Space News Update- April 15, 2014 -

In the News

Story 1: Is Saturn Making a New Moon?

Story 2:Beauty from Chaos

Story 3:

'Blood Moons' Explained: What Causes a Lunar Eclipse Tetrad?

Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsSpace CalendarFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

Is Saturn Making a New Moon?

Beauty from Chaos

'Blood Moons' Explained: What Causes a Lunar Eclipse Tetrad?

The Night SkyTuesday, April 15After dark, look east for the lineup of Mars, Spica, and the just-past-full Moon, in that order from top down.

Wednesday, April 16The waning gibbous Moon rises soon after dark with Saturn hanging right close by. Watch them cross the sky together for the rest of the night. The Moon occults (covers) Saturn for southern South America; map and timetable.

Thursday, April 17Ganymede, the largest satellite of Jupiter, emerges from behind Jupiter's eastern limb around 10:18 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. It disappears into eclipse by Jupiter's shadow around 12:06 a.m. EDT, then reappears around 3:29 a.m. EDT.

Friday, April 18Jupiter shines right under the big Arch of Spring this year. The Arch spans much of the western sky. Pollux and Castor form its top (as seen from mid-northern latitudes). To their lower left is one end of the Arch, Procyon, and farther to their lower right is the other end, Capella.

Saturday, April 19Have you said hello to Vega yet this year? The "Summer Star" is now sparkling low in the northeast at nightfall. By dawn it's high overhead.

Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

ISS For Denver:

DateVisible

Max Height

Appears Disappears

Tue Apr 15, 8:13 PM 2 min 11° 10 above NNW 10 above NTue Apr 15, 9:50 PM 2 min 15° 11 above NNW 15 above NNEWed Apr 16, 9:02 PM 3 min 12° 10 above NNW 10 above NEWed Apr 16, 10:39 PM < 1 min 14° 14 above NW 14 above NWThu Apr 17, 8:14 PM 2 min 11° 10 above NNW 10 above NNEThu Apr 17, 9:51 PM 1 min 24° 15 above NNW 24 above NFri Apr 18, 9:02 PM 3 min 19° 12 above NNW 15 above NEFri Apr 18, 10:39 PM < 1 min 15° 15 above NW 15 above NWSat Apr 19, 8:14 PM 4 min 15° 10 above NNW 10 above NESat Apr 19, 9:51 PM 1 min 41° 22 above NW 41 above NNW

NASA-TV Highlights(all times Eastern Daylight Time)

Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

•April 15, Tuesday1 p.m. - Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Gala (held Friday April 11, 2014 in Houston, Texas) - JSC (All Channels)4 p.m. - Replay of Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Gala (held Friday April 11, 2014 in Houston, Texas) - HQ (All Channels)

April 16, Wednesday5:45 a.m. - Coverage of the Rendezvous and Grapple of the SpaceX/Dragon Cargo Craft at the ISS (Grapple scheduled at 7:11 a.m. EDT) - JSC (All Channels)9:30 a.m. - Coverage of the Installation of the SpaceX/Dragon Cargo Craft on the ISS (Installation scheduled to begin at appx. 9:45 a.m. EDT) - JSC (All Channels) 1 p.m. - Replay of Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Gala (held Friday April 11, 2014 in Houston, Texas) - HQ (All Channels)4 p.m. - Replay of Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Gala (held Friday April 11, 2014 in Houston, Texas) - HQ (All Channels) • •April 18, Friday12:45 p.m. - ISS Expedition 39 In-Flight Educational Event with the University of Connecticut, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Houston, Clear Lake - JSC (All Channels) 

Space Calendar

JPL Space Calendar

•Apr 15 - [Apr 08] Total Lunar Eclipse •Apr 15 - Comet P/2013 P5 (PANSTARRS) Perihelion (1.936 AU) •Apr 15 - Comet C/2012 Y1 (LINEAR) At Opposition (4.068 AU) •Apr 15 - Asteroid 1 Ceres At Opposition (7.0 Magnitude) •Apr 15 - Asteroid 96193 Edmonton Closest Approach To Earth (1.927 AU) •Apr 16 - Egyptsat 2 (MisrSat 2) Soyuz-U Launch •Apr 16 - Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR Perihelion (1.585 AU) •Apr 16 - Comet C/2012 F3 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (3.714 AU) •Apr 16 - Asteroid 1862 Apollo Closest Approach To Earth (0.718 AU) •Apr 16 - Asteroid 128523 Johnmuir Closest Approach To Earth (1.886 AU) •Apr 16 - Asteroid 11911 Angel Closest Approach To Earth (2.735 AU) •Apr 17 - Moon Occults Saturn •Apr 17 - [Apr 10] Asteroid 2014 GJ45 Near-Earth Flyby (0.068 AU) •Apr 17 - Asteroid 434 Hungaria Closest Approach To Earth (0.977 AU) •Apr 17 - Asteroid 4 Vesta Closest Approach To Earth (1.230 AU) •Apr 17 - Asteroid 8720 Takamizawa Closest Approach To Earth (1.783 AU) •Apr 17 - Asteroid 171183 Haleakala Closest Approach To Earth (2.040 AU)

Space Calendar

JPL Space Calendar

•Apr 18 - Comet P/2010 R2 (La Sagra) At Opposition (2.371 AU) •Apr 18 - Comet 76P/West-Kohoutek-Ikemura At Opposition (2.402 AU) •Apr 18 - Comet 205P/Giacobini At Opposition (2.562 AU) •Apr 18 - Comet C/2013 G7 (McNaught) Closest Approach To Earth (3.983 AU) •Apr 18 - Asteroid 26146 (1994 PF27) Occults HIP 27353 (6.5 Magnitude Star) •Apr 18 - Asteroid 2007 TV18 Near-Earth Flyby (0.019 AU) •Apr 18 - Asteroid 2014 CH13 Near-Earth Flyby (0.069 AU) •Apr 18 - Asteroid 7086 Bopp Closest Approach To Earth (1.070 AU) •Apr 18 - Asteroid 13801 Kohlhase Closest Approach To Earth (1.591 AU) •Apr 18 - Asteroid 14413 Geiger Closest Approach To Earth (1.609 AU) •Apr 18 - Asteroid 163800 Richardnorton Closest Approach To Earth (2.145 AU) •Apr 19 - Comet 238P/Read At Opposition (2.930 AU) •Apr 19 - Comet C/2013 G7 (McNaught) At Opposition (3.983 AU) •Apr 19 - Asteroid 43 Ariadne At Opposition (9.9 Magnitude) •Apr 19 - Asteroid 17855 Geffert Occults HIP 62983 (6.0 Magnitude Star) •Apr 19 - [Apr 13] Asteroid 2014 GG49 Near-Earth Flyby (0.010 AU) •Apr 19 - Asteroid 9395 Saint Michel Closest Approach To Earth (1.337 AU) •Apr 19 - Asteroid 12284 Pohl Closest Approach To Earth (1.573 AU) •Apr 19 - Asteroid 1282 Utopia Closest Approach To Earth (2.544 AU)

Food for ThoughtLet’s Put a Sailboat on Titan

Space Image of the Week

Image Credit: Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona

Blood Moon: Total Lunar Eclipse of 2014, Mt. Lemmon