Space News Update- February 14, 2011 -

In the News

Story 1: Photo Shows Big Holes in the Sun

Story 2:NASAs First Orion Capsule Ships for Crucial Deep Space Tests

Story 3: Five Things About NASA's Valentine's Day Comet

 Departments

The Night SkyISS Sighting Opportunities

NASA-TV HighlightsFood for Thought

Space Image of the Week

Photo Shows Big Holes in the Sun

NASAs First Orion Capsule Ships for Crucial Deep Space Tests

Five Things About NASA's Valentine's Day Comet

The Night Sky

Monday, February 14  · Early Tuesday morning, the Moon occults (covers) the 3.7-magnitude star Zeta (æ) Geminorum for much of North America. The Moon's dark edge will cover the yellow star at a different time for every location. Examples: Toronto, 3:54 a.m. EST; Atlanta, 4:11 a.m. EST; Chicago, 2:50 a.m. CST; Denver, 2:04 a.m. MST. Map and full timetables of the star's disappearance and reappearance.  Tuesday, February 15  · The Moon this evening forms part of a gently arcing line with Castor and Pollux to its upper left and Procyon to its lower right.  Wednesday, February 16  · The Big Dipper stands on its handle high in the northeast these evenings. Its top two stars, the Pointers, point left to the (rather dim) North Star — about three fists at arm's length away.  Thursday, February 17  · Full Moon tonight (exact at 3:36 a.m. Friday morning EST). · Look left or lower left of the Moon after dark for Regulus. Farther left of them is Gamma Leonis, not much fainter than Regulus. Look farther to the Moon's lower right for orange Alphard.  Friday, February 18  · Look for Regulus about a fist-width above the Moon this evening. Regulus marks the bottom-right end of the Sickle pattern in Leo (the bottom of the Sickle's handle).

ISS Sighting Opportunities

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

For Denver:

SATELLITE LOCAL DURATIONMAX ELEV

APPROACH DEPARTURE

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

ISS Fri Feb 18/06:58 PM < 1 17 15 above SSE 17 above SSE

NASA-TV Highlights

February 14, Monday1 p.m. - Replay of Stardust-NeXT Comet Encounter News Briefing (1/19/11) - 2 p.m. - NASA Fiscal Year 2012 Budget News Briefing - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels)6 p.m. - Replay of Stardust-NeXT Comet Encounter News Briefing (1/19/11) - 10 p.m. - Replay of Stardust-NeXT Comet Encounter News Briefing (1/19/11) - HQ (Public, HD and Media Channels)11:30 p.m. - 1 a.m. (Feb. 15) - Live Stardust-NeXT Mission Commentary (including coverage of closest approach to Comet Tempel 1 and re-establishment of contact with the spacecraft following the encounter) –

February 15, Tuesday3 - 4:30 a.m. Live Stardust-NeXT Mission Commentary (resumes with the arrival of the first close-approach images of Comet Tempel 1) - JPL (Public, HD and Media Channels)9:15 a.m. - ISS Expedition 26 In-Flight Interviews with KPRC-TV, Houston, "The Daily" iPad News, Newsweek and ABC News - JSC (Public and Media Channels)1 p.m. - Stardust-NeXT Post-Encounter News Briefing - JPL (Public, HD and Media Channels)4:45 p.m. - "Johannes Kepler” ATV-2 Launch Coverage (launch scheduled at 5:13 p.m. ET) - JSC via Kourou, French Guiana (Public and Media Channels)

February 16, Wednesday7:45 a.m. - ISS Expedition 26 Russian Spacewalk Coverage (spacewalk begins at 8:15 a.m. ET)

February 17, Thursday8:25 a.m. - ISS Expedition 26 ESA Educational Event - JSC (Public and Media Channels)

February 18, FridayTBD - Post STS-133 Flight Readiness Review News Briefing - KSC (Public and Media Channels)  Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.

Food for Thought

How Real Can a Fake Mars Mission Be?

Space Image of the Week