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2\21 Space Calendar Update - February 21, 2003
Part 1 of 4

SpaceBase(tm) Note:  As per user - reader requests from around the
world, and to make the Space Calendar easier to use, we will be
continuing our recently established practice of deleting all 130+
Kuiper Belt object oppositions, asteroids with an opposition distance 
of more then 0.25 AU's from Earth. and asteroid occultations of dim
stars.  Why you ask.....?

As previously explained, the listing of these objects is of no real 
practical use to the average space interested person on the street
unless they happen to have access to a very large world class
telescope for imaging purposes, which most of us do not.

Asteroids that ARE with in reach of amateur telescopes have been left 
in.  Cheers!  Hugh, Moderator

Welcome to the Space Calendar!

This Space Calendar covers space-related activities and anniversaries
for the upcoming year.  It is also available on the web at:

     http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/

The web version of the Space Calendar includes over 1,100 links to 
related home pages.

This calendar is compiled and maintained by Ron Baalke.  Please send 
any updates or corrections to ron{at}jpl.nasa.gov.  Note that launch 
dates are subject to change at any time.  Also, note that anniversary 
dates are listed in 5 year increments only.

The following people have contributed to this month's calendar:

 o Ralph Ballweg, Loretta Hidalgo, Remi Glatigny

                          =========================
                               SPACE CALENDAR
                             February 21, 2003 
                          =========================

* indicates changes from last month's calendar.

February 2003
  Feb 21 - Mercury Passes 1.5 Degrees From Neptune
  Feb 21 - Comet C/2002 X5 (Kudo-Fujikawa) Closest Approach To Earth (0.862 AU)
  Feb 22 - Comet Reinmuth 1 Closest Approach To Earth (0.985 AU)
  Feb 22 - Asteroid 2000 SM10 Near-Earth Flyby (0.101 AU)
  Feb 23 - Mars Occults PPM 267013 (9.3 Magnitude Star)
  Feb 23 - Asteroid 2002 XA Near-Earth Flyby (0.143 AU)
  Feb 24 - Asteroid 1996 BG1 Near-Venus Flyby (0.037 AU)
  Feb 24 - 35th Anniversary (1968), Discovery of the 1st Pulsar
  Feb 25 - Comet C/2001 RX14 (LINEAR) Closest Approach To Earth (1.219 AU)
* Feb 28 - Asteroid 2003 CQ20 Near-Earth Flyby (0.077 AU)
* Feb 28 - Asteroid 2003 BB21 Near-Earth Flyby (0.115 AU)

March 2003
  Mar ?? - NRO Delta 4 Medium Launch
* Mar ?? - G-Sat 2 GSLV Launch
* Mar ?? - Cosmos 1 Volna Launch (Solar Sail Mission)
* Mar ?? - Echostar 9 Zenit 3SL Launch
* Mar ?? - AMC-12 Proton K Launch
* Mar 01 - Asteroid 2003 CG11 Near-Earth Flyby (0.190 AU)
  Mar 04 - Mercury Passes 1.5 Degrees From Uranus
  Mar 06 - Comet P/2001 YX127 (LINEAR) Perihelion (3.426 AU)
  Mar 07 - Asteroid 1978 CA Near-Earth Flyby (0.180 AU)
* Mar 08 - DSCS B6 Delta 4 Launch
* Mar 08 - Asteroid 2002 SR Near-Earth Flyby (0.203 AU)
  Mar 09 - Venus Occults PPM 237843 (9.5 Magnitude Star)
  Mar 09 - Mars Occults PPM 268055 (8.7 Magnitude Star)
  Mar 10 - Comet C/2002 Q5 (LINEAR) Closest Approach To Earth (1.194 AU)
  Mar 10 - Asteroid 2001 TD Near-Earth Flyby (0.103 AU)
  Mar 12 - Venus Passes 0.2 Degrees From Neptune
* Mar 14 - Hellas Sat 2 Atlas 5 Launch
  Mar 15 - Comet Wirtanen Closest Approach To Earth (1.609 AU)
  Mar 15 - Asteroid 2002 FT6 Near-Earth Flyby (0.109 AU)
  Mar 15 - 30th Anniversary (1973), San Juan Capistrano Meteorite Fall
  Mar 16 - Mars Occults PPM 268565 (9.3 Magnitude Star)
  Mar 16 - Asteroid 1991 DG Near-Earth Flyby (0.248 AU)
  Mar 17 - 45th Anniversary (1958), Vanguard 1 Launch
  Mar 19 - Comet P/2000 Y3 (Scotti) Closest Approach To Earth (3.991 AU)
  Mar 20 - Asteroid 2002 WQ4 Near-Earth Flyby (0.114 AU)
* Mar 20 - Asteroid 2003 AJ73 Near-Earth Flyby (0.187 AU)
* Mar 21 - Milstar 2-F4 Titan 4B Launch
  Mar 21 - Vernal Equinox, 01:00 UT
  Mar 21 - Jupiter Occults SAO 098075 (8.3 Magnitude Star)
  Mar 21 - Comet Hartley 1 Closest Approach To Earth (1.455 AU)
  Mar 22 - Venus Occults PPM 239296 (9.9 Magnitude Star)
  Mar 22 - Asteroid 26379 (1999 HZ1) Near-Earth Flyby (0.184 AU)
  Mar 23 - Asteroid 2001 ED18 Near-Earth Flyby (0.169 AU)
* Mar 24 - Insat 3A/Galaxy 12 Ariane 5 Launch
  Mar 24 - Wilhelm Baade's 110th Birthday (1893)
* Mar 25 - GALEX Pegasus XL Launch
  Mar 25 - Optus C-1/E-Bird/Smart-1 Ariane 5 Launch
  Mar 26 - Mars Occults TYC 6873-00895-1 (11.4 Magnitude Star)
  Mar 26 - Asteroid 2002 XR14 Near-Earth Flyby (0.249 AU)
  Mar 27 - Comet Gehrels 3 Closest Approach To Earth (2.998 AU)
* Mar 28 - IGS H-2A Launch
  Mar 28 - Venus Passes 0.1 Degrees From Uranus
  Mar 29 - GPS 2R-9/ProSeds Delta 2 Launch
  Mar 29 - Comet C/2002 X2 (NEAT) Perihelion (2.529 AU)
* Mar 29 - Kuiper Belt Object 38083 Rhadamanthus At Opposition (37.901 AU)
  Mar 29 - 5th Anniversary (1998), Galileo, Europa 14 Flyby
* Mar 31 - AMC-9 Proton K Launch
  Mar 31 - Asteroid 4 Vesta At Opposition (5.9 Magnitude)

April 2003
  Apr 02 - Comet C/2001 N2 (LINEAR) Closest Approach To Earth (2.666 AU)
  Apr 02 - 40th Anniversary (1963), Luna 4 Launch (Soviet Moon Flyby Mission)
  Apr 03 - Comet P/2001 X2 (Scotti) Closest Approach To Earth (2.809 AU)
  Apr 04 - Thuraya-2 Zenit 3SL Launch
  Apr 04 - Asteroid 2002 TZ66 Near-Earth Flyby (0.163 AU)
  Apr 04 - Asteroid 2000 EE104 Near-Earth Flyby (0.170 AU)
  Apr 04 - 35th Anniversary (1968), Apollo 6 Launch (Last Test Flight of Saturn V)
  Apr 05 - Comet C/2002 U2 (LINEAR) Closest Approach To Earth (0.981 AU)
  Apr 05 - 30th Anniversary (1973), Pioneer 11 Launch (Jupiter & Saturn
Flyby Mission)
  Apr 06 - Daylight Saving - Set Clock Ahead 1 Hour (North America)
  Apr 07 - 35th Anniversary (1968), Luna 14 Launch (Soviet Moon Orbiter)
  Apr 10 - AsiaSat 4 Atlas 3B Launch
  Apr 10 - Venus Occults PPM 207290 (9.1 Magnitude Star)
  Apr 10 - Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 2 Closest Approach To Earth (2.828 AU)
  Apr 10 - Asteroid 2001 GO2 Near-Earth Flyby (0.094 AU)
  Apr 12 - Jupiter Occults PPM 125648 (9.6 Magnitude Star)
  Apr 13 - Comet C/2002 Y1 (Juels-Holvorcem) Perihelion (0.714 AU)
  Apr 15 - SIRTF Delta 2 Launch
  Apr 16 - Mercury Greatest Eastern Elongation (20 Degrees)
  Apr 17 - Asteroid 2001 PM9 Near-Earth Flyby (0.116 AU)
  Apr 18 - Comet C/2001 G1 (LONEOS) Closest Approach To Earth (7.899 AU)
  Apr 20 - Easter Sunday
  Apr 21 - Saturn Occults PPM 94600 (7.1 Magnitude Star)
  Apr 21 - Asteroid 2001 BF10 Near-Earth Flyby (0.041 AU)
  Apr 21 - Asteroid 1998 KG3 Near-Earth Flyby (0.178 AU)
  Apr 21 - 5th Anniversary (1998), Cassini Venus Flyby
  Apr 22 - Lyrids Meteor Shower Peak
  Apr 24 - Asteroid 2000 GQ146 Near-Earth Flyby (0.206 AU)
  Apr 26 - Asteroid 2002 OA22 Near-Earth Flyby (0.157 AU)
  Apr 26 - 155th Anniversary (1848) Andrew Graham's Discovery of Asteroid 9 Metis
  Apr 28 - Sojus TMA-2 Launch (International Space Station 6S)
  Apr 29 - Asteroid 1997 CZ3 Near-Earth Flyby (0.096 AU)
* Apr 30 - OrbView-3 Pegasus XL Launch
  Apr 30 - Asteroid 1998 XN17 Near-Earth Flyby (0.112 AU)

(continued)

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