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Space News Update - April 16 - 20, 2012 In the News Story 1: Shuttle Discovery Mated to 747 Carrier for her Final Flight to Smithsonian Home Story 2: Planets shepherd Fomalhaut's flock Story 3: Mars Life Search to Go in High Gear Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week Shuttle Discovery Mated to 747 Carrier for her Final Flight to Smithsonian Home Planets shepherd Fomalhaut's flock Mars Life Search to Go in High Gear The Night Sky · Monday, April 16 · As twilight fades, Look for bright Sirius in the southwest, Orion's horizontal Belt off to the right (with Betelgeuse above it, Rigel below it), and Aldebaran and Venus farther to the right in the west. Tuesday, April 17 · The eclipsing variable star Algol is at minimum brightness, magnitude 3.4 instead of its usual 2.1, for a couple hours centered on 10:44 p.m. EDT (9:44 p.m. CDT). This is the last chance till August to see Algol at minimum from the latitudes of the U.S. Wednesday, April 18 · This is the time of year when the dim Little Dipper juts to the right from Polaris (its handle-end) at nightfall. The much brighter Big Dipper curls over high above it, "dumping water" straight down into it. Thursday, April 19 · Bright Vega is now visible low in the northeast as early as 9:30 or 10 p.m. (depending on where you live). Bright Arcturus dominates the high sky due east. Look a third of the way from Arcturus to Vega for dim Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, with its one modestly bright star, Alphecca. Look two-thirds of the way from Arcturus to Vega for the dimmer Keystone of Hercules. Friday, April 20 · Capella, Venus, and Aldebaran form an almost perfectly straight line in the western sky this evening and Saturday evening, in that order from upper right to lower left. Looking Northeast on April 18th, 10PM (StarryNight Software) ISS Sighting Opportunities For Denver: SATELLITE LOCAL DATE/TIME DURATION (MIN) MAX ELEV (DEG) APPROACH DEPARTURE (DEG-DIR) (DEG-DIR) ISS Mon Apr 16/08:05 PM 2 18 18 above NNW 11 above NNE ISS Mon Apr 16/09:42 PM <1 10 10 above N 10 above N ISS Tue Apr 17/08:45 PM 2 11 10 above NNW 10 above N ISS Tue Apr 17/10:22 PM <1 11 10 above N 11 above N ISS Wed Apr 18/09:26 PM 1 10 10 above N 10 above NNE ISS Thu Apr 19/08:30 PM <1 10 10 above N 10 above N ISS Thu Apr 19/10:05 PM 1 15 11 above NNW 15 above N ISS Fri Apr 20/09:10 PM 2 12 10 above N 10 above NE Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information NASA-TV Highlights April 16, Monday NET 3 p.m. – ISS SpaceX/Dragon Post-Flight Readiness Review Preflight Briefing 7 p.m. - NASA’s Science Mission Directorate Presents the “National Finals of FameLab Astrobiology” - HQ (Public and Education Channels) April 17, Tuesday 6:45 a.m. - Live Coverage of Space Shuttle Discovery’s Departure from the Kennedy Space Center - HQ (All Channels) TBD - Space Shuttle Discovery Fly Over of Washington, DC Metro Area April 18, Wednesday 1 p.m. - GSFC Presents Beautiful Earth Multimedia Performance and Science Dialogue April 19, Thursday 6:45 a.m. - ISS Progress 46 Undocking Coverage (Undocking scheduled at 7 a.m. ET) 10 a.m. - ISS Update - JSC (All Channels) 11 a.m. - NASA Transfers Space Shuttle to the Smithsonian’s Air & Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center - HQ (All Channels) April 20, Friday 8:30 a.m. - ISS Progress 47 Launch Coverage (Launch scheduled at 8:50 a.m. ET) 12:05 p.m. - ISS Mission Control Interview with the Digital Learning Network Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website. Space Calendar · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Apr 16 - Cassini, Distant Flyby of Hyperion Apr 16 - Comet C/2012 CH17 (MOSS) Closest Approach To Earth (1.987 AU) Apr 16 - Comet C/2006 S3 (LONEOS) Perihelion (5.131 AU) Apr 16 - Asteroid 16761 Hertz Closest Approach To Earth (2.110 AU) Apr 16 - 40th Anniversary (1972), Apollo 16 Launch (Manned Moon Landing) Apr 16 - Wilbur Wright's 145th Birthday (1867) Apr 16 - Leonardo DaVinci's 560th Birthday (1452) Apr 17 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #317 (OTM-317) Apr 17 - Kuiper Belt Object 50000 Quaoar Occults UCAC2 26033679 (11.4 Magnitude Star) Apr 17 - Asteroid 12002 Sues Closest Approach To Earth (2.110 AU) Apr 17 - 45th Anniversary (1967), Surveyor 3 Launch (Moon Lander) Apr 18 - Mercury At Its Greatest Western Elongation (27 Degrees) Apr 18 - Asteroid 2012 FC71 Near-Earth Flyby (0.075 AU) Apr 19 - Asteroid 2007 HV4 Near-Earth Flyby (0.012 AU) Apr 19 - Asteroid 2653 Principia Closest Approach To Earth (1.331 AU) Apr 19 - 30th Anniversary (1982), Salyut 7 Space Station Launch Apr 20 - Progress M-15M Soyuz U Launch (Internatiional Space Station 47P) Apr 20 - Asteroid 2012 GE5 Near-Earth Flyby (0.047 AU) Apr 20 - Asteroid 5760 Mittlefehldt Closest Approach To Earth (2.019 AU) JPL Space Calendar Food for Thought Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week Space Image of the Week