Space News Update - May 9, In the News Story 1: Story 1: Best Model Yet for Cosmic Evolution Story 2: Story 2: Interesting Prospects for Comet A1 Siding Spring Versus the Martian Atmosphere Story 3: Story 3: NASA Delivers New Insight into Star Cluster Formation Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities Space Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Best Model Yet for Cosmic Evolution

Interesting Prospects for Comet A1 Siding Spring Versus the Martian Atmosphere

NASA Delivers New Insight into Star Cluster Formation

The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Friday, May 9 The waxing gibbous Moon in the evening sky forms a curving line with Mars to its left, and Spica to the lower left of Mars. Saturday, May 10 Bright Mars shines left of the Moon. Although they look rather close together, Mars is 260 times farther away — and twice as big in diameter. Sunday, May 11 Now the Moon is positioned between Mars and Spica (for the Americas in the evening). Jupiter shines within the western Arch of Spring as twilight fades. The top of the Arch is formed by Pollux and Castor, roughly horizontal. To their lower left is Procyon, the left end of the Arch. The right end is formed by Menkalinen and then Capella. Jupiter is gradually moving toward the Arch's upper left side. Monday, May 12 Three zero-magnitude stars shine after dusk in May: Arcturus high in the southeast, Vega much lower in the northeast, and Capella in the northwest. They appear so bright because each is at least 60 times as luminous as the Sun, and they're all relatively nearby: 37, 25, and 42 light-years from us, respectively. Tuesday, May 13 The bright Moon, practically full, shines near Saturn. The Moon creeps to within 1° to 3° of Saturn before dawn Wednesday morning for the Americas. For New Zealand and most of Australia, the Moon occults (covers and uncovers) Saturn during nighttime; map and timetables.map and timetables

ISS Sighting Opportunities Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information ISS For Denver: No Sightings for Denver through Tuesday, May 13 th.

NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Daylight Time) May 12, Monday 3 p.m. - ISS Expedition 39/40 Change of Command Ceremony (Wakata hands over ISS command to Swanson) - JSC (All Channels) May 13, Tuesday 3 p.m. - ISS Expedition 39 Farewells and Hatch Closure Coverage (hatch closure scheduled at 3:15 p.m. ET) - JSC (All Channels) 6:15 p.m. - ISS Expedition 39/Soyuz TMA-11M Undocking Coverage (undocking scheduled at 6:36 p.m. ET) - JSC (All Channels) 8:45 p.m. - ISS Expedition 39/Soyuz TMA-11M Deorbit Burn and Landing Coverage (Deorbit burn scheduled at 9:04 p.m. ET; landing near Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan scheduled at 9:57 p.m. ET) - JSC via Kazakhstan (All Channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA websiteNASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar May 09 - Comet C/2013 P2 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (2.286 AU)Comet C/2013 P2 (PANSTARRS)At Opposition May 09 - Comet P/2013 EW90 (Tenagra) Closest Approach To Earth (3.137 AU)Comet P/2013 EW90 (Tenagra)Closest Approach To Earth May 09 - Comet C/2014 F2 (Tenagra) At Opposition (4.049 AU)Comet C/2014 F2 (Tenagra)At Opposition May 09 - [May 04] Asteroid 2014 JD Near-Earth Flyby (0.020 AU)Asteroid 2014 JDNear-Earth Flyby May 09 - [May 05] Asteroid 2014 JN2 Near-Earth Flyby (0.068 AU)Asteroid 2014 JN2Near-Earth Flyby May 09 - Asteroid 1197 Rhodesia Closest Approach To Earth (1.457 AU)Asteroid 1197 Rhodesia May 09 - Asteroid 3000 Leonardo Closest Approach To Earth (1.685 AU)Asteroid 3000 Leonardo May 09 - Asteroid Quebec Closest Approach To Earth (2.211 AU)Asteroid Quebec May 09 - Asteroid 8721 AMOS Closest Approach To Earth (2.941 AU)Asteroid 8721 AMOS May 09 - Asteroid Grand Challenge Virtual SeminarAsteroid Grand Challenge Virtual Seminar May 10 - [May 03] Astronomy DayAstronomy Day May 10 - [May 03] Orbcomm 2 (FM45-FM50) Falcon 9 LaunchOrbcomm 2Falcon 9 Launch May 10 - Saturn At OppositionSaturnAt Opposition May 10 - Comet C/2013 H2 (Boattini) Closest Approach To Earth (6.701 AU)Comet C/2013 H2 (Boattini)Closest Approach To Earth May 10 - Asteroid 2014 HA124 Near-Earth Flyby (0.052 AU)Asteroid 2014 HA124Near-Earth Flyby May 10 - Asteroid Vonnegut Closest Approach To Earth (1.555 AU)Asteroid Vonnegut May 10 - Asteroid 5891 Gehrig Closest Approach To Earth (1.748 AU)Asteroid 5891 Gehrig May 10 - Asteroid 4804 Pasteur Closest Approach To Earth (1.955 AU)Asteroid 4804 Pasteur May 10 - Asteroid Bettiepage Closest Approach To Earth (2.294 AU)Asteroid Bettiepage May 10 - Asteroid 8889 Mockturtle Closest Approach To Earth (2.436 AU)Asteroid 8889 Mockturtle May th Anniversary (1879), Estherville Meteorite Shower in IowaEstherville Meteorite Shower in Iowa May 11 - Asteroid 21 Lutetia Occults TYC (10.1 Magnitude Star)Asteroid 21 Lutetia Occults TYC May 11 - Asteroid (1999 TU43) Occults HIP (5.5 Magnitude Star)Asteroid (1999 TU43) Occults HIP May 11 - Asteroid 1712 Angola Closest Approach To Earth (1.727 AU)Asteroid 1712 Angola May 12 - Comet C/2013 H2 (Boattini) At Opposition (6.701 AU)Comet C/2013 H2 (Boattini)At Opposition May 12 - Asteroid 9446 Cicero Closest Approach To Earth (1.760 AU)Asteroid 9446 Cicero May 12 - Asteroid 7816 Hanoi Closest Approach To Earth (1.947 AU)Asteroid 7816 Hanoi May 12 - Asteroid 7359 Messier Closest Approach To Earth (2.624 AU)Asteroid 7359 Messier May 13 - [May 06] Soyuz Return To Earth (International Space Station)Soyuz Return To Earth May 13 - Asteroid Zsazsa Closest Approach To Earth (1.647 AU)Asteroid Zsazsa

Food for Thought Most Powerful Solar Telescope on Earth Rises Atop Hawaiian Volcano

Space Image of the Week March 29 X-class Flare - 1