Space News Update - October 15, 2012 -

1. Space News Update - October 15, 2012 - In the News Story 1:Mars Rock Touched By NASA Curiosity Has Surprises Story 2: Bouncing on Titan Story 3: ORBCOMM Satellite Launched by Falcon 9 Has Fallen to Earth Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

2. > Mars Rock Touched By NASA Curiosity Has Surprises

3. Bouncing on Titan

4. ORBCOMM Satellite Launched by Falcon 9 Has Fallen to Earth

5. The Night Sky Friday, October 12· Jupiter's Great Red Spot should cross the planet's central meridian tonight around 12:47 a.m. Saturday morning EDT. · Before dawn Saturday morning, along a path from Southern California through central Texas, the faint asteroid 371 Bohemia should occult an 8.9-magnitude star high in the sky near the Beehive Cluster in Cancer. The occultation should last up to 2 seconds. Details and charts. Saturday, October 13· Now that it's mid-October, Deneb has replaced Vega as the zenith star after dark (for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes) — and, accordingly, Capricornus is replacing Sagittarius as the most notable constellation low in the south. Sunday, October 14 Jupiter's moon Io disappears into eclipse by Jupiter's shadow, barely west of the planet, around 1:51 a.m. Monday morning EDT; 10:51 p.m. Sunday evening PDT. By then Jupiter's Great Red Spot will be nearing the planet's central meridian — which it crosses about 19 minutes later. For all of Jupiter's satellite events and Great Red Spot transits this month, good worldwide, see "Action at Jupiter" in the October Sky & Telescope, page 53. Monday, October 15 This is the time of year when the W shape of Cassiopeia is tipping nearly vertically in the northeast after dusk. It stands exactly vertically around 9 or 10 p.m., depending on your location. The W's brightest side is on top. New Moon (exact at 8:03 a.m. EDT).

6. ISS Sighting Opportunities For Denver: Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information

7. NASA-TV Highlights October 12, Friday10 a.m. - ISS Expedition 33 Interviews with WBZ-TV, Boston and WCVB-TV, Boston - JSC (Public and Media Channels)1 p.m. - ISS Expedition 33/34 Flight Engineer Oleg Novitskiy Crew Interview - HQ (Public and Media Channels)2 p.m. - ISS Expedition 33 Flight Engineer/Expedition 34 Commander Kevin Ford Crew Interview - HQ (Public and Media Channels)8 p.m. - ISS Expedition 33/34 Crew Training Resource Reel - HQ (Public and Media Channels)9 p.m. - ISS Expedition 33/34 Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin Crew Interview - HQ (Public and Media Channels)October 13, Saturday1 p.m. - ISS Expedition 33 Flight Engineer/Expedition 34 Commander Kevin Ford Crew Interview - HQ (Public and Media Channels)2 p.m. - ISS Expedition 33/34 Flight Engineer Oleg Novitskiy Crew Interview - HQ (Public and Media Channels)8 p.m. - ISS Expedition 33/34 Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin Crew Interview - HQ (Public and Media Channels)9 p.m. - ISS Expedition 33/34 Crew Training Resource Reel - HQ (Public and Media Channels)October 14, Sunday1 p.m. - ISS Expedition 33/34 Crew Training Resource Reel - HQ (Public and Media Channels)2 p.m. - ISS Expedition 33/34 Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin Crew Interview - HQ (Public and Media Channels)8 p.m. - ISS Expedition 33 Flight Engineer/Expedition 34 Commander Kevin Ford Crew Interview - HQ (Public and Media Channels)9 p.m. - ISS Expedition 33/34 Flight Engineer Oleg Novitskiy Crew Interview - HQ (Public and Media Channels) Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.

8. Space Calendar Oct 12 - [Oct 10] Galileo IOV 3 & 4 Soyuz STB-Fregat Launch Oct 12 - Comet P/2010 A2 (LINEAR)Closest Approach To Earth (1.203 AU) Oct 12 - [Oct 09] Asteroid 2012 TC4Near-Earth Flyby (0.0006 AU) Oct 12 - Asteroid 7100 Martin Luther Closest Approach To Earth (1.757 AU) Oct 12 - Asteroid 9995 Alouette Closest Approach To Earth (1.777 AU) Oct 12 - Lecture: Herschel Opens Up the Cool Universe, Pasadena, California Oct 14 - Intelsat 23Proton M-Briz M Launch Oct 14 - Asteroid 8120 Kobe Closest Approach To Earth (1.050 AU) Oct 14 - Asteroid 3852 Glennford Closest Approach To Earth (1.516 AU) Oct 14 - Asteroid 8952 ODAS Closest Approach To Earth (1.705 AU) Oct 14 - Asteroid 7028 Tachikawa Closest Approach To Earth (1.764 AU) Oct 14 - Asteroid 204852 Frankfurt Closest Approach To Earth (1.882 AU) Oct 14 - 65th Anniversary (1947), Chuck Yeager Breaks Sound Barrier Oct 15 - [Oct 11] Asteroid 2012 TQ20Near-Earth Flyby (0.028 AU) Oct 15 - Asteroid 2004 RX10Near-Earth Flyby (0.082 AU) Oct 15 - Asteroid 2006 WV1Near-Earth Flyby (0.091 AU) Oct 15 - Asteroid 3635 Kreutz Closest Approach To Earth (0.883 AU) Oct 15 - Asteroid 14593 Everett Closest Approach To Earth (1.223 AU) Oct 15 - Asteroid 6223 Dahl Closest Approach To Earth (1.424 AU) Oct 15 - Asteroid 11335 Santiago Closest Approach To Earth (1.491 AU) Oct 15 - Dwarf Planet 136199 ErisAt Opposition (95.542 AU) Oct 15 - Asteroid 11247 Wilburwright Closest Approach To Earth (1.813 AU) Oct 15 - Asteroid 508 Princetonia Closest Approach To Earth (2.204 AU) Oct 15 - 15th Anniversary (1997), Cassini Launch JPL Space Calendar

9. Food for Thought Nearby Exoplanet Could Be Covered With Diamond

10. Space Image of the Week Ash Plume from ShiveluchCredit: NASA