Space News Update - May 04, 2012 -

1. Space News Update - May 04, 2012 - In the News Story 1:Paydirt at 8-Year-Old Mars Rover's 'New Landing Site' Story 2:White Dwarf Stars Eat Earth-like Exoplanets Story 3:Jupiter Picked for Next Major European Space Mission Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

2. Paydirt at 8-Year-Old Mars Rover's 'New Landing Site'

3. White Dwarf Stars Eat Earth-like Exoplanets

4. Jupiter Picked for Next Major European Space Mission

5. The Night Sky Friday, May 4 · Look above the bright Moon this evening for Saturn and Spica, as shown here. Saturday, May 5 · Full Moon (exact at 11:35 p.m. EDT), in Libra. This is the closest and largest full Moon of 2012, though not remarkably so. The Moon is 8% closer and larger than average, and only 0.16 magnitude brighter than average, so you'd need measuring tools to really tell. Take a look. What do you think? Sunday, May 6 · Venus, the brilliant "Evening Star" in the west, is passing its closest to the star Beta Tauri, which is only 1/300 as bright at magnitude 1.6. During and after late twilight, look for the star 0.8° to Venus's upper right. That's about a pencil-width at arm's length. Although they look close together, they're not. Venus is 3 light-minutes from us; Beta Tauri is 130 light-years in the background. Monday, May 7 · The waning gibbous Moon is up in the southeast by around 11 p.m., depending on where you live. Look about a fist-width to the Moon's right for fiery Antares. Around and upper right of Antares are other stars of Scorpius.

6. ISS Sighting Opportunities For Denver: NO SIGHTINGS AVAILABLE Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information

7. NASA-TV Highlights May 5, Saturday 3 p.m. - 2012 Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - KSC (All Channels) 9 p.m. - Replay of 2012 Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - HQ (All Channels) May 6, Sunday 9 a.m. - Replay of 2012 Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - HQ (All Channels) 3 p.m. - Replay of 2012 Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - HQ (All Channels) 8 p.m. - Replay of 2012 Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - HQ (All Channels) Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.

8. Space Calendar May 04 - [Apr 27] Space Day May 04 - [May 03] Comet C/2012 H2 (McNaught) Perihelion (1.735 AU) May 04 - Asteroid 2010 KX7 Near-Earth Flyby (0.039 AU) May 04 - Asteroid 6154 Stevesynnott Closest Approach To Earth (1.202 AU) May 04 - Asteroid 218998 Navi Closest Approach To Earth (1.248 AU) May 04 - 10th Anniversary (2002), AQUA Launch May 04 - 45th Anniversary (1967), Lunar Orbiter 4 Launch May 05 - Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower Peak May 05 - [May 02] 2012 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction, Kennedy Space Center, Florida May 06 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #320 (OTM-320) May 06 - Cassini, Distant Flyby of Titan May 06 - Comet P/2011 U2 (Bressi) Perihelion (4.838 AU) May 06 - Asteroid 5720 Halweaver Closest Approach To Earth (1.274 AU) May 06 - Willem de Sitter's 140th Birthday (1872) May 07 - [May 02] Dragon C-2 & C-3 Falcon 9 Launch (International Space Station) May 07 - Comet 123P/West-Hartley Closest Approach To Earth (2.094 AU) May 07 - Asteroid 3 Juno Occults UCAC2 30551972 (11.8 Magnitude Star) May 07 - Asteroid 2012 HL Near-Earth Flyby (0.054 AU) May 07 - Asteroid 12524 Conscience Closest Approach To Earth (1.431 AU) May 07 - Asteroid 1134 Kepler Closest Approach To Earth (1.864 AU) May 07 - 15th Anniversary (1997), Galileo, Ganymede 8 Flyby JPL Space Calendar

9. Food for Thought Stephen Colbert Receives NSS Award from Buzz Aldrin Credit: Colbert Report

10. Space Image of the Week Credit: NASA, DOE, International Fermi LAT Collaboration