 1224 Fantasia Closest Approach To Earth (1.704 AU) •Mar 18 - Asteroid 6824 Mallory Closest Approach To Earth (2.539 AU) •Mar 19 -SBIRS-Geo 2 Atlas 5 Launch •Mar 19 - Asteroid 14 Irene At Opposition (8.3 Magnitude) •Mar 19 - Asteroid 4957 Brucemurray Closest Approach To Earth (1.227 AU) •Mar 19 - Dwarf Planet 136472 Makemake At Opposition (51.435 AU) •Mar 20 - Vernal Equinox, 11:02 UT •Mar 20 - Comet P/2012 B1 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (2.898 AU) •Mar 20 - Asteroid 4 Vesta Occults 2UCAC 39802852 (11.6 Magnitude Star) •Mar 20 - Asteroid 2010 SE Near-Earth Flyby (0.073 AU) •Mar 20 - Asteroid 325102 (2008 EY5) Near-Earth Flyby (0.083 AU) •Mar 20 - Asteroid 2006 GX2 Near-Earth Flyby (0.096 AU) •Mar 20 - Asteroid 1489 Attila Closest Approach To Earth (1.743 AU) •Mar 21 - Comet 273P/Pons-Gambart Closest Approach To Earth (1.206 AU) •Mar 21 - Asteroid 7462 Grenoble Closest Approach To Earth (1.244 AU) •Mar 21 - Asteroid 11277 Ballard Closest Approach To Earth (1.773 AU) •Mar 21 - Asteroid 25000 Astrometria Closest Approach To Earth (1.912 AU) •Mar 22 - Mars Passes 0.2 Degrees From Uranus •Mar 22 - Asteroid 253 Mathilde Occults TYC 5554-01028-1 (8.4 Magnitude Star) •Mar 22 - Asteroid 2013 ES11 Near-Earth Flyby (0.016 AU) •Mar 22 - [Mar 17] Asteroid 2013 EP89 Near-Earth Flyby (0.060 AU) •Mar 22 - Asteroid 2008 SE85 Near-Earth Flyby (0.062 AU) •Mar 22 - Asteroid 2012 FK15 Near-Earth Flyby (0.082 AU) •Mar 22 - Asteroid 1284 Latvia Closest Approach To Earth (1.906 AU) •Mar 22 - Asteroid 742 Edisona Closest Approach To Earth (2.387 AU)

Food for ThoughtKepler Team Identifies Planet Impostors

that are Binary Stars in Disguise

Image Credit: Chart And Assembly, D. Majaess – Cropped Stellar Graphics from Collier Cameron 2012, Nature

Space Image of the WeekJames Webb Telescope

Model at South by Southwest

Image Credit NASA/Chris Gunn