1. Space News Update - October 17 - 21, 2011 - In the News Story 1: Story 1: Virgin Galactic's Private Spaceship Makes Safe Landing After Tense Test Flight Story 2: Story 2: Is M85 Missing a Black Hole? Story 3: Story 3: Halley's Comet to Put on Meteor Show Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

2. Virgin Galactic's Private Spaceship Makes Safe Landing After Tense Test Flight

3. Is M85 Missing a Black Hole?

4. Halley's Comet to Put on Meteor Show

5. The Night Sky Monday, Oct. 17 This is the time of year when the Little Dipper extends left from Polaris during evening, "dumping water" into the bowl of the Big Dipper, which lies far below it in the north-northwest. Tuesday, Oct. 18 Jupiter shines brightly in the east during evening. Capella shines a little less brightly in the northeast, somewhat lower (depending on your latitude). These are the two brightest lights in the whole eastern side of the sky. Now find the midpoint between them. A little below that point are the Pleiades. Wednesday, Oct. 19 Last-quarter Moon (exact at 11:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time). The Moon rises around midnight local time, below Gemini and left of Procyon. Thursday, Oct. 20 Before and during dawn Friday morning, look for Mars to the left of the Moon, as shown above. Friday, Oct. 21 The Moon is near Regulus before and during dawn Saturday morning, as shown above. The modest Orionid meteor shower should peak in the early-morning hours of Saturday. Some Orionids are visible for several mornings before and after.

6. ISS Sighting Opportunities Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information For Denver: SATELLITELOCALDURATION MAX ELEV APPROACHDEPARTURE DATE/TIME(MIN)(DEG)(DEG-DIR) ISSMon Oct 17/06:49 PM63510 above SSW10 above ENE ISSMon Oct 17/08:26 PM< 12018 above WNW20 above WNW ISSTue Oct 18/07:28 PM34833 above W22 above NNE ISSWed Oct 19/08:06 PM11815 above NW18 above NNW ISSThu Oct 20/07:09 PM42825 above WNW10 above NE ISSFri Oct 21/07:47 PM21310 above NW13 above N

7. NASA-TV Highlights October 19, Wednesday 10:20 a.m. - ISS Expedition 29 In-Flight Interviews with Space.com and ABC Radio Network - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels) October 21, Friday 10:30 a.m. - ISS Expedition 29 In-Flight Educational Event with the Carver High School in Birmingham, AL - JSC (All Channels) 3:30 p.m. - NEEMO B-Roll Feed - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels) 4 - 5 p.m. - Live interviews with the NEEMO 15 crew from the Aquarius Underwater Habitat at Key Largo, FL - JSC (Public, HD and Media Channels) Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.NASA website.

8. Space Calendar Oct 17 - Comet C/2010 X1 (Elenin) Closest Approach To Earth (0.233 AU) Oct 17 - Comet P/1996 R2 (Lagerkvist) Perihelion (2.612 AU) Oct 17 - Asteroid 2009 TM8 Near-Earth Flyby (0.002 AU) Oct 18 - Asteroid 11132 Horne Occults HIP 10032 (6.1 Magnitude Star) Oct 18 - Asteroid 2009 UC Near-Earth Flyby (0.057 AU) Oct 18 - Asteroid 2266 Tchaikovsky Closest Approach To Earth (1.998 AU) Oct 19 -[Oct 17] Cassini, Enceladus Flyby Oct 19 - ViaSat 1 Proton M-Briz M Launch Oct 19 - Cassini, Distant Flyby of Telesto Oct 19 - Comet 49P/Arend-Rigaux Perihelion (1.424 AU) Oct 19 - Comet 171P/Spahr Closest Approach To Earth (1.606 AU) Oct 19 - Asteroid 433 Eros Occults 2UCAC 47417466 (12.6 Magnitude Star) Oct 19 - Asteroid 469 Argentina Closest Approach To Earth (2.660 AU) Oct 20 - Galileo IOV 1 & 2 Soyuz 2-1b-Fregat Launch Oct 20 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #296 (OTM-296) Oct 20 - Asteroid 2011 SL189 Near-Earth Flyby (0.074 AU) Oct 20 - Asteroid 2011 SO32 Near-Earth Flyby (0.084 AU) Oct 20 - Asteroid 2118 Flagstaff Closest Approach To Earth (1.138 AU) Oct 21 - Orionids Meteor Shower Peak Oct 21 - Kuiper Belt Object 15760 (1992 QB1) At Opposition (40.132 AU) JPL Space Calendar

9. Food for Thought Coming in 2012: Our Last Transit of Venus

10. Space Image of the Week Sunset with the Massive Sun Spot 1302 (Upper left on the Sun) Credit: Adrian Scott