10/15/2018 – Ephemeris – The Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 is exploring the asteroid Ryugu.

Ephemeris for Monday, October 15th. The Sun will rise at 7:58. It’ll be up for 11 hours even, setting at 6:58. The Moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 11:43 this evening.

The Japanese asteroid sample return mission Hayabusa2 is in the midst of operations at the near-earth asteroid Ryugu. It dropped three rovers that hopped across its surface and later this month will take the first of three samples. Hayabusa means peregrine falcon in Japanese. It will stay at the asteroid until late next year, it then will make a year-long trip back to the Earth, landing in the Outback of Australia. NASA’s own OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission is currently approaching the near-earth asteroid Bennu. It will orbit the asteroid for over a year and can make up to three attempts to take a sample of the asteroid for return to Earth. It is to land at the Utah Test and Training Range in September of 2023.

The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.

Addendum

An artist’s rendering of Hayabusa2 dropping a rover onto Ryugu. Credit: JAXA/Akihiro Ikeshita.

A Hayabusa2 rover captured the surface of Ryugu mid-hop. Credit: JAXA.

Artist’s view of OSIRIS-REx attempting to get a sample from Bennu. Credit: NASA.