Space News Update - December 24, 2013 -

1. Space News Update - December 24, 2013 - In the News Story 1:Astronauts ready for second spacewalk to repair station Story 2:Prebiotic Molecules May Form in Exoplanet Atmospheres Story 3:Curiosity Team Upgrades Software, Checks Wheel Wear Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting OpportunitiesNASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

2. Astronauts ready for second spacewalk to repair station

3. Prebiotic Molecules May Form in Exoplanet Atmospheres

4. Curiosity Team Upgrades Software, Checks Wheel Wear

5. The Night Sky Tuesday, December 24 • The last-quarter Moon shines near Mars after they rise late tonight and into the Christmas-morning dawn. Wednesday, December 25 • A Christmas deco star. At this time every year Sirius rises in the east-southeast down below Orion around 7 or 8 p.m. (depending on your location). When Sirius is still low, binoculars often show it twinkling in vivid colors. All stars do this when low, but Sirius is the brightest, making the effect more pronounced. Merry Sol Invictus! In late Roman times when the solstice fell on December 25th, this date was celebrated as Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun — when the Sun began to reverse its long decline with the hopeful promise, in the cold and the dark, of a new spring and summer to come. Thursday, December 26 • Sirius and Procyon in the balance. Sirius sparkles low in the east-southeast after dinnertime. Procyon shines in the east about two fist-widths at arm's length to Sirius's left. Friday, December 27 • In Saturday's cold dawn, Alpha Librae (Zubenelgenubi) shines 1° to 3° lower left of the waning crescent Moon (for North America), with Saturn 5° farther onward, as shown here. The Moon occults (covers) Alpha Librae for Hawaii (timetable). Saturday, December 28 • Very late tonight and tomorrow night, little Mars is passing 3/4° south of Gamma Virginis (Porrima), magnitude 2.7, a famous close double star for telescopes at high power. They rise together after midnight but are best observed before dawn. Sky & Telescope

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

7. NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Daylight Time) • December 24, Tuesday • 5 a.m. - Replay of Space Station Live (12/23) - HQ (All Channels) • 6:15 a.m. - ISS Expedition 38 Spacewalk Coverage (spacewalk scheduled to begin at 7:10 a.m.) - JSC (All Channels) • December 25, Wednesday • 11 a.m. - Replay of Space Station Research: Top 10 Results; Parts 1 and 2 - HQ (All Channels) • 3 p.m. - Replay of Space Station Research: Top 10 Results; Parts 1 and 2 - HQ (All Channels) • 5 p.m. - Replay of Space Station Research: Top 10 Results; Parts 1 and 2 - HQ (All Channels) • 7 p.m. - Replay of Space Station Research: Top 10 Results; Parts 1 and 2 - HQ (All Channels) • 10 p.m. - Replay of Space Station Research: Top 10 Results; Parts 1 and 2 - HQ (All Channels) • December 26, Thursday • 11 a.m. - Space Station Live - JSC (All Channels) • 11:30 a.m. - Space Station Research: Top 10 Results; Part 2 - HQ (All Channels) • December 27, Friday • 7:30 a.m. - ISS Expedition 38 Russian Spacewalk Coverage - (Spacewalk begins at 8 a.m. ET; replaces Space Station Live) - HQ (All Channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

8. Space Calendar Dec 24 - [Dec 19] Deep Space Network's50th Birthday (1963) Dec 24 - SKRL-756 1/SKRL-756 2/AIST/ Mikhailo Lomonosov Soyuz 2-1V Volga Launch (Inaugural Launch of the Light, Two-stage Version of Soyuz) Dec 24 - Comet C/2013 V1 (Boattini)Closest Approach To Earth (1.466 AU) Dec 24 - Asteroid 532 HerculinaAt Opposition (9.4 Magnitude) Dec 24 - Asteroid 9619 Terrygilliam Closest Approach To Earth (1.543 AU) Dec 24 - Asteroid 34419 Corning Closest Approach To Earth (1.887 AU) Dec 25 - Cosmos (Strela-3M) 7-9 Rokot-KM Launch Dec 25 - Comet 84P/GiclasAt Opposition (1.284 AU) Dec 25 - Comet C/2011 J2 (LINEAR)Perihelion (3.443 AU) Dec 25 - Asteroid 5261 EurekaClosest Approach To Earth (0.642 AU) Dec 25 - Asteroid 9951 Tyrannosaurus Closest Approach To Earth (1.737 AU) Dec 25 - Asteroid 484 Pittsburghia Closest Approach To Earth (1.800 AU) Dec 25 - Asteroid 11714 Mikebrown Closest Approach To Earth (2.175 AU) Dec 25 - 10th Anniversary (2003), Mars Express, Mars Orbit Insertion Dec 25 - 35th Anniversary (1978), Venera 11, Venus Landing Dec 26 - Express AM-5 Proton M-Briz M Launch Dec 26 - Asteroid 2709 Sagan Closest Approach To Earth (1.221 AU) Dec 26 - Asteroid 12773 Lyman Closest Approach To Earth (1.672 AU) Dec 26 - Asteroid 1006 Lagrangea Closest Approach To Earth (1.689 AU) Dec 27 - Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)Closest Approach To Earth (0.429 AU) Dec 27 - Comet 120P/MuellerClosest Approach To Earth (2.301 AU) Dec 27 - Asteroid 6 Hebe Occults HIP 95168 (3.9 Magnitude Star) Dec 27 - Asteroid 2013 WV45Near-Earth Flyby (0.061 AU) Dec 27 - Asteroid 7850 Buenos Aires Closest Approach To Earth (1.621 AU) Dec 28 - Comet P/2000 R2 (LINEAR)At Opposition (2.225 AU) Dec 28 - Comet 65P/GunnAt Opposition (3.916 AU) Dec 28 - Asteroid 2011 YD29Near-Earth Flyby (0.016 AU) Dec 28 - Asteroid 2011 BT15Near-Earth Flyby (0.032 AU) Dec 28 - Asteroid 3169 Ostro Closest Approach To Earth (0.801 AU) Mars Express Venera 11 JPL Space Calendar

9. Food for Thought Happy Holidays from Cassini!

10. Space Image of the Week Astrophoto: Comet Love, Joy and Santa Image Credit: Image and photoshop credit: Lee Jennings.