Space News Update - December 19, 2011 -

1. Space News Update - December 19, 2011 - In the News Story 1:Our black hole’s impending lunch Story 2:Russians now preparing for re-entry of failed Mars probe Story 3:Telescope To Go Where No Telescope Has Gone Before Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

2. Our black hole’s impending lunch

3. Russians now preparing for re-entry of failed Mars probe

4. Telescope To Go Where No Telescope Has Gone Before

5. The Night Sky Monday, Dec. 19 · Before dawn Tuesday morning, look above the waning moon for Saturn and Spica, as shown above. Tuesday, Dec. 20 · Wintry Orion is up in the southeast after dinnertime and higher later in the evening. Introduce it to someone! The bright, fire-colored star marking Orion's left corner is Betelgeuse, a prototype red supergiant. The bright star forming Orion's right corner is white Rigel. Midway between them is Orion's three-star Belt, nearly vertical. Wednesday, Dec. 21 · Longest night of the year (in the Northern Hemisphere). Winter begins at the solstice: at 12:30 a.m. on the 22nd EST, 9:30 p.m. on the 21st PST. This is when the Sun reaches its farthest south of the year and begins its six-month return northward. Happy Yule. If you continue your Yule celebrations all the way till dawn Thursday morning, go out as day finally begins to break, look low in the southeast, and find Mercury lower left of the waning crescent Moon, as shown here. Farther down below, can you spot Antares yet? Thursday, Dec. 22 In the evening at this time of year, the Great Square of Pegasus balances on one corner high in the west. The vast Andromeda-Pegasus constellation complex runs all the way from near the zenith (Andromeda's foot) down through the Great Square (Pegasus's body) and almost to the western horizon (Pegasus's nose). Friday, Dec. 23 Vega, the "Summer Star," still shines brightly in the northwest early these evenings. To Vega's upper left, the Northern Cross in Cygnus is swinging around on its way to planting itself upright on the northwest horizon — which it now does around 9 p.m. (as seen from mid-northern latitudes).

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

7. NASA-TV Highlights December 20, Tuesday3 p.m. - Video File of the ISS Expedition 30/31 Final Pre-Launch Crew News Conference and Russian State Commission Meeting in Baikonur, Kazakhstan December 21, Wednesday6:45 a.m. - ISS Expedition 30/31 Crew Launch Day Preparations Video from Baikonur, Kazakhstan 7:30 a.m. - ISS Expedition 30/31 Soyuz TMA-03M Launch Coverage (Launch scheduled at 8:16 a.m. ET; includes launch replays) 10:05 a.m. - ISS Expedition 30 In-Flight Interview with WDIV-TV, Detroit December 22, Thursday10:05 a.m. - ISS Expedition 30 In-Flight Interview with WDIV-TV, Detroit December 23, Friday9:45 a.m. - ISS Expedition 30/31 Soyuz TMA-03M Docking Coverage (Docking scheduled at 10:22 a.m. ET followed by the post-docking news conference from Mission Control in Korolev, Russia) 12:45 p.m. - ISS Expedition 30/31 Soyuz TMA-03M Hatch Opening and Welcoming Ceremony (Hatch Opening and Welcoming Ceremony scheduled at 1 p.m. ET) 3 p.m. - Video File of ISS Expedition 30/31 Soyuz TMA-03M Docking, Hatch Opening and Welcoming Ceremony Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.

8. Space Calendar · Dec 19 - NigComSat 1-R CZ-3B/E Launch · Dec 19 - Comet 238P/Read Closest Approach To Earth (1.821 AU) · Dec 19 - Asteroid 3904 Honda Closest Approach To Earth (1.355 AU) · Dec 19 - Asteroid 7359 Messier Closest Approach To Earth (1.728 AU) · Dec 19 - Asteroid 81203 Polynesia Closest Approach To Earth (1.814 AU) · Dec 19 - 15th Anniversary (1996), Galileo, Europa 4 Flyby · Dec 20 - Asteroid 2011 OV18 Near-Earth Flyby (0.050 AU) · Dec 20 - Asteroid 2008 YQ27 Near-Earth Flyby (0.099 AU) · Dec 20 - Asteroid 1489 Attila Closest Approach To Earth (2.195 AU) · Dec 21 - Soyuz TMA-03M Soyuz FG Launch (International Space Station 29S) · Dec 21 - Asteroid 5231 Verne Closest Approach To Earth (1.315 AU) · Dec 21 - Asteroid 1541 Estonia Closest Approach To Earth (1.831 AU) · Dec 21 - 45th Anniversary (1966), Luna 13 Launch (USSR Moon Lander) · Dec 22 - Winter Solstice, 05:30 UT · Dec 22 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #304 (OTM-304) · Dec 22 - Ursids Meteor Shower Peak · Dec 22 - Asteroid 2011 XA3 Near-Earth Flyby (0.040 AU) · Dec 22 - Asteroid 1566 Icarus Closest Approach To Earth (0.778 AU) · Dec 22 - Asteroid 4808 Ballaero Closest Approach To Earth (1.267 AU) · Dec 22 - Asteroid 203 Pompeja Closest Approach To Earth (1.635 AU) · Dec 22 - Asteroid 12104 Chesley Closest Approach To Earth (2.097 AU) · Dec 22 - Asteroid 9340 Williamholden Closest Approach To Earth (2.665 AU) · Dec 22 - Asteroid 3709 Polypoites Closest Approach To Earth (4.021 AU) · Dec 23 - Meridian 5 Soyuz 2-1B-Fregat Launch · Dec 23 - Mercury At Its Greatest Western Elongation (22 Degrees) · Dec 23 - Comet C/2009 P1 (Garradd) Perihelion (1.551 AU) · Dec 23 - Asteroid 60186 Las Cruces Closest Approach To Earth (1.653 AU) · Dec 23 - Asteroid 19148 Alaska Closest Approach To Earth (2.136 AU) JPL Space Calendar

9. Food for Thought Fear Not A Supernova 2012

10. Space Image of the Week