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Space News Update - June 19, 2015 In the News Story 1: Study suggests active volcanism on Venus Story 2: All Systems Go for NASA's Mission to Jupiter Moon Europa Story 3: For comet scientists, elation and redemption at Philae’s wakeup Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week Study suggests active volcanism on Venus All Systems Go for NASA's Mission to Jupiter Moon Europa 1. Ratchet Wrench ‘E-mailed’ to Space Station For comet scientists, elation and redemption at Philae’s wakeup The Night Sky Friday, June 19 The pair-up of Venus and Jupiter is becoming ever more eye-catching in the west at dusk, as they near their June 30th closest approach. This evening as twilight fades, look below them for the thin waxing crescent Moon, as shown here. Saturday, June 20 The Moon, Jupiter, and Venus form a striking triangle in the west during and after dusk. Regulus and the Sickle of Leo watch over them from the upper left. Think photo opportunity! Sunday, June 21 Now the Moon shines left of Regulus in the evening. Jupiter and Venus are farther lower right, as shown here. Today is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere; the shortest in the Southern Hemisphere. The solstice is at 12:38 p.m. EDT (16:38 UT), marking the official start of northern summer (southern winter). Because the solstice time falls right between the nights before and after in the Eastern time zone, you can have two Midsummer's Night parties! Monday, June 22 Saturn is the brightest point glowing in the south these evenings. The stars of upper Scorpius glitter below and lower left of it. Tuesday, June 23 As night falls, look for the Big Dipper hanging straight down in the northwest. Its bottom two stars, the Pointers, point to the right toward modest Polaris, the handle-end of the Little Dipper. Most of the Little Dipper is very dim. This is the time of year when it floats straight upward from Polaris when nightfall is complete — like a helium balloon escaped from some June evening party. Sky & Telescope ISS Sighting Opportunities Date Visible Max Height Appears Disappears Fri Jun 19, 10:21 PM 2 min 12° 10 above WSW 12 above SW Sat Jun 20, 9:27 PM 4 min 24° 15 above W 11 above S Mon Jun 22, 9:18 PM 1 min 10° 10 above WSW 10 above SW Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information MAVEN Launch November 18, 2013 NASA NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Time Zone) 11 a.m., Tuesday, June 23 - Space Station Live (NTV-2 (Education), NTV-3 (Media)) 11 a.m., Tuesday, June 23 - NASA Astronaut Reid Wiseman Discusses Living and Working Aboard the ISS (NTV-1 (Public)) 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 23 - Weekly Update on the New Horizons/Pluto Pre-Flyby Mission (NTV-2 (Education)) 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 23 - ISS Expedition In-Flight Event with CBS Evening News with Expedition 44 Flight Engineer Scott Kelly -- Event Begins 12:45 p.m. ET (all channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website Space Calendar Jun 19 - Asteroid 2015 KS57 Near-Earth Flyby (0.046 AU) Jun 19 - Asteroid 24761 Ahau Closest Approach To Earth (0.754 AU) Jun 19 - Asteroid 25137 Seansolomon Closest Approach To Earth (0.836 AU) Jun 19 - Asteroid 37655 Illapa Closest Approach To Earth (1.626 AU) Jun 19 - Asteroid 8353 Megryan Closest Approach To Earth (1.755 AU) Jun 19 - Asteroid 365756 ISON Closest Approach To Earth (6.502 AU) Jun 19 - Kuiper Belt Object 50000 Quaoar At Opposition (41.979 AU) Jun 20 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #413 (OTM-413) Jun 20 - [Jun 17] Asteroid 2015 LR21 Near-Earth Flyby (0.006 AU) Jun 20 - Asteroid 2015 KC57 Near-Earth Flyby (0.068 AU) Jun 20 - Asteroid 10563 Izhdubar Closest Approach To Earth (0.594 AU) Jun 20 - Asteroid 1685 Toro Closest Approach To Earth (0.723 AU) Jun 20 - Asteroid 4660 Nereus Closest Approach To Earth (0.949 AU) Jun 20 - Asteroid 3352 McAuliffe Closest Approach To Earth (1.391 AU) Jun 20 - 345th Anniversary (1670), Discovery Of Nova 1670 Vulpecula Jun 21 - [Jun 15] Summer Solstice, 16:38 UT Jun 21 - Mars Spacecraft Solar Conjuction Ends Jun 21 - Comet 238P/Read Closest Approach To Earth (2.297 AU) Jun 21 - [Jun 16] Asteroid 2015 LP21 Near-Earth Flyby (0.090 AU) Jun 21 - Asteroid 2010 LN14 Near-Earth Flyby (0.048 AU) Jun 21 - Asteroid 827 Wolfiana Closest Approach To Earth (1.302 AU) Jun 21 - Asteroid 2866 Hardy Closest Approach To Earth (1.691 AU) Jun 21 - Asteroid 54522 Menaechmus Closest Approach To Earth (1.772 AU) Jun 21 - Asteroid 249521 Truth Closest Approach To Earth (2.028 AU) Jun 21 - Asteroid 8990 Compassion Closest Approach To Earth (2.045 AU) Jun 21 - Asteroid 24101 Cassini Closest Approach To Earth (2.453 AU) Jun 22 - [Jun 18] Sentinel 2A Vega Launch Jun 22 - Comet P/2011 W2 (Rinner) At Opposition (4.297 AU) Jun 22 - Asteroid 2709 Sagan Closest Approach To Earth (1.153 AU) Jun 22 - Asteroid 6758 Jesseowens Closest Approach To Earth (1.378 AU) Jun 22 - Asteroid 10221 Kubrick Closest Approach To Earth (1.492 AU) Jun 22 - Centaur Object 10199 Chariklo At Opposition (14.105 AU) Jun 22 - Centaur Object 10370 Hylonome At Opposition (22.041 AU) Jun 22 - Royal Greenwich Observatory's 340th Birthday (1675) Jun 23 - Comet 208P/McMillan Closest Approach To Earth (2.413 AU) Jun 23 - Comet 298P/Christensen Closest Approach To Earth (2.982 AU) Jun 23 - Asteroid 2015 KK57 Near-Earth Flyby (0.021 AU) Jun 23 - [Jun 17] Asteroid 2015 LM24 Near-Earth Flyby (0.056 AU) Jun 23 - Asteroid 4330 Vivaldi Closest Approach To Earth (1.290 AU) Jun 23 - Centaur Object 55576 Amycus At Opposition (18.223 AU) Jun 23 - Jaume Nomen's 55th Birthday (1960) Jun 23 - Donn Eisele's 85th Birthday (1930) JPL Space Calendar New Technique Puts Exoplanets on the Scale Food for Thought Titan's atmosphere even more Earth-like than previously thought Space Image of the Week Dione's Craggy Surface Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute