1. Space News Update - April 8, 2011 - In the News Story 1: Story 1: NASA Telescopes Join Forces To Observe Unprecedented Explosion Story 2: Story 2: Scientists Find New Type Of Mineral In Historic Meteorite Story 3: Story 3: SpaceX enters the realm of heavy-lift rocketry Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

2. NASA Telescopes Join Forces To Observe Unprecedented Explosion

3. Scientists Find New Type of Mineral in Historic Meteorite

4. SpaceX enters the realm of heavy-lift rocketry

5. The Night Sky Friday, April 8 · Arcturus, the "Spring Star," is the brightest point shining high in the east these evenings. If you wait up until about 10 or 10:30 you can log an early sighting of Vega, the equally bright "Summer Star," rising low in the northeast. Saturday, April 9 · The Moon, in the feet of Gemini, is a very thick crescent less than two days from first quarter. If your sky is really clear after dark, binoculars will show the star cluster M35 roughly 2° to the Moon's upper right (for North America). In binoculars it's a largish, dim glow. In a telescope it's a city of stars. Sunday, April 10 · Lunar occultation: Skywatchers in eastern North America this evening can watch the dark limb of the first- quarter Moon snap up Zeta Geminorum, magnitude 3.8. Some times: Toronto, 9:10 p.m. EDT; Washington DC, 9:17 p.m. EDT; Atlanta, 9:09 p.m. EDT; Miami, 9:29 p.m. EDT. Map and timetables for many more locations. In some places the occultation happens in twilight and you'll need a telescope.Map and timetables Monday, April 11 · First-quarter Moon (exact at 8:05 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time).

6. ISS Sighting Opportunities SATELLITELOCALDURATION MAX ELEV APPROACHDEPARTURE DATE/TIME(MIN)(DEG)(DEG-DIR) Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information For Denver: ISSSat Apr 09/05:19 AM21110 above N11 above NNE ISSSun Apr 10/05:44 AM22011 above NNW20 above NE ISSMon Apr 11/04:35 AM21210 above N12 above NNE ISSTue Apr 12/05:00 AM22211 above NNW21 above NE

7. NASA-TV Highlights April 11, Monday 10:05 a.m. - ISS Expedition 27 In-Flight Interviews with the Associated Press and CBS News - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels) Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA websiteNASA website

8. Space Calendar Apr 08 - Asteroid 26858 Misterrogers Closest Approach To Earth (1.447 AU)Asteroid 26858 Misterrogers Apr 08 - Asteroid 4547 Massachusetts Closest Approach To Earth (1.792 AU)Asteroid 4547 Massachusetts Apr 09 - [Apr 05] Asteroid 2011 GZ2 Near-Earth Flyby (0.007 AU)Asteroid 2011 GZ2Near-Earth Flyby Apr 09 - [Apr 05] Asteroid 2011 FT53 Near-Earth Flyby (0.015 AU)Asteroid 2011 FT53Near-Earth Flyby Apr 09 - Asteroid 13681 Monty Python Closest Approach To Earth (1.916 AU)Asteroid 13681 Monty Python Apr 10 - [Apr 07] Beidou 2-IGS 3 (Compass IGS-3) CZ-3A LaunchBeidou Apr 10 - Asteroid 2874 Jim Young Closest Approach To Earth (1.522 AU)Asteroid 2874 Jim Young Apr 10 - Asteroid 827 Wolfiana Closest Approach To Earth (1.623 AU)Asteroid 827 Wolfiana Apr 11 - Comet 37P/Forbes Closest Approach To Earth (1.756 AU)Comet 37P/ForbesClosest Approach To Earth Apr 11 - Asteroid 1726 Hoffmeister Occults HIP 65074 (6.7 Magnitude Star)Asteroid 1726 Hoffmeister Occults HIP 65074 Apr 11 - Asteroid 12382 Niagara Falls Closest Approach To Earth (1.783 AU)Asteroid 12382 Niagara Falls Apr 11 - Asteroid 804 Hispania Closest Approach To Earth (2.085 AU)Asteroid 804 Hispania Apr 11 - Asteroid 40227 Tahiti Closest Approach To Earth (3.466 AU)Asteroid 40227 Tahiti Apr 11 - 5th Anniversary (2006), Venus Express, Venus Orbit InsertionVenus Express Artist’s impression of Venus Express in orbit. Credit: ESA

9. Food for Thought NASA braces for possible government shutdown

10. Space Image of the Week Echoes from the Depths of a Red Giant Star