Download April 18 - 22, 2011

Space News Update
- April 18 - 22, 2011 In the News
Story 1:
Kepler Discovers a Rare Triple Gem
Story 2:
Sun's Storm Season Finally Heating Up
Story 3:
Antigravity Could Replace Dark Energy as Cause of Universe’s Expansion
Departments
The Night Sky
ISS Sighting Opportunities
Space Calendar
NASA-TV Highlights
Food for Thought
Space Image of the Week
Kepler Discovers a Rare Triple Gem
Sun's Storm Season Finally Heating Up
Antigravity Could Replace Dark Energy as
Cause of Universe’s Expansion
The Night Sky
· Monday, April 18
· Vega, the "Summer Star," is now rising in the northeast right
around the end of twilight (depending on your latitude). Later in the
night as Vega rises higher, look for its dim little constellation Lyra
dangling from it toward the lower right.
· A dawn challenge! On Tuesday morning, about 15 minutes before
your local sunrise time, use binoculars or a wide-field telescope to
look 15° lower left of Venus for faint Mars and even fainter Mercury
in conjunction, as shown here. Not an easy sighting!
Tuesday, April 19
· Have you been keeping an eye on bright Sirius in the southwest,
and Orion in the west, around the end of twilight? They're still in
view but sinking lower daily. How much longer can you keep them
in view?
Wednesday, April 20
· Sirius, the Dog Star, shines brightly low in the southwest right
after dusk. High above it is Procyon, the Little Dog Star. Very far to
Procyon's upper left is Regulus in Leo. Nearly halfway from
Procyon to Regulus, look for a dim but distinctive asterism: the
head of Hydra, the Sea Serpent. It's about the size of the end of
your thumb at arm's length.
Thursday, April 21
· A small telescope will always show Titan, Saturn's largest moon.
This evening Titan is four ring-lengths to Saturn's west. Look
roughly one ring-length to Saturn's northwest for dimmer Rhea and
Dione quite close together.
Friday, April 22
· The Lyrid meteor shower should peak late tonight, but it's usually
quite weak. The best chance to see an occasional Lyrid will be
around midnight daylight-saving time, when Lyra is up fairly high
but the Moon hasn't yet risen.
ISS Sighting Opportunities
For Denver:
SATELLITE LOCAL
DATE/TIME
DURATION
MAX
ELEV
APPROACH
DEPARTURE
(MIN)
(DEG)
(DEG-DIR)
(DEG-DIR)
ISS
Mon Apr 18/08:47 PM
6
85
10 above SW
10 above NE
ISS
Tue Apr 19/09:15 PM
3
29
28 above NW
11 above NNE
ISS
Wed Apr 20/08:04 PM
3
87
59 above SW
10 above NE
ISS
Wed Apr 20/09:40 PM
2
14
14 above NNW
10 above NNE
ISS
Thu Apr 21/08:30 PM
2
27
27 above NNW
11 above NNE
ISS
Fri Apr 22/08:55 PM
2
14
14 above NNW
10 above NNE
Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information
NASA-TV Highlights
April 22, Friday
6:30 a.m. - STS-134 Video B-Roll Feed
7 a.m. - Live Interviews with STS-134 Lead Space Shuttle Flight Director Gary
Horlacher
7:30 a.m. - Live Interviews with STS-134 Lead Space Station Flight Director Derek
Hassmann
Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.
Space Calendar
· Apr 18 - Asteroid 2011 GD2 Near-Earth Flyby (0.053 AU)
· Apr 18 - Asteroid 2011 GF Near-Earth Flyby (0.083 AU)
· Apr 19 -Cassini, Titan Flyby
· Apr 19 - Asteroid 2006 HF6 Near-Earth Flyby (0.013 AU)
· Arp 19 -Asteroid 2011 GM62 Near-Earth Flyby (0.030 AU)
· Apr 19 - 40th Anniversary (1971), Salyut 1 Launch (1st Space Station)
· Apr 20 -ResourceSat 2/ YouthSat/ X-Sat PSLV Launch (India)
· Apr 20 - Comet C/2010 F3 (Scotti) Closest Approach To Earth (4.745 AU)
· Apr 20 - Asteroid 16528 Terakado Occults HIP 57320 (6.5 Magnitude Star)
· Apr 20 - Asteroid 3905 Doppler Closest Approach To Earth (2.018 AU)
· Apr 21 - Asteroid 2011 GV9 Near-Earth Flyby (0.061 AU)
· Apr 21 - Asteroid 9548 Fortran Closest Approach To Earth (1.642 AU)
· Apr 22 -Intelsat New Dawn/ Yahsat 1A Ariane 5 Launch
· Apr 22 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #281 (OTM-281)
· Apr 22 - Lyrids Meteor Shower Peak
· Apr 22 - Asteroid 216 Kleopatra Closest Approach To Earth (2.484 AU)
Food for Thought
Citizen Scientists Help Find Alien Planets
Space Image of the Week