diff --git "a/raw_rss_feeds/https___www_space_com_feeds_all.xml" "b/raw_rss_feeds/https___www_space_com_feeds_all.xml" --- "a/raw_rss_feeds/https___www_space_com_feeds_all.xml" +++ "b/raw_rss_feeds/https___www_space_com_feeds_all.xml" @@ -10,906 +10,959 @@ <![CDATA[ Latest from Space.com ]]> https://www.space.com - Fri, 12 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000 + Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:23:32 +0000 en - <![CDATA[ Every space and sci-fi game at The Game Awards 2025 ]]> - Another year is almost over, and that means The Game Awards 2025 has arrived, dropping even more exciting video game announcements alongside the awards for this year's best games.

This year's show has been particularly loaded with upcoming space games and sci-fi projects, and we've put together a list of them all. Some are new reveals, others are updates to titles we already knew about, but regardless, they're all worth getting excited over.

It's never really gone away, but even so, it feels like science fiction is having an explosive resurgence in popularity lately, and you won't hear us complaining. Here's every sci-fi and space game shown off at The Game Awards 2025.

'Pragmata' (Capcom)

We've known about Pragmata for what feels like an age, but we finally got a proper hands-on with it earlier this year at Gamescom. It's set in the near future, where protagonist Hugh teams up with a child-like android called Diana, as the pair struggles to survive in a "cold lunar research station" overrun by hostile robots. There's far more to this story for sure, but we're enjoying its veil of mystery.

This latest trailer shows off more of the imaginative gameplay, which steps outside of the usual third-person shooter conventions to add quick hacking mini-games (Diana is in charge of those) that allow Hugh to better deal with the machines in the duo's way.

It's also looking like a traditional, linear single-player experience, which feels refreshing as Capcom seeks to expand the scope of its more established properties.

'Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic' (Arcanaut Studios)

While we patiently await updates on the Knights of the Old Republic remake (which is still in development as far as we know), Lucasfilm Games has dropped a shocker on us with Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic.

This is a new single-player action-RPG from some of the talent behind the Mass Effect series. In fact, original KOTOR and Mass Effect game director Casey Hudson is helming this "spiritual successor" with his new team at Arcanaut Studios.

The cinematic teaser is mostly evocative, setting a dark, worn-down mood for the story, which seemingly takes place after the key events of the Old Republic era. We do know it's a new story with new characters, not a direct follow-up or sequel to the KOTOR games.

Considering every new Star Wars game since the Disney acquisition has been meant to be 'canon' to the movie/TV continuity, we're fairly sure Fate of the Old Republic isn't set in the old Legends timeline... even if some central elements are kept around. That's the sort of move that could allow Lucasfilm to later expand the canon period with new movies and/or shows.

No release date or even year for this one, so don't expect it any time soon.

'ONTOS' (Frictional Games)

We've had no shortage of space horror games to brave over the years, but SOMA remains one of our favorite experiences in the genre. Now, Frictional Games has announced its return to sci-fi thrillers with spiritual successor ONTOS. The visuals on display in the trailer are stunning, and it's clear the team is aiming for something slightly different from its past titles. The unmistakable tones of Stellan Skarsgård — who is on board in a key role — only add to the intrigue.

This mysterious story will take us to the "repurposed moon hotel Samsara," where some weird experiments have been taking place. Our protagonist's dad was a brilliant mind who became a sort of a prophet, with predictable results.

We can expect shocking revelations as we navigate the sinister and reality-bending world of ONTOS. The developers are promising a "vast, interconnected labyrinth" and lots of puzzle-like situations designed to allow players to find their own solutions and question "the nature of the soul, suffering, and the very fabric of reality itself."

Count us in.

'Exodus' (Archetype Entertainment)

Still waiting for the next Mass Effect game? Yeah, us too, but in the meantime, you should definitely be keeping tabs on Exodus.

This super ambitious action-RPG is coming from AAA RPG veterans behind classics like Mass Effect, Baldur's Gate, and more. This all-new sci-fi universe — developed by author Peter F. Hamilton and staring — invites us more than 40,000 years into the future, where humanity is spread across the stars, but has also evolved and divided in unexpected ways.

The newest trailer goes hard for the BioWare vibes we'd been promised long ago. It's not just about the character relationships and building a crew either; the combat also has that late Mass Effect touch, but amped up thanks to modern gaming tech.

It looks big, shiny, and ambitious. We're still intrigued by its approach to time dilation, with the universe's interstellar travel taking place "at the edge of lightspeed". This will apparently reshape entire locations and NPCs, as they age while the years pass in the blink of an eye for Jun Aslan and their crew. That, and the huge armored space bear, of course.

'Control Resonant' (Remedy Entertainment)

Remedy Entertainment's Control was a fantastic reality-bending action-adventure game that was eventually revealed to take place in the same universe as Alan Wake. The exceptional Alan Wake 2 took the connections a step further, but now Remedy has just revealed Control Resonant, the direct follow-up to Jesse Faden's original adventure. This time, however, her brother is taking over the lead duties.

Dylan Faden is revealed to be more of a melee fighter, which means Remedy is once again going down a different path with a new project instead of retreading old ground. The nature of the paranatural event that "warped" Manhattan after escaping the confines of the Federal Bureau of Control is unclear, but Jesse's gone, and it's up to Dylan to become a new type of hero and help fix what's broken.

Expect the unexpected, but be ready to smash extra-dimensional horrors with your bare hands and 'shifting' weapons too.

'Total War: Warhammer 40,000' (Creative Assembly)

We've been hearing rumblings about the next IP-collaboration Total War being Warhammer 40,000, so this announcement didn't come as a complete surprise, but we're ridiculously excited regardless.

Creative Assembly has also refreshed its engine to power a new era of Total War games, and starting with a massive WH40K title, which seems to feature both large-scale planetary warfare and spaceship combat, is the type of bold move we love to see.

Of course, the larger turn-based layer isn't going anywhere, as you'll have to maintain control of entire sectors of space while developing strongholds and upgrading and deploying armies. So far, four factions have been confirmed: Space Marines, Orks, Aeldari, and the Astra Militarum.

The list of upcoming WH40K games grows larger almost every month, and fans of real-time strategy have plenty to celebrate with the announcement of both this one and Dawn of War 4. The best part is they're markedly different, so it's hard to decide which one we're more hyped for at this stage, but Total War: Warhammer 40,000 certainly has us revving our chainswords in anticipation.

'Star Wars: Galactic Racer' (Fuse Games)

Now this is… not podracing?

A second Star Wars game hit The Game Awards last night, and this one was even more surprising than Fate of the Old Republic. Star Wars: Galactic Racer is (at long last) bringing back podracing... kind of. The Empire has fallen, and a new illegal racing circuit has risen up, bringing back the high-octane races of old. This time around, all sorts of vehicles are taking part, with a variety of speeders and speederbikes on display in the trailer, and this means the potential for even more chaos is higher.

This "runs-based, high-stakes reinvention" of podracing will be ramping up the unpredictability, with circuits "where no two runs play the same" and markedly different classes of repulsorcraft to choose from.

It's all about distinct playstyles and controls, with the devs hoping to inject replayability and experimentation into the classic racing formula. Both single-player (we're hearing a campaign is part of the deal) and competitive online races across all platforms are included.

Plus, Sebulba's back!

'Saros' (Housemarque)

PlayStation and Housemarque's Saros – a spiritual successor to 2021's Returnal – also showed up during the event. It's been delayed to April 30, 2026, from a previous March slot, but at least the new trailer (finally) gives us a story to chew on while also announcing that pre-orders are live.

Saros is a third-person shooter adventure game in which each run presents different challenges. It's built on top of Returnal's roguelite structure, but the narrative beats seem to be heavier this time around.

As the Soltari enforcer Arjun Devraj, the player must battle through weird otherworldly horrors on a colony planet where things have gone wrong as the ominous eclipse above teases a bigger threat. We like time loops, new sci-fi universes, and very fluid and flexible action, so this one's looking like a winner.

Mega Man: Dual Override (Capcom)

He's a man, he's mega, and he's coming back to consoles and PC with some more classic 2D action-platforming. The teaser trailer only had a small snippet of gameplay, but it sure looks like Megaman to us.

Geoff Keighley noted that these are very early gameplay scenes, so we'll be keeping an eye out for more news as we get closer to the 2027 release.

4:Loop (Bad Robot Games)

4:LOOP is a four-player co-op shooter from Bad Robot Games, and it has one of the original creators of Left 4 Dead at the helm. Set in an original sci-fi universe, 4:Loop will embrace the "live, die, repeat" mentality of games, as players mix up their skill trees and learn from their failures

The gameplay sections we've seen are intriguing, but if we're honest, there's an air of 'corporate wackiness' in the trailer that's rubbing us the wrong way. We'll be keeping an eye on this one and hopefully later demonstrations smooth out the vibes.

No Law (Neon Giant/Krafton)

This one came out of nowhere, but color us excited for No Law, a first-person open-world shooter RPG set in the Cyberpunk city of Port Desire. It's mainly flashy CGI, but we did get some gameplay sections, and yep, that looks like Cyberpunk alright, with a splash of Deus Ex thrown in there for good measure.

CD Projekt Red already showed us how hard it is to nail this kind of massive-scale adventure (Cyberpunk 2077 is fantastic now, but it had a rough launch), so we're cautiously optimistic for this one.

Marvel Rivals Season 6: Night at the Museum (NetEase Games)

Deadpool is being added as a playable character, and he got a suitably fourth-wall-shattering introduction in this animated trailer. Another fine addition to the roster for Marvel fans.

Warframe: Wake Up, Tenno trailer (ft. Werner Herzog)

Always a delight to hear the unmistakable and — if we're honest — unnerving voice of Werner Herzog. This trailer isn't really announcing anything new, but rather an introduction for people who have somehow missed the last decade of updates to this bonkers game of space ninjas. We love Warframe, and if you haven't already, you should definitely check it out. Best of all, it's free-to-play, so you've got no excuses.

]]> - https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-games/every-space-and-sci-fi-game-at-the-game-awards-2025 + <![CDATA[ Trump signs sweeping executive order aimed at 'ensuring American space superiority' ]]> + The United States has some new marching orders in the final frontier.

On Thursday (Dec. 18), President Donald Trump issued an executive order entitled "Ensuring American Space Superiority." Dominance off Earth is vital to the nation's security and prosperity, according to the document.

"The United States must therefore pursue a space policy that will extend the reach of human discovery, secure the Nation's vital economic and security interests, unleash commercial development and lay the foundation for a new space age," the executive order states. You can find the full text of the order here.

The document gets into some specifics about how to make this happen. For example, it calls for the nation to return astronauts to the moon by 2028, and to start construction of a permanent lunar base by 2030 "to ensure a sustained American presence in space and enable the next steps in Mars exploration."

Nuclear power in space is part of this vision. "Ensuring American Space Superiority" lists as a priority the deployment of nuclear reactors in Earth orbit and on the moon, and states that one such facility should be ready to launch toward the lunar surface by 2030.

These goals aren't terribly surprising. For example, NASA is already working toward a 2028 crewed moon landing via its Artemis program, which also aims to set up one or more bases near the lunar south pole over the ensuing years.

The agency has also been developing a potential fission reactor for use on the moon for several years now, with the goal of deploying it in the early 2030s. And a few months ago, we got wind of the more aggressive 2030 timeline for this power source, via a directive from then-NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy.

Duffy no longer leads NASA, by the way: Billionaire entrepreneur and private astronaut Jared Isaacman officially took the reins, in a full rather than acting capacity, on Thursday.

The executive order also stresses the need to strengthen the United States' defensive capabilities in space.

For example, it calls for the development and testing of "prototype next-generation missile defense technologies by 2028 to progressively and materially enhance America's air and missile defenses pursuant to Executive Order 14186 of January 27, 2025 (The Iron Dome for America)." Trump has billed his vision for such a missile defense shield as a Golden Dome for the country.

Growing the space economy is a priority as well. Trump calls for the attraction of "at least $50 billion of additional investment in American space markets by 2028," and he wants to boost the cadence of rocket launches and landings, which are already at an all-time high (thanks in large part to SpaceX's incredible productivity).

The document also reinforces the plan to have one or more private outposts up and running in Earth orbit by the time the International Space Station retires in 2030.

illustration of a small space station in earth orbit

Artist's illustration of Starlab, a planned private space station that will consist of a service module and a habitat for four astronauts. (Image credit: Starlab)

The executive order gets the ball rolling on implementation as well. For instance, it directs NASA to submit within 90 days a plan explaining how it will achieve the "the policy objectives in this order regarding leading the world in space exploration and expanding human reach and American presence in space."

Also within 90 days, Isaacman (along with the Secretary of Commerce) must identify any "acquisition programs" that are 30% behind schedule, 30% over budget, underperforming and/or "unaligned with the priorities in this order, along with a description of their planned mitigation or remediation efforts."

"Ensuring American Space Superiority" also revokes Executive Order 14056, which was issued by then-President Joe Biden on Dec. 1, 2021. Biden's order officially renewed the National Space Council (NSC), which Trump revived from a nearly quarter-century hiatus in 2017, during his first term as president. The new order may spell the end for the NSC, which is chaired by the vice president and helps steer the nation's space policy.

]]> + https://www.space.com/space-exploration/trump-signs-sweeping-executive-order-aimed-at-ensuring-american-space-superiority - + - kNZmuG28EST6eXSCPi2J5i - - Fri, 12 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + mHdhdUCRH8EWjtnvi2YMW + + Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:23:32 +0000 Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:34:48 +0000 + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ US Space Force is installing a 'next level' system to combat drones near Cape Canaveral launch sites ]]> - The U.S. Space Force is getting serious about drone threats.

Space Force is looking to boost its ability to deter and defeat uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) in the vicinity of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and the Eastern Range, the 15-million-square-mile (39 million square kilometers) stretch of airspace over the Atlantic Ocean through which the United States launches most of its space missions. That's according to comments made by Col. Brian L. Chatman, director of the Eastern Range.

According to Breaking Defense, Chatman told attendees at the AI+ Space Summit in Washington, D.C. last week that Space Force is installing a new multi-million-dollar counter-UAS system at the Cape that will not only boost security forces' existing ability to track UAS, but also allow them to "engage those capabilities" when necessary. Chatman told Breaking Defense that, while security forces at the base currently have some ability to defeat drones in their airspace, the new system will offer "holistic coverage over the Cape, as opposed to pockets of coverage" that the base has today.

The new system will also involve testing new experimental technologies developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory and National Reconnaissance Office, Chatman added. It's unclear what those might be. But any counter-UAS (C-UAS) systems, particularly experimental ones, are tricky in such a busy area.

With record numbers of rocket launches, and a fairly high-density airspace full of support aircraft of all types, any counter-drone systems must be carefully calibrated so as to not interfere with the communication, navigation or telemetry of rockets or other vehicles. Many C-UAS systems defeat drones by jamming or interfering with their radio transmissions or navigation systems, which has the potential to interfere with launch operations or other vehicles at the range.

Adding any new C-UAS systems will therefore be a balancing act, Chatman told Breaking Defense, adding that he wants to ensure these new capabilities will "protect and defend the Eastern Range, while not having second order effects that will impact other operations."

"As the research labs develop new capabilities, we're open to bringing them out, taking a look at what that would look like out on the Eastern Range, and then if we get to spectrum deconfliction, affording them the opportunity to come out and test those capabilities," Chatman said.

There are other ways to defeat drones, however, including using traditional weapons, blowing them out of the sky with other drones armed with explosive warheads, or simply ramming into them.

There is a clear need for a more robust C-UAS capability at American launch facilities. In January, Canadian national Xiao Guang Pan was charged with flying a drone over and photographing launch facilities and munitions bunkers at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. After taking a plea deal, the man was sentenced to 12 months of probation and deported from the United States.

Just months before, a Chinese citizen and lawful resident of California was arrested attempting to board a flight to China after using a drone to photograph facilities at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The man, Yinpin Zhao, was sentenced to four months in jail and deported.

Drone and UAS incursions have been reported at a large number of other U.S. military facilities in recent years, although in many cases, law enforcement agencies have been unable to attribute them to any particular group or actor  — at least publicly.

]]> - https://www.space.com/technology/aerospace/us-space-force-is-installing-a-next-level-system-to-combat-drones-near-cape-canaveral-launch-sites + <![CDATA[ Best streaming devices to watch sci-fi shows and movies in 2025 ]]> + Streaming services are proving to be an ever-popular way to watch movies and TV shows, but unless you have a smart TV you won't be able to watch them on your 'big screen' without one addition: A streaming device.

Also known as a streaming stick or smart TV stick, these devices usually connect to the HDMI port on your TV or monitor and connect directly to the internet. Apps for streaming services like Disney+, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video etc are then installed, usually through the proprietary firmware on the stick. You'll be able to log in to your existing subscriptions and watch all the TV shows and movies you've come to love, without the need to purchase a new TV or hook up a laptop or desktop computer.

Black Friday 2025 is fast approaching and we're hoping to see plenty of streaming deals, so now could be a great time to bag a bargain. Whether you're looking to watch the Star Wars movies and Marvel movies in order on Disney Plus, the Predator movies in order ahead of "Predator: Badlands", the Alien movies in order, including the "Alien: Earth" TV show, or the Star Trek movies in order on Paramount Plus, or if you want to watch something entirely different, you'll want the best streaming devices available.

Best streaming devices we recommend in 2025, watch TV shows and movies with a streaming stick

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

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A stick-like device with a HDMI port sticking out the top of it is leaning on a black remote controller, all on an orange surface and background.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick is the best value streaming device on the market. (Image credit: Amazon)
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A Black stick with a silver HDMI port sticking out the end of it is laid down infront of a black remote controller, both next to a beige product box and on an orange background.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick is the best value streaming device on the market. (Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

Sitting at the top of our list, it offers value beyond its competitors.

Price: $49.99 | Maximum resolution: 4K | Audio: Dolby Atmos | Output: HDMI 2.1 | Streaming services available: Netflix, Prime Video, Paramount Plus, Disney Plus, many more.

All major services available
4K viewing
Affordably priced
Interface can be ad-heavy
Uses a HDMI port for use

Simply put, Amazon's Fire TV Stick is the option you want if you want a simple-to-use streaming device that won't break the bank and offers good quality audio and visual. Is it the most premium option on the market? No. Is it one of the more cost-effective options? Yes. Does it do everything you want and need? Also, yes.

With 4K Ultra HD video resolution (providing the device you're watching on supports that) and Dolby Atmos audio, you're going to be satisfied with the quality of whatever it is you're streaming. You will need an HDMI port in order to use the Fire TV Stick, but most Smart TVs and laptops support that anyway. Another feature of the Fire TV Stick is that it's one of the most compact and portable devices on the market. Yes, it comes with its own remote but the device itself is akin to a standard USB stick. The only downside to that is that it makes it easier to misplace and lose.

On top of the quality of technology on offer, the Amazon Fire TV Stick's library contains all major streaming services. Of course, geolocking and regional services may not show but the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, Apple TV, and of course, Prime Video etc. are all available.

Roku Ultra Media Player

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A black box is on top of a wooden surface next to a television and a black remote controller.

The Roku Ultra is the best value streaming box on the market. (Image credit: Roku)
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(Image credit: Amazon)

Roku Ultra Media Player

Roku's most advanced offering yet, it's 30% faster than other Roku devices and connects to the Wi-Fi.

Price: $99.99 | Maximum resolution: 4K | Audio: Dolby Atmos | Output: HDMI, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 6 | Streaming services available: Disney Plus, Netflix, Prime Video, Paramount Plus, all major services

More affordable than some premium options
4K viewing
Often on sale
Multiple cables needed
Fire TV Stick is similar and more convenient

If you're looking for a streaming device that offers plenty of quality and isn't a Fire TV stick, or you don't want to risk easily misplacing it, then the Roku Ultra is probably the option you're looking for.

The Roku Ultra differs from the Fire TV Stick in some ways and has its own useful features. It offers 4K viewing, Dolby Atmos audio and all major streaming services are available through the media player. It's also a box, rather than a stick, so it's harder to misplace by accident. It also features Bluetooth connectivity so you can connect your headphones to it, if that's how you prefer to listen to the audio.

However, it does come with multiple cables. A power cable, an HDMI cable and a charging cable for the remote. It also requires Wi-Fi connectivity to browse your streaming options. Despite these slight inconveniences, it is 30% faster than any other Roku player and is often on sale, so if you shop around and time it right, you can pick up a Roku Ultra 4K streaming device for considerably less than its MSRP.

Apple TV 4K

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A black box is next to a silver remote controller infront of a TV screen with several options to select on it.

The Apple TV 4K is the best premium option on the market. (Image credit: Apple)
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A silver metallic remote controller is laying flat next to a smooth, well-rounded box with an apple for a logo in the center, all on a white background.

The Apple TV 4K is the best premium option on the market. (Image credit: Amazon)

Apple TV 4K

The most premium option in this guide, you pay for quality with the Apple TV 4K player.

Price: From $129 | Maximum resolution: 4K | Audio: Dolby Atmos, Spatial Audio | Output: HDMI 2.1 | Streaming services available: Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, all major services

128GB version available
Bluetooth and Ethernet connectivity
4K viewing
Expensive
Prices only go up for more advanced models
Apple account required for purchases and rentals

If you're looking for the best of the best, irrespective of price, or you're a fan of Apple products, then you'll want to consider the Apple TV 4K streaming device.

Different options are available, including a 128GB model that comes with Bluetooth and Ethernet connectivity features. You get 4K viewing, providing your TV or other device supports that, and Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio sound. It comes with a power cord to plug in and a Siri remote, meaning the controller can be voice-controlled. The device is powered by Apple's A15 Bionic Chip, which allows for seamless scrolling and minimal loading times. But you will need an Apple account for rentals and purchases.

Again, all major streaming services are available through the app store. Our only gripe with this model is the price, and that it's more convenient to use when you have an Apple account. Otherwise, its premium look, design and performance shine through, giving you the best overall option on the market, if you're not on a budget or not wanting to get an Apple account.

Google TV Streamer

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A slim white box is placed on a wooden surface next to a white remote controller, a house plant and a television.

The Google TV Streamer is the best option for Android users. (Image credit: Amazon)
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The Google TV Streamer is the best option for Android users. (Image credit: Amazon )

Google TV Streamer

Google's answer to the Apple TV 4K, it's a solid choice but its audio lets it down.

Price: $99.99 | Maximum resolution: 4K | Audio: Dolby Atmos | Output: HDMI | Streaming services available: Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, all major services

Sleek design
22% faster than its predecessor
All major streaming services available
Less powerful than competitors
Equally impressive devices available for less money

The Google TV streamer is a solid choice if you're looking for a streaming device. It offers 4K viewing, Dolby Atmos audio and it's arguably the best looking device on the market. If you're looking for something that won't let you down and looks the part, this could be what you want.

While the Apple TV 4K might be the top option for Apple users, the Google TV Streamer is the equivalent for Android users. It's sleek design it meant to sit alongside your television rather than to just be slotted into a port on the side of a device or hidden out of sight. As it supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision for great visuals and given itss price tag, it's clear that it sees the Apple TV 4K as its rival in the market, as opposed to the more affordable Amazon Fire TV Stick and Roku Ultra.

Despite the promising looks and technology, the audio on offer lets it down slightly, as other options in this guide perform better. Not to say that the Google TV Player's audio is bad, it's just not the best. Again, you can get most major streaming apps and both Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity are available. One final negative is that 32GB of storage means there's less memory available than other options on this page.

It's harsh to say it's not bad, as it's actually quite good, it's just that other options in this guide are easier to justify.

What to watch on your streaming devices

Best Content for your streaming devices

All of the streaming devices above will allow you access, providing you have a subscription, to all major streaming services. That means you can watch content from the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount Plus, Apple TV and more.

If you're looking for Star Wars, Marvel or other sci-fi hits, Disney+ is a great option. Paramount Plus is where you want to go for all Star Trek content. If you're looking for a seemingly endless library of stuff to stream, you'll want a Netflix subscription and if you want access to blockbusters and recent releases, Prime Video is what you'll want.

Above, we've highlighted four of the best options for streaming devices on the market. The Amazon Fire TV Stick is the best value-for-money option, the Apple TV 4K is the best premium option, the Roku Ultra is the best value box option and the Google TV streamer is the best choice for Android users.

Best streaming devices frequently asked questions

What's the best streaming device on the market?

Overall, it's the Apple TV 4K. Different versions are available but with 4GB of RAM, an A 15 bionic chip, Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio and 4K HDR visuals, combined with all the apps you could want or need and access the storage to hold everything you need in one place, it can't be beaten.

Do you still need streaming subscriptions with a streaming device?

Yes. Unfortunately, having a streaming device like the ones in this guide doesn't give you automatic access to streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus etc. You will still need to have an account with those services and subscribe.

Why do I need a streaming device?

The best streaming devices, which we've highlighted above, are handy tools. Yes, many smart devices can download the major streaming services, but these devices hold them all in one place, which saves you scrolling and searching for individual services. They're particularly handy if you don't have a smart TV with everything pre-installed, giving you access to the apps you want and need, without having to connect a PC to a tele, to search for what you're looking for, or even purchase a new tele altogether.

]]> + https://www.space.com/technology/the-best-streaming-devices-to-have-all-your-subscriptions-in-one-place - + - 49H8PsUsYBsWhJgsZQWxJj - - Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + HwVHp5ssQkX7QdomUdfAqA + + Thu, 18 Dec 2025 21:00:00 +0000 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:59:46 +0000 + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ How color-changing, bacteria-infused spacesuits could help keep future astronauts safe from space radiation ]]> - In the future, some of us will be wearing clothes made of bacteria that change colors based on the level of radiation we're exposed to. At least, that's the hope of scientists and a fashion designer in Scotland.

Too much ionizing radiation exposure can cause long-term health problems, including cancer and reproductive issues. Radiation exposure is considered especially risky for astronauts because galactic cosmic radiation (GCR, or "space radiation") is strong, and space travelers have less protection from it when they leave the relative safety of Earth's magnetic field.

Researchers behind a project called Pigmented Space Pioneers are trying to solve this problem by helping space travelers gauge their risk. They're making clothing fabric that's treated with special types of bacteria that fade and change color after being exposed to radiation. To create predictable patterns, the team is using special needles and 3D printing techniques.

"Exposure to radiation breaks up the pigments in the bacteria, while similar exposure to radiation in humans breaks our DNA," project leader Gilles Bailet, a lecturer in space technology at the University of Glasgow's James Watt School of Engineering, said in a statement from the University of Glasgow.

"For the bacteria, that means a reduction in their color saturation, but for us it means greater risk of genetic mutations and cancers," Bailet added.

A sample of the fabric — which includes red, yellow, pink, blue and orange hues — will be sent into space early next year on a small satellite called PocketQube, according to the statement. How the fabric changes over time, a process that will be documented by cameras on the satellite, will be a test of how well the dye works to detect months-long radiation exposure in orbit.

The same bacteria (which are harmless, the research team says) are also being studied for use as a sustainable alternative to fabric dyes that are harmful for the environment. And the radiation-gauging clothing may also help those at risk of being exposed to higher-than-average levels of radiation on Earth, such as people who run CT scans in medical settings.

"What we're developing is a fabric with a design that is visually interesting but is also easily readable, so that in the future it will be easy to see at a glance when the dye has faded in response to potentially dangerous radiation exposure," Katie Tubbing, the designer behind the clothing, said in the same statement.

"It's an exciting challenge, and it's a unique fusion of art and science."

]]> - https://www.space.com/technology/how-color-changing-bacteria-infused-spacesuits-could-help-keep-future-astronauts-safe-from-space-radiation + <![CDATA[ Why are the 'Avatar' movies so massive? Their success seems to defy conventional logic ]]> + What will be highest grossing film released in 2025? Record-breaking Chinese animation "Ne Zha 2" is currently in pole position, hundreds of millions of dollars ahead of "Lilo & Stitch" and the still-in-theaters "Zootopia 2" ("Zootropolis 2" in the UK). But you'd be unwise to bet against a movie that arrives on the big screen this week, the third instalment in a franchise with a proven track record of blowing box office expectations out of the water.

2009's "Avatar" and 2022 sequel "Avatar: The Way of Water" are currently the highest and third-highest grossing movies of all time, sandwiching "Avengers: Endgame" at the top of the all-time list. Although they're not built on decades-old IP, James Cameron's sci-fi actioners have both made more money than every single "Star Wars" movie, and all-but-one of the MCU's 37 big-screen outings to date. And with accepted Hollywood wisdom suggesting that films don't gain access to the $2 billion club unless a sizeable number of viewers are heading back for repeat viewings, the "Avatar"s have clearly found the secret sauce — the, if you will, box office unobtanium — that everybody else in Hollywood would happily travel to Alpha Centauri to find.

But — and here's the thing — I just don't get it. I appreciate the technical achievement, of course, and Cameron still has few equals when it comes to directing action scenes — you can take the man out of "Terminator" and "Aliens", but you can't take "Terminator" and "Aliens" out of the man.

Still from the movie Avatar: Fire and Ash.

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

The stories, however, are extremely derivative, populated by characters who don't always share the 3D qualities of the visuals. Although they're both decent (if overlong) movies, I've never felt a desire to watch them again right away, as I have with "The Force Awakens", "Avengers: Endgame" and many other blockbusters. I'm also unconvinced that either — particularly the inferior "The Way of Water" — deserved a Best Picture Oscar nomination.

In fact, when it comes to "Avatar"'s multi-billion-dollar success story, the only thing I can be certain about is that normal rules don't apply.

Which got me thinking: did I always feel this way, or have I just jumped on some post-release bandwagon?

I first saw the original "Avatar" at a preview screening in 2009, before anyone had any idea that its box office take would leave the then-record holder, Cameron's own "Titanic", trailing in its wake.

The review I wrote for SFX magazine said that, "The dense forests of Pandora look so real that you feel like someone's smashed a rectangular hole through the cinema wall and opened a window onto another planet." Indeed, I was full of praise for the game-changing 3D visuals, but lukewarm about the "predictable and derivative" story. I gave the film 4.5 stars out of 5, with the caveat that the experience was so geared towards the multiplex that the film would "automatically get a star docked as soon as it arrives on the small screen".

Screenshot from Avatar: The Way of Water

(Image credit: Disney)

I stand by every word, to the extent that I didn't watch the original film again for over a decade, keen not to sully the experience by watching on TV. I wasn't alone among critics, either, seeing as the original movie currently stands at 81% on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer. It's a good but not great score — the second lowest (ahead of "Jurassic World") in the all-time box-office top 10, and well behind previous Cameron classics "The Terminator", "Aliens", "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and "Titanic".

"Avatar" wouldn't be the first franchise where critics and audiences have disagreed, and we're hardly in "Transformers" territory, where box office takings have often seemed inversely proportional to the quality of the movies. Nonetheless, it's hard to think of another recent Hollywood property where the theatrical experience has been so integral to the sales pitch.

Just as Tom Cruise has done his best to pack out multiplexes by risking life and limb in the name of "Missions: Impossible", Cameron has weaponized the prospect of 3D visuals light years ahead of his competitors. I still remember watching a preview for "The Way of Water" where the illusion of depth was so convincing that I wondered if it was raining indoors.

Screenshot from Avatar: The Way of Water

(Image credit: Disney)

"Avatar" didn't quite kickstart a stereoscopic revolution — though it did prompt thousands of cinemas to get 3D-ready — but how many other films have convinced their audience that watching "flat" would diminish the experience? With 3D tickets generally selling at a premium price, this certainly didn't harm those box office receipts.

The "wow" factor has arguably stretched "Avatar"'s appeal, drawing in viewers who wouldn't otherwise contemplate spending three hours in the company of big blue aliens.

But it's outside the US that "Avatar" has really come into its own. According to a YouGov survey, a whopping 48% of urban consumers in India and 33% in China saw "The Way of Water" in theaters — that's compared to just 13% in the UK and just 11% in the US. Both are markets where "Star Wars", for example, has historically struggled to make an impact — while "The Force Awakens" made almost half its money in the US, barely a quarter of "Avatar"'s revenue was earned at home.

Screenshot from Avatar: The Way of Water

(Image credit: Disney)

Most remarkably, the two "Avatar" movies to date have achieved their success without a vast shared universe — or spin-off shows on Disney+ — to support them. In an era when saturating the market with "product" has been the strategy for pretty much every major franchise in Hollywood, they're something of an outlier. That "The Way of Water" should arrive a whole 13 years after its predecessor and still sail past $2 billion defies all conventional logic, especially given the global box office's well-documented struggles in a post-pandemic world.

Any movie that can help fight the good fight for theaters against streaming feels like a good thing, as does a franchise that keeps its focus firmly on the big screen. Even so, I don't think "Avatar" is a saga I'm ever going to love.

Part of me still dreams that Cameron might one day back and make something more tactile again, a throwback to the glory days of "Aliens" and the "Terminator"s — it's telling that the thing I liked most in "The Way of Water" was the Colonial Marines-esque military hardware. But maybe yearning for a director to make films as he did three decades ago is a bit like going to see Radiohead and complaining the set wasn't dominated by songs from "The Bends" and "OK Computer".

Perhaps I should just accept that I'll never truly understand why the "Avatar" films are so successful, and admire them for best-in-class technical qualities. Besides, there is one thing I do know — as anyone in Hollywood will tell you, you should never, ever bet against James Cameron.

"Avatar: Fire & Ash" hits theaters worldwide on December 19, 2025. "Avatar" and "Avatar: The Way of Water" are available on Disney+.

Watch the Avatar movies on Disney+

Standard (with ads): $11.99/month or $119.99/yearPremium (no ads): $18.99/month or $189.99/year

Sign up to Disney+ to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash when it launches, along with the first two Avatar movies.

You can also catch the Star Wars movies and TV shows on there, plus loads of other Disney, Marvel, and Nat Geo content too.View Deal

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Get even better value with the Disney+ bundle, which also comes with Hulu and HBO Max. View Deal

]]> + https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/why-are-the-avatar-movies-so-massive-their-success-seems-to-defy-conventional-logic - + - PjZsFz9RJ4FZcvZqHKfAwL - - Fri, 12 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000 - - - - + apNiwT23SxJzjqgA8LpU95 + + Thu, 18 Dec 2025 21:00:00 +0000 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:11:33 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Comet Lemmon and Milky Way spotted over Hawaii | Space photo of the day for Dec. 12, 2025 ]]> - Comet C/2025 A6, better known as Comet Lemmon, was one of the latest icy visitors to swing through our neighborhood of the solar system, leaving astronomers and casual skywatchers equally delighted. For observers in Hawaii, the glow of the Milky Way didn't dim the streak of light made by this comet passing through.

What is it?

Comet Lemmon was discovered in January 2025 and made its closest approach to Earth in late October 2025. But by November 2025, when this image was taken, it had brightened to about the same apparent brightness as the planet Uranus, making it visible to the naked eye even from suburban skies.

Where is it?

This image was taken atop the volcanic peak Mauna Kea, on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Comet Lemmon could be seen with the naked eye as it streaked across the sky. (Image credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURAImage processing: M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab) & M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab))

Why is it amazing?

Comets are notoriously unpredictable, so Comet Lemmon's surprising visibility has felt like a bit of a cosmic bonus for Hawaiian stargazers. And this was a rare treat, as the comet won't return to Earth's skies for another 1,350 years, around the year 3375.

Framing this comet is the glow of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, which is easier to spot at higher elevations like Mauna Kea's peak, where there is less light pollution. The image gives us a souvenir from a celestial visitor that won't be back for more than a millennium.

Want to learn more?

You can learn more about comets and skywatching.

]]> - https://www.space.com/stargazing/comet-lemmon-and-milky-way-spotted-over-hawaii-space-photo-of-the-day-for-dec-12-2025 + <![CDATA[ A SpaceX Starlink satellite is tumbling and falling out of space after partial breakup in orbit ]]> + One of SpaceX's Starlink broadband internet satellites suffered an anomaly in orbit on Wednesday (Dec. 17) and is now plunging toward Earth.

The mishap led to a loss of communication with the Starlink spacecraft, which was orbiting at an altitude of 260 miles (418 kilometers), according to the company.

In addition, "the anomaly led to venting of the propulsion tank, a rapid decay in semi-major axis by about 4 km [2.5 miles], and the release of a small number of trackable low relative velocity objects," representatives of Starlink, a company that's owned by SpaceX, said in an X post on Thursday morning (Dec. 18). That description suggests that the Starlink satellite's propulsion tank may have ruptured or suffered some other type of damage.

SpaceX is working with NASA and the U.S. Space Force to keep tabs on the newly liberated pieces of space debris, the post continued, stressing that there's not much to worry about.

"The satellite is largely intact, tumbling, and will reenter the Earth’s atmosphere and fully demise within weeks. The satellite's current trajectory will place it below the @Space_Station, posing no risk to the orbiting lab or its crew," Starlink representatives wrote.

"As the world’s largest satellite constellation operator, we are deeply committed to space safety," they added. "We take these events seriously. Our engineers are rapidly working to root cause and mitigate the source of the anomaly and are already in the process of deploying software to our vehicles that increases protections against this type of event."

The Starlink megaconstellation is by far the largest ever assembled. It currently consists of nearly 9,300 active satellites, meaning that SpaceX operates about 65% of all the functional spacecraft zipping around our planet.

And that number is growing all the time. SpaceX has launched 122 Starlink missions this year alone, sending more than 3,000 of the satellites to low Earth orbit.

Starlink satellites have a design lifetime of about five years, and SpaceX deorbits each one intentionally before it conks out in orbit.

The company has taken other steps to mitigate the space-junk threat posed by the megaconstellation as well. For example, Starlink spacecraft avoid potential collisions autonomously, an ability they put into practice quite often: In the first six months of 2025, Starlink satellites conducted about 145,000 evasive actions — an average of about four per spacecraft per month.

There's no guarantee that every satellite operator is quite so responsible, however. Last week, for example, a satellite recently deployed by a Chinese rocket gave a Starlink spacecraft a close shave, apparently without providing the proper warning ahead of time.

"As far as we know, no coordination or deconfliction with existing satellites operating in space was performed, resulting in a 200-meter close approach between one of the deployed satellites and STARLINK-6079 (56120) at 560 km altitude. Most of the risk of operating in space comes from the lack of coordination between satellite operators — this needs to change," Michael Nicolls, vice president of Starlink engineering at SpaceX, said via X on Dec. 12.

]]> + https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/a-spacex-starlink-satellite-is-tumbling-and-falling-out-of-space-after-partial-breakup-in-orbit - + - ZQcYdPBfacPfEVe9ua5knm - - Fri, 12 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000 - - - - + 4UYMtr7KzkVAAh2fNpnyzH + + Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:51:11 +0000 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:51:13 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Satellite constellations could obscure most space telescope observations by late 2030s: 'That part of the image will be forever lost' ]]> - Rapidly growing swarms of satellites around Earth are no longer just a nuisance for ground-based observatories — the reflections they cause are now intruding on space-based telescopes as well, according to new research.

Roughly 15,000 satellites currently circle the planet in vast internet-providing fleets, more than half of them belonging to SpaceX's Starlink network, which has more than 9,000 spacecraft in orbit. In 2023, astronomers reported that some of these satellites were already photobombing images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, as sunlight glinted off their surfaces leaving bright trails that erase, obscure or mimic genuine cosmic signals.

If every constellation currently filed with regulators were approved and launched, Earth will be encircled by half a million satellites by the end of the 2030s.

"The natural question that comes up is: how many more space telescopes will be affected when all these constellations are launched?" study co-author Alejandro Borlaff, an astrophysicist at NASA's Ames Research Center in California, told Space.com. "This work is the first careful quantification of a potential problem."

Borlaff and his team modeled how future satellite megaconstellations would appear to four space telescopes: Two already operating ones — Hubble and NASA's SPHEREx (short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer), launched in March — and two planned observatories, China's Xuntian telescope, scheduled for a 2026 liftoff, and the European Space Agency's ARRAKIHS mission, expected to launch next decade.

Using orbital data for every registered constellation from the Planet4589 database maintained by astronomer Jonathan McDowell, the researchers simulated roughly 18 months of telescope operations under varying scenarios that ranged from 100 satellites to one million.

If the 560,000 satellites currently planned are deployed, the team found that one in every three Hubble images would contain at least one satellite trail. For SPHEREx, ARRAKIHS, and Xuntian, more than 96% of exposures would be affected. At the million-satellite level, roughly the number of proposals currently pending, contamination rates roughly double, the study reports.

These findings are "truly frightening," Patrick Seitzer, an astronomer at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor who was not involved in the new study, told Nature. "This is a very important study for the future of space-based astronomy."

Until 2019, the largest commercial constellation, Iridium, operated just 75 satellites in low Earth orbit. Since then, a dramatic reduction in launch costs and the rise of rideshare missions have driven an exponential surge in deployment. The arrival of super-heavy rockets such as SpaceX's Starship, Blue Origin's New Glenn and China's Long March 9 is likely to make large-scale launches even easier, the study notes.

Crucially, image processing cannot fully recover the science lost to satellite contamination, the researchers emphasize. Techniques such as masking can hide a streak, but the cosmic signal underneath cannot be reconstructed.

"That part of the image will be forever lost," Borlaff told Space.com. Photon noise from reflected sunlight wipes out the original data, and no software, AI included, can reconstruct that data, he said, "simply because the information that came from space to the telescope detector is no longer there."

Not everyone agrees with every aspect of the team's modeling. Rafael Guzmán, consortium lead for ARRAKIHS, told Science that while his group shares the serious concern most astronomers have regarding the effects of megaconstellations, the study assumes ARRAKIHS will survey the entire sky, when it will mostly point away from Earth, where satellites are least visible. His team similarly concludes that around 96% of images would bear satellite trails, but a smaller portion of each image would be contaminated, according to the Science story.

One mitigation strategy proposed in the study is placing large satellite constellations below the altitude of space telescopes, where spacecraft spend more time in Earth's shadow and therefore appear dimmer. But Borlaff acknowledges this could increase satellites in lower orbits burn up more frequently due to atmospheric drag, and recent research suggests that materials released during reentry may harm the ozone layer. Lower orbits also make satellites appear brighter to ground-based observatories, potentially shifting the problem rather than solving it.

"This should be discussed from a multi-disciplinary perspective, not just from astronomy," said Borlaff. "We need to carefully evaluate the resources that we have so we can maintain an orbital environment that is useful for both science and industry."

The study notes that efforts to measure the environmental and scientific impacts of megaconstellations are already struggling to keep pace with launch activity, a dynamic reminiscent of the early days of ozone-layer research, when scientists' warnings about chlorofluorocarbons raced against industrial expansion until the historic Montreal Protocol imposed global limits.

When asked whether he is optimistic that meaningful mitigation is possible, Borlaff described himself as an "optimistic pessimist."

"Our results show what will happen if no action is taken, but I am positive that won't be the case," he said.

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/satellite-constellations-could-obscure-most-space-telescope-observations-by-late-2030s-that-part-of-the-image-will-be-forever-lost + <![CDATA[ Astronomers capture 1st direct images of collisions in a nearby star system: 'It's like looking back in time' ]]> +

Astronomers have been treated to a stunning fireworks display from around a young star called Fomalhaut. The events, detected in 2004 and 2023, represent the first collisions between large objects seen in a planetary system beyond our own. Observing collisions occurring in a young star system like that of Fomalhaut could provide astronomers with a window to the conditions under which our own planet and its siblings formed around the infant sun around 4.6 billion years ago.

Fomalhaut is located only around 25 light-years away and is just 440 million years old. If this seems far from "young," remember our planet is 4.6 billion years old, and is considered middle-aged. Young star systems like Fomalhaut are estimated to be a hub of such violent collisions as space rocks, asteroids, and larger planetesimals, objects smaller than dwarf planets, slam into each other. Often, planetesimals rebound away from each other, but sometimes they stick to one another and turn dust and ice into planets and moons. The largest collisions are rare, occurring maybe once every 100,000 years over the hundreds of millions of years it takes to form a planetary system like the solar system.

"We just witnessed the collision of two planetesimals and the dust cloud that gets spewed out of that violent event, which begins reflecting light from the host star," team leader Paul Kalas, of the University of California, Berkeley, said in a statement. It's like looking back in time in a sense, to that violent period of our solar system when it was less than a billion years old."

Illustration of the collision of two planetesimals in the circumstellar disc of the star Fomalhaut.

Illustration of the collision of two planetesimals in the circumstellar disc of the star Fomalhaut. (Image credit: Thomas Müller (MPIA))

Kalas added that the team did not directly see the two objects that crashed into each other, instead spotting the aftermath of this enormous impact.

He and his colleagues first began investigating the young star Fomalhaut back in 1993, hunting for the debris leftover from planet birth, eventually finding a disk of this material around the star with the Hubble Space Telescope. Then, in 2008, Kalas found a bright spot in that so-called protoplanetary disk that was initially thought to be a planet. This new research suggests that this planet, Fomalhaut b, is actually a dust cloud that was stirred up by the collision between planetesimals in the protoplanetary disk.

"This is a new phenomenon, a point source that appears in a planetary system and then over 10 years or more slowly disappears," Kalas said. "It's masquerading as a planet because planets also look like tiny dots orbiting nearby stars."

The brightness of the events observed in 2004 and 2023 revealed that the bodies involved were around 37 miles wide (60 kilometers) or more, meaning they are each at least four times as large as the Chicxulub impactor, the asteroid that struck Earth 66 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs along with 75% of all species of animals and plants.

Hubble Space Telescope image shows the debris ring and dust clouds cs1 and cs2 around the star Fomalhaut. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, Paul Kalas/UC Berkeley. Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI))

"The Fomalhaut system is a natural laboratory to probe how planetesimals behave when undergoing collisions, which in turn tells us about what they are made of and how they formed," team member Mark Wyatt, of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, said. "The exciting aspect of this observation is that it allows us to estimate both the size of the colliding bodies and how many of them there are in the disk, information which is almost impossible to get by any other means." Indeed, the team estimates that there are around 300 million planetesimals in the region around Fomalhaut of sizes similar to those involved in these two crashes. The fact that carbon monoxide gas has previously been detected in this system indicates these objects are rich in volatiles, substances such as hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and methane that easily turn gaseous at low temperatures.

That makes these icy bodies in Fomalhaut similar to the frigid comets of the solar system, which are also packed with volatiles. In a further comparison with the solar system, Kalas suggested that the 2004 and 2023 dust clouds seen by the team are akin to the dust cloud created in 2022 when NASA struck the moonlet Dimorphos with the DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) to test if this could shift its parent asteroid Didemos.

Kalas and colleagues will continue to investigate Fomalhaut with Hubble, also adding the powerful infrared vision of the James Webb Space Telescope to their investigation. This should allow them to track how the cloud seen in 2023 evolves. It is already around 30% brighter than the 2003 cloud, and observations conducted in August 2025 confirmed that it is indeed still visible.

As this investigation continues, Kalas warns astronomers not to fall into the trap of mistaking dust clouds for newly formed planets around infant stars.

"These collisions that produce dust clouds happen in every planetary system," Kalas said. "Once we start probing stars with sensitive future telescopes such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory, which aims to directly image an Earth-like exoplanet, we have to be cautious because these faint points of light orbiting a star may not be planets."

The team's research was published on Thursday (Dec. 18) in the journal Science.

]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/stars/astronomers-capture-1st-direct-images-of-collisions-in-a-nearby-star-system-its-like-looking-back-in-time - + - uGphqjpmLCk5yW5D39yoLn - - Fri, 12 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + UuHxn2kzeCGyVeUmGC8ULm + + Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:01:00 +0000 Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:40:13 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Blue Origin targeting Dec. 18 for historic 1st spaceflight of wheelchair user ]]> - A wheelchair user will reach space next week for the first time ever, if all goes according to plan.

Blue Origin announced today (Dec. 11) that it's targeting Dec. 18 for its NS-37 mission, which will send six people on a brief trip to suborbital space and back.

One of the passengers is Michaela (Michi) Benthaus, an aerospace engineer at the European Space Agency who has used a wheelchair since suffering a spinal cord injury in a 2018 mountain-biking accident. She is poised to break new ground for access and inclusion in human spaceflight.

a photo grid showing headshots of five men and one woman

The six passengers on Blue Origin's upcoming NS-37 suborbital spaceflight. (Image credit: Blue Origin)

NS-37 will lift off from Blue Origin's West Texas site on Dec. 18 during a window that opens at 9:30 a.m. EST (1430 GMT; 8:30 a.m. local time). The company will stream the action live, beginning about 40 minutes before launch.

As its name suggests, NS-37 will be the 37th overall flight of Blue Origin's autonomous New Shepard vehicle, which consists of a crew capsule and a rocket, both of which are reusable.

New Shepard flights last 10 to 12 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown. Passengers feel a few minutes of weightlessness and see Earth against the blackness of space.

The five folks who will get this experience on NS-37 along with Benthaus are investor Joey Hyde, aerospace engineer Hans Koenigsmann, entrepreneur Neal Milch, investor Adonis Pouroulis, and self-proclaimed "space nerd" Jason Stansell.

Other space nerds may recognize Koenigsmann's name: He was one of the first employees at SpaceX, working there from 2002 to 2021. For roughly half of that time, he served as the company's vice president of build and flight reliability and was a frequent participant in launch webcasts and press conferences.

a hexagonal mission patch featuring a white space capsule against a dark-blue background

The patch for Blue Origin's NS-37 suborbital tourism mission. (Image credit: Blue Origin)

Blue Origin, which was founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, also released the NS-37 mission patch today, along with an explanation of what some of its symbols mean. Here's that explanation, verbatim from the company:

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/blue-origin-targeting-dec-18-for-historic-1st-spaceflight-of-wheelchair-user + <![CDATA[ 4 ways to track 3I/ATLAS without a telescope as it makes its closest approach to Earth tonight ]]> + Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS makes its closest approach to Earth on Dec. 19. Here's how you can track its progress both during the pass and as it races out of the solar system on its way to interstellar space, never to be seen again.

3I/ATLAS was discovered on July 1 earlier this year by astronomers using the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) survey telescopes, which scan the night sky in search of moving objects that could one day pose a threat to Earth.

An analysis of 3I/ATLAS's movement quickly confirmed it to be just the third visitor to our solar system that was created in the orbit of an alien star, after the 2017 comet 'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov, which buzzed the sun in 2019.

3I/ATLAS came closest to the sun on Oct. 31, when it advanced within 130 million miles (210 kilometers) from our parent star. At its closest approach to Earth — which will occur at 1 a.m. EST (0600 MGT) on Dec. 19 — the interstellar visitor will still be separated by a mind-boggling 170 million miles (273 million km) from our Blue Marble.

As such, the interstellar invader won't be visible to the naked eye, though a 12-inch (30 centimeter) telescope may allow you to spot it as a point of light travelling through a patch of sky below the stars of the constellation Leo on the night of Dec. 19, according to NASA.

Naturally, the vast majority of stargazers won't get to see 3I/ATLAS bid farewell to Earth with their own eyes. Instead, these handy resources — and a livestream — can be used to track the interstellar visitor during its flyby and in the weeks that follow, as it gradually disappears from our view forever.

NASA Eyes on the Solar System

Follow along with 3I/ATLAS's trajectory using NASA's Eyes on the Solar System, which uses data and imagery from agency missions to create a sophisticated 3D model of the sun's domain, which visualizes the orbits of planets, moons and spacecraft, along with wandering asteroids and comets.

A simulation of the solar system showing the trajectory of 3I/ATLAS flying beyond the orbits of Earth, Mars, Mercury and Venus (Image credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio)

Simply click on the magnifying glass icon in the upper right and search "3I/ATLAS" to see the interstellar invader's path. On Dec. 19 the comet will be travelling beyond the orbit of Mars ahead of a flyby of the gas giant Jupiter on March 12, 2026.

You can also scroll backwards and forwards through time and select to replay close planetary passes using the intuitive on-screen options to see all the highlights of 3I/ATLAS's journey through the solar system.

Track 3I/ATLAS's brightness using the the Comet Observation Database

You can track the average brightness of 3I/ATLAS and other solar system objects using the Comet Observation Database (COBS), courtesy of the Crni Vrh Observatory in Slovenia.

COBS accepts data submissions from amateur astronomers and plots the observations to show how a comet's lightcurve — or brightness as perceived from Earth — has varied over time. As expected, 3I/ATLAS's brightness has dipped significantly following its closest approach to the sun on Oct. 29, as it travels further from the warming influence and light of our parent star.

Virtual Telescope Project Livestream

Hoping to catch a glimpse of 3I/ATLAS on Dec. 19, but don't own a monster telescope capable of spotting it? Then be sure to tune into the Virtual Telescope Project's free YouTube livestream of the event starting at 11 p.m. EST pm Dec. 18 (0400 GMT on Dec. 19), which will feature real-time images of the comet captured by robotic telescopes located in Manciano, Italy. You can also watch the comet 3I/ATLAS livestream on Space.com.

Track its position using a smartphone astronomy app

While it may not be visible to most telescopes, you can still track the patch of sky containing 3I/ATLAS in the constellation Leo using a trusted smartphone astronomy app such as Stellarium, which uses augmented reality tech to help you find its position in the night sky.

Are you looking to upgrade your skywatching equipment? Then be sure to check out our picks of the best binoculars and telescopes for exploring the post-sunset realm in 2025 and beyond.

]]> + https://www.space.com/stargazing/4-ways-to-track-3i-atlas-without-a-telescope-as-it-makes-its-closest-approach-to-earth-tonight - + - CZJ3rE2jeVC33AeiP8XBsa - - Thu, 11 Dec 2025 23:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + aPZu56XgHmkovbBg3pB7TS + + Thu, 18 Dec 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 20:21:15 +0000 + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ SpaceX launches Starlink satellites from Florida on worldwide 300th orbital flight of 2025 (video) ]]> -

For the 300th time this year, a rocket has lifted off for Earth orbit.

SpaceX on Thursday (Dec. 11) launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The broadband internet relay spacecraft entered Earth orbit about eight and a half minutes after leaving the ground at 5:01 p.m. EST (2201 GMT).

The Starlink satellites (Group 6-90) were on track to be deployed into the SpaceX megaconstellation about an hour into the flight.

the first stage of an orbital-class rocket stands on its four landing legs atop an ocean-based platform

The first stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands on its four landing legs after touching down on the droneship "Just Read the Instructions" stationed in the Atlantic Ocean on Dec. 11, 2025. (Image credit: SpaceX)
Previous Booster B1083 missions

Crew-8 | Polaris Dawn | CRS-31 | Astranis: From One to Many | IM-2 | Commercial GTO-1 | 8 Starlink missions

The Falcon 9's first stage (Booster 1083) completed its 16th mission, landing back on the autonomous droneship "Just Read the Instructions," stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Starlink network now numbers more than 10,000 satellites, with more than 9,100 active and in use. The commercial service provides internet access to underserved areas around the world, as well as enables cell-to-satellite and airline WiFi for select carriers.

Thursday's launch was SpaceX's 161st Falcon 9 flight of the year, 606th mission overall and marked the 300th orbital launch attempt worldwide, according to the website Next Spaceflight.

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-6-90-b1083-ccsfs-jrti + <![CDATA[ 'Crash Clock' reveals how soon satellite collisions would occur after a severe solar storm — and it's pretty scary ]]> + How long would it take for satellites to begin to collide with space junk and each other if they were to suddenly lose their ability to avoid each other?

A new study finds that, with the immense quantity of satellites that hurtle in Earth's orbit today, the first smashup would occur in less than three days, potentially triggering a dangerous collision cascade that could quickly make space around the planet unusable.

The study, published on the online preprint repository arXiv, has not yet been peer-reviewed, the authors caution, but it raises questions about the sustainability of humanity's use of space. The researchers call this expected time-to-collision value the Crash Clock and calculated it by running a model of all known objects in space and determining an average collision rate for various orbital regions in the absence of avoidance maneuvers.

They found that regions in low Earth orbit (LEO) at altitudes around 300 miles (500 kilometers), where most satellites of megaconstellations like SpaceX's Starlink reside, could see a collision in as little as 2.8 days. For comparison, the team ran an identical simulation with numbers of satellites and space debris in orbit from 2018. At that time, it would have taken 128 days for the first collision to occur, Samantha Lawler, an associate professor in astronomy at the University of Regina in Canada and one of the paper's authors, told Space.com.

"It's been a big change since 2018," Lawler said.

The idea that satellites in orbit could suddenly lose their ability to avoid collisions is not science fiction. Every time the sun unleashes a coronal mass ejection (CME) — a burst of magnetized plasma — toward Earth, the planet's tenuous upper atmosphere thickens. Satellites in LEO then experience more drag and slow down, meaning their trajectories become impossible to predict.

In 2003, for example, after the Halloween storm — one of the most intense space weather events of the last three decades — satellite operators lost track of positions of their spacecraft for days. At that time, a few hundred operational satellites orbited the planet, and no collision occurred. And the Halloween storm was only a fraction of what the sun is capable of. A stronger solar storm, perhaps as potent as the Carrington Event of 1859 — the most intense recorded solar storm in human history — would take a week or more to fully subside.

"At the beginning of a solar storm, there's a huge increase in atmospheric density and things start to get pulled down," Sarah Thiele, an astrophysics researcher at Princeton University, and corresponding author of the paper, told Space.com. "Before things start getting back to normal, you have uncertainties of several kilometers in the positions of satellites, and it becomes impossible to estimate where objects are going to be in the future — and therefore it becomes impossible to predict collisions and conduct avoidance maneuvers."

The Crash Clock data suggests that, in 2018, near-Earth space would most likely have had enough time to recover from the most extreme solar storm before the first collision occurred. In 2025, however, an orbital smashup would be almost certain. Such a collision would create thousands of fragments that would threaten everything in their path, potentially triggering an unstoppable chain of events. With every subsequent crash, the affected orbital region would become more unsafe — a nightmare scenario known as the Kessler syndrome.

"2.8 days is the average expectation value for time to the first collision," Thiele said. "It's a probabilistic estimate. We're not saying that for sure this is going to happen in exactly that time. It's what you might expect."

Currently, some 13,000 functioning satellites orbit the planet, according to the European Space Agency, together with more than 43,500 pieces of space debris — defunct satellites, rocket stages and collision fragments — that are large enough to be tracked. These objects circle the planet at speeds of about 7.8 kilometers (4.8 miles) per second, and their paths frequently intersect. Space situational awareness companies, the U.S. Space Command and other agencies predict satellite trajectories and alert operators to perform collision-avoidance maneuvers in case of close approaches. Starlink, by far the currently largest constellation in orbit, encompassing around 9,000 functioning satellites, performed 145,000 collision-avoidance maneuvers in the six months prior to July 2025, equivalent to around four maneuvers per Starlink satellite every month.

Over 46,000 space debris fragments more than 4 inches wide now clutter Earth's orbit. (Image credit: ESA)

The global space industry, however, is far from done with satellite constellation deployments. Analysts estimate that by 2035, tens of thousands more satellites might be added to Earth orbit. Things might therefore become much more treacherous in the not-so-distant future.

Lawler and Thiele declined to estimate how short the Crash Clock could be if there were perhaps six or 10 times as many satellites in Earth's orbit as there are today.

They say the satellite operators can, to a degree, improve their chances to survive solar mayhem by quickly de-orbiting old satellites and carefully considering how many spacecraft to launch to certain altitudes.

"The part that satellite operators can control is the number of satellites and the density of satellites," said Lawler.

Thiele added that the study highlights how fragile the space environment has become in a few short years.

"The Crash Clock demonstrates how reliant we are on errorless operations," she said. "If everything works as it's supposed to all the time, then we're okay."

Sooner or later, however, another Carrington-size solar storm will hit. Whether satellite operators will be ready for it remains a question. In 2025, the number of global space launches exceeded 300 for the first time in history, and the industry shows no signs of slowing down.

]]> + https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/crash-clock-reveals-how-soon-satellite-collisions-would-occur-after-a-severe-solar-storm-and-its-pretty-scary - + - LDhQJhtQsDtBcxT7J6aecb - - Thu, 11 Dec 2025 22:13:00 +0000 + qE8fRGLrgFv5pxkj3DiGkG + + Thu, 18 Dec 2025 17:00:00 +0000 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:46:55 +0000 + - - - - + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ NASA's Chandra telescope uses 'X-arithmetic' to reveal how black holes shape galaxy clusters (images) ]]> -

New images from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory give galaxy clusters a bold new splash of color, highlighting the beauty of these cosmic giants.

Galaxy clusters are the most massive objects in the universe held together by gravity, containing galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter, offering clues on how cosmic structures form and evolve. Many host central supermassive black holes, whose powerful outbursts create jets and bubbles that transfer energy to surrounding gas, producing complex structures like hooks, rings, arcs and wings.

Using a novel image-processing technique called "X‑arithmetic," scientists were able to study the nature of different features in the hot gas of galaxy clusters, revealing the dramatic influence of supermassive black holes in vivid detail, according to a statement from NASA.

The galaxy clusters imaged by Chandra. (Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Chicago/H. McCall; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk)

"By splitting Chandra data into lower-energy and higher-energy X-rays and comparing the strengths of each structure in both, researchers can classify them into three distinct types, which they have colored differently," NASA officials said in the statement.

The new set of images, released on Tuesday (Dec. 9), shows jet‑blown bubbles in yellow, cooling or slow-moving gas in blue and rippling sound waves or weak shock fronts in neon pink. Five major galaxy clusters are featured: MS 0735+7421, the Perseus Cluster, M87 in the Virgo Cluster, Abell 2052 and Cygnus A. While astronomers have studied these objects for years, the new processing technique uncovers structures and dynamics that show how physical processes shape the clusters, rather than just highlighting where the gas shines brightest.

Chandra X-ray images of five galaxy clusters — MS 0735+7421, the Perseus Cluster, M87 in the Virgo Cluster, Abell 2052 and Cygnus A — show jet-blown bubbles in yellow, cooling gas in blue and rippling sound waves or weak shock fronts in neon pink, highlighting the dynamic processes shaped by the supermassive black holes at the center of each structure. (Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Chicago/H. McCall)

The images highlight remarkable differences between galaxy clusters and smaller galaxy groups, suggesting that black hole feedback — where energy from black hole outbursts heat and reshape surrounding gas — is stronger in galaxy groups, whose weaker gravity makes them more easily disrupted than massive clusters.

"The galaxy clusters in the study often have large regions of cooling or slow-moving gas near their centers, and only some show evidence for shock fronts," NASA officials said in the statement. "The galaxy groups, on the other hand, are different. They show multiple shock fronts in their central regions and smaller amounts of cooling and slow-moving gas compared to the sample of galaxy clusters."

The X‑arithmetic technique offers a powerful new way to map the physics of other galactic structures across the universe and track how black holes shape their environments over millions of years.

The findings were published Aug. 12 in the Astrophysical Journal.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/nasa-unveils-colorful-new-chandra-x-ray-views-of-galaxy-clusters + <![CDATA[ Scientists detect X-ray glow from interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS extending 250,000 miles into space ]]> + For the first time ever, astronomers have captured two distinct X-ray views of an interstellar comet, providing an unprecedented glimpse into the interplay between a visitor from beyond our solar system and solar wind.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, the third confirmed object known to have originated outside our solar system, has now been imaged in X-ray light by both the European Space Agency's (ESA) XMM-Newton observatory and the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) led by the Japanese space agency JAXA in partnership with NASA and ESA. These X-ray observations allow scientists to detect and study gases that other instruments can't easily spot, according to a statement from ESA.

Comets shine in visible light when sunlight reflects off dust and gas escaping their icy core, while X-ray light tells a very different story. In space, the interaction between fast-moving charged particles from the sun — also known as solar wind — and a comet's surrounding gas cloud produces X-ray emissions. Detecting that glow lets scientists trace where and how these interactions occur and what kinds of gases are present at levels that optical telescopes might miss.

While NASA's James Webb Telescope and other instruments have already spotted abundant water vapor, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in 3I/ATLAS's coma, X-ray observations are uniquely sensitive to lighter gases such as hydrogen and nitrogen that are otherwise hard to detect.

The first X-ray observation of 3I/ATLAS was made by the XRISM space telescope, which observed the comet for 17 hours between Nov. 26 and 28. The resulting image was captured using XRISM's soft X-ray telescope, Xtend, whose field of view spans roughly 1.2 million square miles (3 million square kilometers), revealing X-ray emission extending about 250,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) from the comet's nucleus — evidence that the comet's gas is being energized by the solar wind, according to a statement from ESA releasing the image.

An image of comet 3I/ATLAS from the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM). (Image credit: JAXA)

The XRISM data also carry spectral signatures of elements such as carbon, nitrogen and oxygen, which helps scientists begin to disentangle the mix of particles released from the comet's nucleus and how they interact with the high-energy environment near the sun, ESA officials said in the statement.

Shortly after, ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray observatory studied 3I/ATLAS for about 20 hours on Dec. 3, when the comet was roughly 175–177 million miles (282–285 million km) from the spacecraft. The image was captured using the telescope's most sensitive X-ray instrument, the European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC)-pn, revealing a distinct X-ray glow (shown in red) surrounded by fainter gradients. These features mark regions where the solar wind is interacting with gas streaming off the comet, according to a statement from ESA releasing the image.

Another x-ray view of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (Image credit: ESA/XMM-Newton/C. Lisse, S. Cabot & the XMM ISO Team)

"3I/ATLAS presents a new opportunity to study an interstellar object, and observations in X-ray light will complement other observations to help scientists figure out what it is made of," ESA officials said in the statement.

Together, X-ray, optical, infrared and radio observations are offering fresh insights into 3I/ATLAS as it makes its rare journey through the inner solar system, with its upcoming closest approach to Earth expected around Dec. 19.

]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/scientists-detect-x-ray-glow-from-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-extending-250-000-out-miles-into-space - + - 3zWJ96UFAuTt3W3Eju62oe - - Thu, 11 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0000 - - - - + Q4LChwGpiFBKbRqcF2geMH + + Thu, 18 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:37:58 +0000 + + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Astronomers capture close-up images of nova explosions on 2 dead stars in unprecedented detail ]]> - The powerful thermonuclear explosions on the surfaces of two white dwarfs have been resolved in detail for the first time, revealing that these eruptions are more complex than previously thought.

The findings are courtesy of the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) array, which is an optical interferometer that combines the light of six telescopes on Mount Wilson in California. CHARA targeted two events of this kind, which astronomers call nova eruptions.

A nova doesn't destroy the white dwarf like a Type 1a supernova does, but rather occurs when the white dwarf siphons too much matter from a companion red giant star. This matter builds up on the surface of the white dwarf until the temperature and pressure grows so great that a localized thermonuclear detonates and extends across the white dwarf's surface while leaving the white dwarf's interior intact. (A white dwarf goes supernova only once the matter it steals from its red giant companion takes the white dwarf above the critical mass of 1.44 times the mass of our sun.)

From Earth, we see a nova eruption as a brilliant brightening of the star, often to naked-eye visibility, hence why the sixteenth century astronomer Tycho Brahe christened this type of object a "nova," which is Latin for "new star."

Previously, astronomers had been unable to observe a nova as anything but a point-source of light, and had assumed that a nova was a single eruption of matter from one point on the white dwarf's surface. However, the Fermi Space Telescope has in the past detected puzzling high-energy gamma-ray emissions from a host of nova eruptions, which implies there's more going on than meets the eye.

Astronomers used CHARA in 2021 to target two nova eruptions within days of them brightening, namely nova V1674 Herculis and nova V1405 Cassiopeia.

"The images give us a close-up view of how material is ejected away from the star during the explosion," Gail Schaefer of Georgia State University and Director of the CHARA array, said in a statement.

Both were very different from each other. V1674 Herculis experienced one of the fastest nova eruptions on record, brightening to magnitude 6 and fading in a matter of days. CHARA detected two bipolar outflows perpendicular to each other, rather than a global eruption all across the white dwarf’s surface. At the same time, the Fermi Space Telescope detected gamma rays from shocks as multiple components in the outflows violently collided.

On the left and in the middle are CHARA's images of Nova V1674 Herculis after 2.2 and 3.2 days respectively. The arrows indicate the perpendicular outflows. On the right is an artist’s representation. (Image credit: Elias Aydi et al.)

Nova V1405 Cassiopeiae was, by comparison, a rather sluggish eruption with delayed outflows. CHARA showed that it took fifty days after the initial brightening for material to be lifted off the surface of the white dwarf at the center of the eruption. When the matter was finally ejected, it sparked new shocks as the outflows collided, also emitted gamma rays, and brightened to magnitude 5.5, making it just visible to the unaided eye from the darkest of observing sites. Its brightness stayed more or less the same for seven months before fading.

Additional information also came from the Multi-Object Spectrograph on the 8.1-meter Gemini North Telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. It tracked the matter ejected by the two nova eruptions through the spectral fingerprints of their chemical composition, such as ionized iron, showing how features in the spectrum of each nova aligned with outflow structures seen by CHARA.

"By seeing how and when the material is ejected, we can finally connect the dots between the nuclear reactions on the star’s surface, the geometry of the ejected material and the high-energy radiation we detect from space," said Laura Chomiuk of Michigan State University.

The findings were published on Dec. 5 in the journal Nature Astronomy.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/stars/astronomers-capture-close-up-images-of-nova-explosions-on-2-dead-stars-in-unprecedented-detail + <![CDATA[ Will 2026 bring strong auroras? What the sun's recent activity tells us ]]> + Activity on the sun is not constant; it varies along a cycle of about 11 years. The peak of this solar cycle — called solar maximum — is when sunspots, solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the most frequent. At the bottom of the cycle, called solar minimum, these phenomena may be absent for months at a time.

We are currently midway through Solar Cycle 25, the 25th solar cycle since the naming convention began back with Solar Cycle 1 in 1755. Solar Cycle 25 officially began at the last solar minimum in December 2019.

Over the past few years, activity on the sun has been high — something millions around the world have experienced firsthand during the several displays of low-latitude auroras throughout 2024 and 2025. Although it is valid to consider the recent years of heightened solar activity to be the general solar maximum period, solar maximum itself is defined by the individual month in which the 13-month smoothed sunspot number reached its peak.

Although we can't guarantee that sunspot numbers won't surge again, it is very likely that the solar maximum of Solar Cycle 25 occurred back in October 2024. This puts all of 2025 into the declining phase of the current solar cycle — a trend that will almost certainly continue through 2026. This means that in 2026, we will see fewer sunspots, solar flares and CMEs, but it doesn't mean our chances for strong auroras are over.

Solar Cycle 25 in sunspot numbers, courtesy of NASA. The gray line marks monthly sunspot numbers, and the black line shows the 13-month average sunspot number (which defines the point of solar maximum). The blue, green and red lines show the upper, average and lower limits of the NASA forecast for the remainder of the solar cycle. (Image credit: NASA)

Comparing solar flares and geomagnetic storms

As of Dec. 10, 2025, the sun had produced 19 X-class solar flares this calendar year, with more likely before the year is up. However, only four of these solar flares were over a threshold of X2.0, with the strongest event reaching an X5.1-class flare on Nov. 11, 2025. In comparison, 2024 saw over 50 X-class solar flares, with 20 at or above the X2.0 level. In 2024, there were also five solar flares stronger than the largest solar flare of 2025 (at the time this was written), with the largest reaching an X9 level — the strongest Earth-facing solar flare of the solar cycle so far.

Strong solar flares routinely produce CMEs — eruptions of plasma from the sun's atmosphere. Solar flares and CMEs can happen independently, but the strong CMEs typically originate from X-class solar flares. If a CME is directed at Earth, it will impact Earth's magnetic field upon arrival and trigger a geomagnetic storm.

The strongest solar flare of 2025 so far, an X5.1-class event, occurred on Nov. 11. (Image credit: Ryan French/NASA)

Geomagnetic storms are what produce the northern and southern lights at lower latitudes than usual. They are ranked on a scale of G1 to G5. 2025 saw the third-strongest geomagnetic storm of the solar cycle so far, reaching a G4 (severe) level on Nov. 11. In 2024, we saw two stronger geomagnetic storms, a G5 (extreme) and G4 (severe) in May and October 2024, respectively. For each of these events, widespread auroras were seen across the world. So can we expect this activity to continue?

The strongest (Earth-facing) solar flare of Solar Cycle 25 so far was an X9.0-class event on Oct. 3, 2024. (Image credit: Ryan French/NASA)

Strong flares remain likely

Although we are now in the declining phase of the solar cycle, it doesn't mean our chances for strong flares or geomagnetic storms are over. Although solar flares and CMEs will become less frequent in the coming years, strong individual events will still occur. Historically, the strongest events on the sun typically happen during the cycle's declining phase, and sometimes even years after solar maximum.

Let's take, for example, solar flares in solar cycles 23 and 24. Solar Cycle 23, which peaked in 2001, was a strong solar cycle — with far higher sunspot numbers and stronger solar flares than Solar Cycle 24 and Solar Cycle 25. Solar Cycle 23 had 10 flares over the X10.0-class level, with four in 2003, two in 2005 and one in 2006 — years after solar maximum in 2001.

The largest of these flares, which occurred in 2003, is estimated to have reached the X40-class level (but, because it exceeded the sensitivity of detectors at the time, it is difficult to say for sure). Solar activity surrounding this strongest flare led to back-to-back G5 (extreme) geomagnetic storms around Halloween 2003, bringing auroras down to low latitudes during the strongest event in recent decades — two years into the solar cycle's declining phase.

In a similar story, Solar Cycle 24 peaked in 2014, with the two largest flares occurring in September 2017 (an X13.3 and an X11.88), more than three years after solar maximum. These events, however, were not notably Earth-directed, so they did not bring strong aurora displays.

This historical precedent can aid predictions. Although the total number of solar flares will likely decrease through 2026, we will likely continue to see strong solar flares next year. If we are lucky with the timing and eruptive nature of these strong solar flares, then we'll still have good odds of experiencing further strong aurora displays in 2026.

]]> + https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/will-2026-still-bring-strong-auroras-what-the-suns-recent-activity-tells-us - + - L7jdkftbewVtdX5csoufJA - - Thu, 11 Dec 2025 21:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + SCU8cgF68KVq8BsbcxNPc3 + + Thu, 18 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 19:18:49 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ SpaceX plans to go public in 2026, seeks $1.5 trillion valuation: reports ]]> - SpaceX intends to go public in 2026 and will seek a valuation of $1.5 trillion, according to media reports.

Elon Musk's company has been private since its founding in March 2002. Over the past six days, however, speculation has swirled that SpaceX will hold an initial public offering (IPO) next year, offering investors the chance to buy shares for the first time.

The Wall Street Journal and The Information first reported this plan last Friday (Dec. 5), and other outlets soon followed up. For example, a Bloomberg story on Tuesday (Dec. 9) suggested that SpaceX will seek a valuation of $1.5 trillion, which would make it one of the most valuable publicly traded companies in the world. The IPO, which is apparently targeted for mid- to late 2026, could raise a record $30 billion or more.

On Wednesday (Dec. 10), Ars Technica's Eric Berger posted a story confirming the IPO rumors and offering an explanation for the move: SpaceX wants to raise money to pay for the buildout of data centers in space, which Musk and a growing number of people believe will be a key enabler of the coming AI revolution.

"Foremost among Musk's goals right now is to 'win' the battle for artificial intelligence. He is already attacking the problem at xAI and Tesla, and he now seeks to throw SpaceX into the fray as well," Berger wrote. "Taking SpaceX public and using it to marshal an incredible amount of resources shows he is playing to win."

SpaceX's initial off-Earth data centers will be modified versions of the company's Starlink broadband satellites, according to Berger, who has written two books about SpaceX. But the company's long-term vision involves setting up AI-satellite factories on the moon and launching them into space using railguns, he added, citing a Dec. 7 X post by Musk.

Berger's sources are apparently reliable, for Musk backed the piece in a Wednesday X post. "As usual, Eric is accurate," the billionaire wrote.

The IPO news has stirred concern among some space fans, who worry that a publicly traded SpaceX won't be as free to pursue its Mars-settlement plans, which hinge on the development and operation of the company's giant, fully reusable Starship rocket. After all, establishing a city on Mars will be extremely expensive, with little financial return in the short term — not exactly the mission profile that most investors are keen to support.

However, Berger thinks Musk views the IPO as a way to help fund Mars settlement, which the billionaire has long stressed is his overarching goal and the reason he founded SpaceX in the first place.

"Musk has frequently expressed a concern that there may be a limited window for settling Mars," Berger wrote. "Perhaps financial markets collapse. Perhaps there’s a worse pandemic. Perhaps a large asteroid hits the planet. Taking SpaceX public now is a bet that he can marshal the resources now, during his lifetime, to make Mars City One a reality. He is 54 years old."

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/spacex-plans-to-go-public-in-2026-seeks-usd1-5-trillion-valuation-reports + <![CDATA[ As above, so below: Earth in the sky | Space photo of the day for Dec. 18, 2025 ]]> + From Dec. 5 to Dec. 8 of every year, France celebrates the Fetes des Lumieres (Festival of Lights) at the Parc de la Tete d'Or in Lyon. There, the city hosts artwork spread across its iconic squares and opera house, including artwork made via drone.

What is it?

The Fetes des Lumieres is far older than LEDs, projectors or drones. Its roots go back to the 17th century, when people of Lyon vowed to honor the Virgin Mary for protecting the city from plague. In 1852, the devotion settled on a key day, Dec. 8, when residents placed candles, or lumignons, on their windowsills to celebrate the inauguration of a new statue of Mary in the city.

Over time, the religious event became much more urbanized, and in modern times now uses projectors, LEDs, and even drones to light up the night sky. By the 2000s, the festival had become world-famous, attracts millions of visitors to Lyon every December.

Where is it?

This image was taken at the Parc de la Tete d'Or in Lyon, which is in central-eastern France.

A view of our home planet made by drones. (Image credit: ALEX MARTIN/Getty Images)

Why is it amazing?

This year's celebration included a "ballet" of 500 synchronized dronesworking together to make distinct shapes in France's night sky, including this model of planet Earth. Each performance lasted about eight to 10 minutes, with shows beginning every 30 minutes to allow the drones' batteries to recharge. This image captures two moments in time, a centuries old tradition meeting cutting-edge technology to give spectators a dazzling wintry show they would never forget.

Want to learn more?

You can learn more about drone technology and LEDs.

]]> + https://www.space.com/technology/as-above-so-below-earth-in-the-sky-space-photo-of-the-day-for-dec-18-2025 - + - kaUvDA4yfLArd8BZSDV5xT - - Thu, 11 Dec 2025 20:00:00 +0000 - - - - + 2YE9C5zyz3sH72XgvcJy9h + + Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:46:22 +0000 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:46:23 +0000 + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ 57 ways to capture a dying star: Astronomers get a glimpse of what will happen when our sun dies ]]> - Astronomers have observed 57 different "faces" of a distant exploding star using different molecules to capture a varying picture of stellar death and its impact on its environment. The research could give us a more complete prediction of what will happen to the sun in around 5 billion years when it begins its own death throes and swells out as a red giant star, consuming its inner planets, including Earth.

The observations were made using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a collection of 66 radio antennas in northern Chile that come together to comprise the largest astronomical project in existence.

The dying star being investigated by ALMA, with assistance from the Very Large Telescope (VLT), is W Hydrae, a red giant or AGB star, located 320 light-years from Earth. ALMA looked at this red giant in an entirely new way by observing the emissions and absorption of light by 57 different molecules, so-called spectral lines, each revealing a different layer of W Hydrae's turbulent and violent atmosphere.

"With ALMA, we can now see the atmosphere of a dying star with a level of clarity in a similar way to what we do for the sun, but through dozens of different molecular views," team leader Keiichi Ohnaka, from Universidad Andres Bello (Chile), said in a statement. "Each molecule reveals a different face of W Hydrae, revealing a surprisingly dynamic and complex environment.

"The combination of ALMA and VLT/SPHERE data lets us connect gas motions, molecular chemistry, and dust formation almost in real time — something that has been difficult until now."

Different molecules tell a different story about dying stars

It is the exceptional sensitivity of ALMA, which is capable of capturing the equivalent of snapping a picture of a grain of rice at a distance of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) away, that allowed the team to see shifting structures within the red giant and its atmosphere. These included "clumps, arcs and plumes," all of which varied depending on the molecule studied. The different molecules offer unique views of W Hydrae because the spectral lines seen by ALMA, the optical "fingerprints" of different chemicals, form under different conditions.

When viewed in these different spectral lines, the red giant was swollen out to many times its original size. In fact, were it placed where the sun sits in the solar system, its outer layers would engulf the planets all the way out to the orbit of Mars. These expanded regions appear as clouds that are sculpted by shocks, pulsations and the transfer of heat from the central star.

The ALMA observations showed a variation in the motion of gas around W Hydrae, with gas closer to the heart of the red giant barreling outwards at speeds of around 22,400 miles per hour (36,000 km/h), while gas in higher layers is falling inward with a speed of around 29,000 miles per hour (46,000 km/h). This creates a constantly shifting layered flow pattern, which matches 3D modelling of how convective cells and pulsation-driven shocks shape the atmosphere of red giants.

Different faces of the dying star W Hydrae seen in different molecular lines with ALMA. Shown here are 30 faces out of 57 images in total.  (Image credit: K. Ohnaka – N. Lira – ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO))

One of the most remarkable elements of the team's findings was the revelation of the observed molecules and newborn dust, which emerged when ALMA findings were compared with data collected by VLT's SPHERE instrument. The fact that the two sets of observations were made with just nine days between them allowed the team to link gas chemistry to dust formation in real time. The team found that molecules such as silicon monoxide, water vapor, and aluminum monoxide appear exactly where clumpy dust clouds were seen in the VLT data. That indicates that these chemicals are directly involved in the formation of dust grains.

They also found that other molecules, such as sulfur monoxide, sulfur dioxide, titanium oxide, and possibly titanium dioxide, overlap with dust in some regions around W Hydrae and may therefore contribute to dust formation through shock-driven chemistry. On the other hand, molecules like hydrogen cyanide were found to form close to the star but don't appear to directly participate in dust formation.

As dying stars like W Hydrae shed their outer layers, they enrich their cosmic surroundings, or the interstellar medium, with molecules that become the building blocks of new stars and planets. This research and the observations of dust formation and outflows from a red giant could help better understand how AGB stars lose mass, one of the longest-standing unresolved problems in stellar astrophysics.

"Mass loss in AGB stars is one of the biggest unsolved challenges in stellar astrophysics," team member Ka Tat Wong, from Uppsala University, said. "With ALMA, we can now directly observe the regions where this outflow begins, where shocks, chemistry, and dust formation all interact. W Hydrae gives us a rare opportunity to test and refine our models with real, spatially resolved data."

W Hydrae may also act as a scientific crystal ball, providing a preview of the sun's fate and how our star will enrich our cosmic backyard with the stuff needed for new stars, planets, and even life itself.

The team's research was published on Dec. 2 in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/stars/57-ways-to-capture-a-dying-star-astronomers-get-a-glimpse-of-what-will-happen-when-our-sun-dies + <![CDATA[ Night sky tonight: See the Orion Nebula shine after dark on Dec. 18 ]]> + There is so much to see in the night sky tonight, here's what you can look forward to.

A good telescope or pair of binoculars will help you see some of the night sky’s fainter objects. However, the unaided eye is enough to learn its stars and constellations, watch the moon, experience meteor showers and see satellites whizz across the night sky.

Read on to find out what you can see in the night sky tonight, from planetary meet-ups to the ever-changing moon phases, meteor showers and more. Want to look even further ahead? Check out our monthly night sky guide our brightest planets guide also tells you what planets are visible and when this month.

Track the ISS | Starlink satellite train | Moon viewing guide

Sign up for our skywatching newsletter "Night Sky This Week" to discover this week's must-see night sky events, moon phases, and stunning astrophotos.

Thursday, Dec. 18: Orion’s Sword (after dark)

See Orion’s Sword on Dec. 18. (Image credit: Starry Night)

Anytime after dark is great for looking more closely at one of the jewels of the winter night sky. Look below Orion's Belt — which will be visible in the southeast after sunset — for a short vertical line of faint stars known to astronomers as Orion's Sword.

A soft haze of light may be visible surrounding the middle star. This is the Orion Nebula (M42), the closest large star-forming region to the solar system, which orbits within the Milky Way at just 1,500 light-years from Earth. — Jamie Carter

]]> + https://www.space.com/news/live/night-sky-what-you-can-see-tonight - + - aYLYXEiVfnW6JQB9BhRjmm - - Thu, 11 Dec 2025 18:07:37 +0000 - - - - - + 52DH2aygGsKfK5FMMwijQC + + Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:11:59 +0000 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:46:46 +0000 + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Astronomers discover images of rare Tatooine-like exoplanet with a strange 300-year orbit: 'Exactly how it works is still uncertain' ]]> - Astronomers have discovered a planet beyond the solar system that orbits its twin parent stars closer than any ever seen before in a binary. The twin stars in the sky over the newly-found extrasolar planet, or "exoplanet," likely bear a resemblance to the twin stars over Tatooine, the home planet of Luke Skywalker, when viewers first meet the young hero at the beginning of Star Wars: A New Hope.

This exoplanet is six times closer to its parent stars than any previously directly imaged binary system exoplanet, yet despite this relative proximity, it still has a year that lasts 300 times as long as an Earth year.

The discovery of this planet, designated HD 143811 AB b (referring to the fact that it orbits the stars HD 143811 A and HD 143811 B in the system HD 143811 AB), and located 446 light-years away from Earth, is an exciting find for scientists. That is because planets are very rarely detected around binary stars, meaning HD 143811 AB b offers a rare chance to study how stars and planets orbit together, while also investigating planet formation mechanisms.

"Of the 6,000 exoplanets that we know of, only a very small fraction of them orbit binaries," team member and exoplanet imaging expert Jason Wang of Northwestern University said in a statement. "Of those, we only have a direct image of a handful of them, meaning we can have an image of the binary and the planet itself. Imaging both the planet and the binary is interesting because it’s the only type of planetary system where we can trace both the orbit of the binary star and the planet in the sky at the same time.

"We're excited to keep watching it in the future as they move, so we can see how the three bodies move across the sky."

A time-lapse image of the exoplanet HD 143811 AB b orbiting its parent stars. (Image credit: Jason Wang/Northwestern University)

A new discovery from decade-old data

This exoplanet may be new to astronomers, but it isn't actually a new observation. Wang and colleagues discovered HD 143811 AB b in archival data collected almost 10 years ago by the Gemini South telescope and its Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) instrument. GPI captured images of exoplanets by blocking out the overwhelming glare of their parent stars using a coronagraph, an instrument that acts almost like the artificial equivalent of an eclipse. The instrument then used adaptive optics to sharpen the images of these faint planets around their bright stars.

GPI operated from 2014 to 2022, when it was removed from Gemini South and transferred to the University of Notre Dame in Indiana to undergo a major upgrade of the whole system called GPI 2.0. Next year, once upgrades are completed, GPI 2.0 will be moved to the Gemini North telescope atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

This discovery came about when Wang and colleagues decided to revisit the GPI data ahead of its new life as GPI 2.0. "I didn’t think we’d find any new planets," Wang said. "But I thought we should do our due diligence and check carefully anyway."

"During the instrument's lifetime, we observed more than 500 stars and found only one new planet," Wang said. "It would have been nice to have seen more, but it did tell us something about just how rare exoplanets are."

a large blue metal structure under a white dome

The Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) on the Gemini South telescope. (Image credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/M. Paredes)

Team member Nathalie Jones of the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) assessed GPI data gathered over three years between 2016 and 2019, cross-referencing it with data collected by the W.M. Keck Observatory. This led to a tantalizing discovery, a faint object following the motion of a star.

"Stars don't stand still in a galaxy; they move around," Wang explained. "We look for objects and then revisit them later to see if they have moved elsewhere. If a planet is bound to a star, then it will move with the star. Sometimes, when we revisit a 'planet,' we find it's not moving with its star, then we know it was just a photobombing star passing through. If they are both moving together, then that's a sign that it’s an orbiting planet."

Astronomers can determine the difference between light coming directly from a star and light being reflected by a planet, meaning they can also look at data and compare it to what it would look like if a mystery object is indeed a planet. These tests allowed Jones to determine that HD 143811 AB b is indeed a planet that was first captured by GPI in 2016 but was subsequently missed by astronomers. This conclusion was also arrived at by an independent team of astronomers from the University of Exeter in the UK.

Astronomers were also able to learn a lot more about HD 143811 AB b, discovering that this planet is a whopper, at around six times the size of Jupiter. The planet was also determined to be around 13 million years old, which may sound ancient until you consider the Earth is 4.6 billion years old.

"That sounds like a long time ago, but it's 50 million years after dinosaurs went extinct," Wang said. "That's relatively young in universe speak, so it still retains some of the heat from when it formed."

It isn't just the planet that is relatively close to its binary stellar parents; these stars are also quite close together, taking just 18 Earth days to orbit each other. Yet, despite its proximity to the stars compared to other planets found in binary systems, HD 143811 AB b still takes 300 Earth-years to complete just one orbit.

What the team doesn't yet understand is quite how this planet formed around its binary stars.

"Exactly how it works is still uncertain," Wang said. "Because we have only detected a few dozen planets like this, we don’t have enough data yet to put the picture together."

Answering this question could require the team to further study HD 143811 AB.

"I'm asking for more telescope time, so we can continue looking at this planet," Jones said. "We want to track the planet and monitor its orbit, as well as the orbit of the binary stars, so we can learn more about the interactions between binary stars and planets."

In the meantime, Jones intends to continue hunting through archival data to discover more planets. "There are a couple of suspicious objects, but what they are, exactly, remains to be seen," Jones concluded.

The team's research was published on Thursday (Dec. 11) in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/astronomers-discover-images-of-a-tatooine-like-exoplanet-with-a-bizarre-orbit-hidden-in-10-year-old-data + <![CDATA[ What time will interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS be closest to Earth today? ]]> + Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to Earth early on Friday, Dec. 19. While it didn't come close enough to pose any risk to our planet, astronomers have calculated the precise moment when the comet reached its minimum distance to us.

According to the orbital calculations from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Horizons system, comet 3I/ATLAS was closest to Earth at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) on Dec. 19. At that time, the comet was about 1.8 astronomical units away — roughly 168 million miles (270 million kilometers — or nearly twice the average distance between Earth and the sun.

Discovered on July 1, by NASA-funded ATLAS telescopes in Chile, 3I/ATLAS is only the third known interstellar object ever detected passing through our solar system, following 'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019.

While comet 3I/ATLAS will remain far too distant and faint to become a naked-eye spectacle as it passes Earth, its flyby is scientifically valuable because interstellar objects are so rare. Studying 3I/ATLAS near its closest approach provides astronomers with their best opportunity to examine material formed around another star, offering a fleeting glimpse into planetary systems beyond our own.

Skywatchers can also follow along with the flyby live online Dec.19-20 on Space.com courtesy of the Virtual Telescope Project. The livestream will begin at 11 p.m. EST on Dec. 19 (0400 GMT on Dec. 20), offering viewers a chance to see the interstellar visitor as it makes its closest approach to Earth, weather permitting.

Follow along with the latest 3I/ATLAS news with our live blog.

Editor's note: This article was updated at 1:30 a.m. EST (0630 GMT) to reflect the close approach that occurred as expected at 1:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) Dec. 19, 2025.

]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/what-time-will-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-be-closest-to-earth-on-dec-19 - + - 5pkL3qabrjQMmX7MKWeeP - - Thu, 11 Dec 2025 17:14:15 +0000 + EUvHDtcKU3TxkfMJAEFe4T + + Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000 Fri, 19 Dec 2025 06:24:20 +0000 + - - - - + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ AI helps pilot free-flying robot around the International Space Station for 1st time ever ]]> - Navigating in a microgravity environment is a challenge even for trained human astronauts, but it is even more challenging for autonomous robots, limiting their use in places like a space station.

Now, however, Stanford researchers have used artificial intelligence to steer a free-flying robot aboard the International Space Station (ISS), potentially paving the way for more autonomous space missions in the future.

Working with NASA's cube-shaped Astrobee robot, the Stanford research team demonstrated how a machine-learning system can plan safe routes through the ISS' crowded modules significantly faster than existing methods. The advances address a long-standing hurdle for space robotics — namely, how to move quickly and safely with limited computing power and minimal human input in one of the most extreme engineering environments possible.

Lead researcher Somrita Banerjee, a Stanford Ph.D. candidate, said that the station's maze of equipment and experiments makes motion planning especially challenging, as algorithms that work well for robots on Earth often bog down when run on the older, radiation-hardened computers certified for spaceflight.

To get around those constraints, Banerjee and her colleagues started with a standard optimization approach, described in a new paper presented earlier this month at the International Conference on Space Robotics, which breaks a complex motion-planning problem into many smaller steps. They then trained an AI model on thousands of previously computed paths, so the system could begin each new plan with an informed "warm start" instead of calculating from scratch.

"Using a warm start is like planning a road trip by starting with a route that real people have driven before, rather than drawing a straight line across the map," Banerjee said in a Stanford University statement. "You start with something informed by experience and then optimize from there."

This approach allows for strict safety checks before runs, while cutting actual computation time. In tests on the station, routes generated with the AI warm start were roughly 50% to 60% faster to compute than conventional plans, according to the researchers.

"This is the first time AI has been used to help control a robot on the ISS," Banerjee said. "It shows that robots can move faster and more efficiently without sacrificing safety, which is essential for future missions where humans won't always be able to guide them."

Setting the stage for AI robots on the ISS and beyond

Before the in-orbit trial, the system was first validated at NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley using a granite table testbed with a compressed air cushion that allows a robot to glide over it like an air hockey puck, mimicking the microgravity found on the ISS. In orbit, astronauts performed a brief setup and then left Astrobee to be commanded from the ground in what NASA calls a "crew-minimal" experiment.

Over a four-hour session, mission controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston directed Astrobee to fly 18 trajectories, each run twice with and without the AI-generated warm start. Additional safeguards, including virtual obstacles and the ability to halt a run, were used to avoid collisions.

The team says that similar AI-guided planning could eventually allow robots to handle inspections, logistics and science tasks on future missions to the moon, Mars and beyond, freeing astronauts to focus on higher-priority work.

"As robots travel farther from Earth and as missions become more frequent and lower-cost, we won't always be able to teleoperate them from the ground," Banerjee said. "Autonomy with built-in guarantees isn't just helpful; it's essential for the future of space robotics."

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/ai-helps-pilot-free-flying-robot-around-the-international-space-station-for-1st-time-ever + <![CDATA[ Which is the best star projector for under $50 this Christmas? ]]> + Whether you want to buy a star projector as a gift for someone this Christmas, or you know a child who wants one, you'll want top value for money. So we've pitted three of the best star projectors for less than $50 against each other to determine which is the best.

A star projector is, as its name suggests, a projector that typically projects patterns of stars around the interior of a room. However, many of the best ones project images of the night sky, or something similar, and sometimes use sound effects to set a mood. Below, you will find three star projectors that we have reviewed, tested and featured across our guides for the best star projectors, best star projectors under $100 and best star projectors for kids.

We have opted for the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector as it offers stunningly clear, realistic imagery at a wallet-friendly price, the Pikoy Galaxy Projector because of the value for money it offers and the DarkSkys Skyview Pocket Planetarium thanks to its portable design and scientifically accurate projections. But which one would make the best Christmas gift?

Imagery

Image 1 of 4

Hommkiety Galaxy Projector

The Hommkiety Galaxy Projector provides bright, clear, vivid and scientifically accurate images. (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 4

Hommkiety Galaxy Projector

The Hommkiety Galaxy Projector provides bright, clear, vivid and scientifically accurate images. (Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 4

The Dark Skys Skyview Poket Planetarium on a brown table

The DarkSkys Skyview projector projects northern constellations. (Image credit: Tantse Walter)
Image 4 of 4

Pikoy Galaxy Light Projector during review

The Pikoy Galaxy Projector's projections will fill a room. (Image credit: Tantse Walter)

The most important aspect of any projector is the projection, AKA the imagery and what you can actually see. So, which of these three top star projectors for under $50 offers the best projections and would wow the people you gift them to?

Starting with the Hommkiety Galaxy Projector, we found that it comes with 10 disks, which feature a mix of galaxies, the Moon and even some slightly left-of-field projections like jellyfish. It's easy to focus and uses an LED bulb, but not lasers, to project bright, vivid and clear imagery. At under $50, you'll be hard-pressed to find better.

Imagery

  • Hommkiety: Scientifically accurate, bright, clear and vivid images, with 10 disks
  • Pikoy: Bright enough images, star-like projections and fills a room
  • DarkSkys: Bright enough images, projects Northern constellations

The Pikoy Galaxy Projector doesn't quite offer the same level of performance as the Hommkiety, but it does use class-1 lasers and offers a level of customization, which the Hommkiety doesn't. It may be small in size, but the projections compensate as it can easily fill a room with bright colors and star-like projections.

But, if you're looking for something pocket-sized that offers scientifically accurate projections, you'll want the DarkSkys Skyview projector. It uses a 450mm blue diode laser and will project Northern constellations, but you will need prior knowledge of what you're looking at; otherwise, it's not as impressive.

Features and extras

While projections are the main function of a projector, the features it offers can set it apart from the rest. Common features of star projectors include a sleep timer, so the unit doesn't run through the night, a speaker to add to ambience and rotation, so the images have a moving effect, rather than staying still on a wall or ceiling.

Starting with the Hommkiety, it does come with a sleep timer, which is helpful for the reason stated above, but there's not much more to it. It does feature on-body controls like a focusing wheel and a setting for image rotation, but you won't find a remote control, app or speaker for added ambience. While a little more would have been great, you still can't argue, given the quality of projections and the price point.

Image 1 of 3

Hommkiety Galaxy Projector

The hommkiety has on-body controls, but fewer features than some of the competition. (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 3

The Dark Skys Skyview Poket Planetarium on a brown table

The DarkSkys Skyview Pocket Planetarium has very few features and extras. (Image credit: Tantse Walter)
Image 3 of 3

Pikoy Galaxy Light Projector during review

The Pikoy Galaxy Light Projector has the most features of the three options on this page. (Image credit: Tantse Walter)

Then there's the DarkSkys Skyiew projector, which falls behind the other two options on this page for features and functionality. You do get image rotation, but you can't control the speed. It is rechargeable, but that really is it. There's no built-in speaker, no app or remote control, no customization and not even a sleep timer. While this is considerably more affordable than some premium options on the market, it shows in its lack of functionality. It is, however, pocket-sized and great for taking on the go.

Lastly, and by no means least, there's the Pikoy model to look at. The features on this star projector make it an ideal choice for children, especially if you're looking to create a relaxing atmosphere for bedtime. It has a sleep timer that can be set to two, four or six hours, it has a built-in speaker and 15 pre-set white noise sound effects, including rain, running water, piano and lullaby. It also comes with a basic remote control that allows for light customization and controlling the speed of rotation.

Star Projector Features

Hommkiety

Sleep timer, focusing wheel, image rotation

DarkSkys

Image rotation

Pikoy

Sleep timer, speaker, sound effects, remote control, light customization, image rotation

Price

Now, star projectors in general can range from a little over $10 all the way to in excess of $200. We're discussing the best under $50, which makes these ideal for children and for gifting this Christmas, but how much does each model cost?

Well, the Hommkiety projector ranges between $60 and $40, but we regularly see it on sale for around $40, making it a very good value option in terms of the market as a whole.

The DarkSkys model regularly retails for $45, and we haven't seen it on offer all too often. The Pikoy projector is the most cost-effective of the lot as it retails for between $35 and $20, with regular offers available.

Verdict

Image 1 of 3

Hommkiety Galaxy Projector

The Hommkiety is the best overall star projector under $50. (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 3

Pikoy Galaxy Projector on a desk with a brown background

The Pikoy Galaxy Projector is the best value option under $50. (Image credit: Tantse Walter)
Image 3 of 3

The Dark Skys Skyview Poket Planetarium on a brown table

The DarkSkys Skyview Pocket Planetarium is great for on-the-go, but is not the best overall. (Image credit: Tantse Walter)

Of these three, which we believe are three of the very best star projectors under $50, the Hommkiety offers the most quality, and thanks to its scientifically accurate and stunning projections, is the best overall choice of the three. The disks available make it a great option for education as well as entertainment, and its projection quality is a real bonus.

If you're looking for value-for-money, then the Pikoy option is what you're looking for. Sure, its projection quality isn't as good, nor is it scientifically accurate, but it will fill a room, and it comes with features like a speaker with white noise sound effects, which the Hommkiety doesn't.

]]> + https://www.space.com/technology/which-is-the-best-star-projector-for-under-50-dollars - + - 78m8KUQUto2ztM8t9UGreL - - Thu, 11 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000 - - - - - - + BgErDEERKE88xszEqaydch + + Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:19:29 +0000 + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ James Webb Space Telescope finds strongest evidence yet for atmosphere around rocky exoplanet: 'It's really like a wet lava ball' ]]> - Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) say they have found the strongest evidence yet for an atmosphere around a rocky world outside our solar system.

The findings challenge the prevailing wisdom that relatively small planets orbiting extremely close to their stars cannot sustain atmospheres.

The ultra-hot super-Earth, TOI-561 b, is the innermost of at least three planets circling a 10-billion-year-old star located about 280 light-years from Earth. The planet orbits at just one-fortieth the distance between Mercury and the sun, completing a full orbit in under 11 hours.

That extreme proximity places it in a class of ultra-short-period super-Earths that are heated to temperatures high enough to melt rock. Under such conditions, scientists generally expect planets to lose any atmosphere due to intense stellar radiation, leaving behind bare, airless rock. But observations from NASA's TESS space telescope have shown TOI-561 b has an unusually low density for a purely rocky world, suggesting that another explanation may be needed.

"It must have formed in a very different chemical environment from planets in our own solar system," Johanna Teske, a staff scientist at the Carnegie Earth and Planets Lab in Washington D.C. who led the new paper, said in a statement.

To test whether the planet has an atmosphere, the team used the JWST's NIRSpec instrument to measure the temperature of TOI-561 b's dayside. In May 2024, JWST observed the planet–star system continuously for more than 37 hours, capturing four full orbits. Scientists focused on moments when the planet passed behind its star, events known as "secondary eclipses" when the planet's own light briefly disappeared. By measuring the tiny drop in the system's total brightness during each eclipse, the team could isolate the planet's infrared glow and directly determine its dayside temperature.

If TOI-561 b had no atmosphere, its dayside should reach roughly 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit (2,700 degrees Celsius). Instead, the JWST measured a temperature much cooler, around 3,100 degrees Fahrenheit (1,700 degrees Celsius). To understand why, the researchers tested a range of possible surfaces and atmospheric types to see which could reproduce the signal observed by JWST.

"We really need a thick volatile-rich atmosphere to explain all the observations," study co-author Anjali Piette of the University of Birmingham said in the statement. "Strong winds would cool the dayside by transporting heat over to the nightside."

The team suggests the planet may maintain a balance between its molten surface and its atmosphere, allowing gases to cycle between them and potentially replenishing its atmosphere.

"While gases are coming out of the planet to feed the atmosphere, the magma ocean is sucking them back into the interior," study co-author Tim Lichtenberg of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands said in the statement. "It's really like a wet lava ball."

The results open the door to probe the interiors and geological activity of such extremely hot rocky planets by studying their atmospheres, the researchers note.

The findings were published on Dec. 11 in the The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/james-webb-space-telescope-finds-strongest-evidence-yet-for-atmosphere-around-rocky-exoplanet-its-really-like-a-wet-lava-ball + <![CDATA[ 10 gifts under $100 to transform any space-loving kid's bedroom ]]> + We've rounded up the 10 best gifts under $100 to kit out a space-loving kid's bedroom. While science, interstellar exploration and the far-reaching depths of space can feel a little complicated and 'grown-up', a love of the universe is a, well, universal experience.

So, if you've found yourself fervently searching for a gift for a space-loving kid, you're in the right place. Yes, a lot of space-focused equipment can cost you a fair amount of cash, but when it comes to kitting out a kid's bedroom with beginner telescopes, binoculars, the best Lego space sets, and the best star projectors, there are plenty of affordable options (if you know where to look).

In fact, in some ways, there can be too many options, which will leave you feeling like you're on your own endless mission across the galaxy. But, have no fear, if you're unsure of what to buy for a space-loving kid this holiday season, we've put together the top 10 gifts we'd recommend that are all under $100.

Best Space Gifts Under $100 We Recommend This Holiday Season

Best star projectors Under $100

We were initially cautious when we reviewed the Hommkeity Galaxy Projector, given it's an unbranded offering on Amazon, but we were pleasantly surprised, giving it a full five stars. 10 interchangeable discs, beautifully clear image quality, and an affordable price make this a fantastic piece of kit for kids. It offers much better quality than projectors at more than twice its price and is our top pick for education (without feeling like you’re learning) in our best star projectors guide.View Deal

Alternatively, for around $10 more, there's the Orzorz Galaxy Lite that rivals some of the best star projectors we've ever tested at an incredibly reasonable price. A vast library of add-on disks, rechargeable (working both on battery and mains power), and a substantial social media presence make this a solid recommendation. Simple button controls make it easy to use, which is perfect for kids. A sleep timer also allows them to set it up to watch the stars until they drift off into a starlit slumber.View Deal

Best Lego Sets Under $100

The newest addition to Lego's galactic offering is the NASA Artemis Space Launch System Rocket that will be released on January 1, 2026. For kids aged 9+, this set shows three different stages in a rocket launch and you can hand crank the rocket so it's ready to fly into space.

It also comes with four astronaut nanofigures and an information panel to display alongside the rocket once built. A kit specifically for younger space lovers and a great, affordable alternative to the NASA Artemis Space Launch System for 18+ and costing $259.99.View Deal

The Lego Creator astronaut would cost you $54.99 from Lego directly, so this Amazon deal makes gift buying that little bit easier. For 9+, the 3-in-1 set goes from space astronaut, to space jet, to space dog, depending on your kids' favorite form. That means plenty of play, rebuilding it time and time again and switching up the space display in their bedroom. And displaying is easy with all three Lego space models coming with brick-built stands.

You can read our Lego 3-in-1 Astronaut review in full.View Deal

This Lego Earth and Moon set is a fun way for space lovers to learn about the solar system that's not only buildable, but interactive, too. For ages 10+, first you assemble the gears and then you turn the crank to watch a realistic rotation of how the Earth and its Moon orbit the Sun. There's even extra education with monthly rotation teaching kids about the various moon phases. And once it's all built, it can easily become part of a space-loving kids' bedroom decor.

Read our Lego Earth and Moon in Orbit review in full.View Deal

Best Telescopes and Binoculars Under $100

The Celestron Firstscope 76 is one of the best tabletop telescopes, especially for kids. It's designed with a young astronomer in mind by being affordable, portable, and easy to use. If your space-loving kid has been hoping for a telescope to take their stargazing to the next level, this is the telescope we'd recommend, especially if they have an interest in the lunar surface and night sky. A little different from the model we reviewed, this is part of the Signature Series featuring an actual image of the Moon on its body.View Deal

Another great entry-level telescope for kids is the Celestron Travel Scope 70, a capable and compact telescope for under $100. And, as hinted by its name, it's super portable, meaning any space-loving kid can ask for a road trip to a clearer spot to stare at the night sky. It's a fantastic piece of equipment for getting into stargazing as it's beginner-friendly and affordable without sacrificing a clear picture, thanks to fully coated glass optics and a 70mm aperture.View Deal

It's hard to find a pair of binoculars on our best binoculars list that come in under $100, but the Celestron UpClose G2 are our top budget pick and they're an entry-level, viable option for kids. Compact and lightweight, when they're not in a space-loving kids' bedroom, they're easy to travel with, meaning watching the skies is now right at a little one's fingertips. Plus, they come with a soft carry case for when you’re heading away from home. A durable, rubber and aluminum exterior protects them from minor knocks and scuffs, while a 50mm aperture gathers plenty of light for seeing the night sky. They're waterproof too.

Note: Various sizes are available.View Deal

Best Books Under $100

The 'Max Goes To…' books are part of a four-part series from Jeffrey Bennett where Max the dog and his friend, Tori, take intergalactic adventures together. First, to Jupiter, then the Moon, the Space Station, and finally Mars. With lots of lovely illustrations, they appeal to all ages, but are an especially good read for kids. And aside from space travel, they also tell inspirational tales that should inspire any space-loving kid. Book 4 was even launched into actual space and read aloud by astronauts from the ISS.

Note: The price shown is just for one book. View Deal

The Coalwood book series by Homer Hickman is based on a true story where a group of young friends are inspired by the 1957 Sputnik launch to build their own rockets. And while it seems like it's all just boys having fun, Homer went on to become an actual NASA engineer who trained the first Japanese astronauts. So, for any older space-loving kid in your life with their own aspirations to one day make their own mark on space, these memoirs speak of a time before the Space Race. A little piece of history in their bedroom to add to the collection.

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]]> + https://www.space.com/technology/10-gifts-under-100-dollars-to-kit-out-any-space-loving-kids-bedroom - + - ik2etg5XvppMPVPeudovT5 - - Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:32:44 +0000 - - - - - + 7FUyirWfuaFcHjzrkpiUtL + + Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 16:33:35 +0000 + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Scientists map of old Mars river basins for the 1st time. These could be great places to search for ancient life ]]> - For the first time, scientists have mapped vast, continent-scale river drainage systems on Mars — ancient networks that may also be among the most promising places to search for signs of past life.

Billions of years ago, before the Red Planet became the frigid desert it is today, water sculpted its surface on a massive scale. For decades, Mars has tempted scientists with whispered clues of that watery past, long-dry rivers that carved valleys and spilled through crater rims into deep canyons, hinting at a world that once looked far more like Earth. But although scientists had cataloged thousands of these ancient waterways, they didn't know how they fit together, or whether Mars once hosted large, integrated river systems similar to those that support some of Earth's most biodiverse environments.

"We've known for a long time that there were rivers on Mars," Timothy Goudge, an assistant professor in the department of geological sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, said in a statement. "But we really didn't know the extent to which the rivers were organized in large drainage systems at the global scale."

Stitching together Mars' watery past

In a new study, Goudge and his colleagues have now compiled decades of orbital observations and previously published maps of valleys, lakebeds and outlet canyons, drawing on datasets from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft, which has mapped more than 90% of the planet. The team then traced how these features once connected, revealing which belonged to cohesive, basin-spanning drainage networks.

"We did the simplest thing that could be done — we just mapped them and pieced them together," Abdallah Zaki, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of Earth and planetary sciences at the University of Austin, who led the new study, said in the same statement.

In regions where impact craters or billions of years of erosion had distorted the ancient landscape, the researchers inferred how rivers once flowed by examining topography and the orientations of surrounding valleys, the study notes.

Their results suggest that early Mars was a patchwork of isolated watersheds, but that a small number of mega-basins acted as planetary conveyor belts, transporting nutrients and potential biosignatures across immense distances.

The team identified 16 major drainage basins, each spanning at least 38,610 square miles (100,000 square kilometers), the same minimum size used to define large river basins on Earth. Together, these networks once covered about 1.5 million square miles (4 million square kilometers), or roughly 5% of Mars' ancient terrain. That fraction is also likely conservative, the researchers note, as impact events and wind erosion have erased much of the planet's original fluvial landscape.

On Earth, tectonics build mountain ranges and deep lowlands that guide and connect river systems. Without that process, Mars ended up with just 16 major basins compared with Earth's roughly 91.

Despite their small footprint, those few Martian basins may be among the most scientifically valuable places yet to explore, scientists say. When the researchers estimated how much sediment ancient rivers carried, they found that the 16 large basins transported nearly half of all river-eroded sediment on Mars, suggesting they had an outsized influence on Mars' geologic evolution. One basin alone, feeding into one of the largest canyons on Mars called Ma'adim Vallis, accounted for roughly 15 percent of the total.

On Earth, large-scale river systems are biodiversity hotspots, where water flows through diverse rock types and creates long-lived, chemically rich environments. Mars' mega-basins may have played a similar role when liquid water was abundant. And if life ever gained a foothold on the Red Planet, the team says these ancient river highways — which once carried nearly half the sediment Mars' rivers ever moved — may be the places where evidence of it still lingers.

"The longer the distance, the more you have water interacting with rocks, so there's a higher chance of chemical reactions that could be translated into signs of life," Zaki said in the statement.

The new megabasin map could thus serve as a powerful roadmap for future Mars missions, especially those searching for chemical traces of life or planning sample-return campaigns, the researchers say.

"It's a really important thing to think about for future missions and where you might go to look for life," Goudge said in the statement.

This research is described in a paper published Nov. 24 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/scientists-map-of-old-mars-river-basins-for-the-1st-time-these-could-be-great-places-to-search-for-ancient-life + <![CDATA[ James Webb Space Telescope confirms 1st 'runaway' supermassive black hole rocketing through 'Cosmic Owl' galaxies at 2.2 million mph: 'It boggles the mind!' ]]> + Astronomers have made a truly mind-boggling discovery using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): a runaway black hole 10 million times larger than the sun, rocketing through space at a staggering 2.2 million miles per hour (1,000 kilometers per second).

That not only makes this the first confirmed runaway supermassive black hole, but this object is also one of the fastest-moving bodies ever detected, rocketing through its home, a pair of galaxies named the "Cosmic Owl," at 3,000 times the speed of sound at sea level here on Earth. If that isn't astounding enough, the black hole is pushing forward a literal galaxy-sized "bow-shock" of matter in front of it, while simultaneously dragging a 200,000 light-year-long tail behind it, within which gas is accumulating and triggering star formation.

"It boggles the mind!" discovery team leader Pieter van Dokkum of Yale University told Space.com. "The forces that are needed to dislodge such a massive black hole from its home are enormous. And yet, it was predicted that such escapes should occur!"

Supermassive black holes, which can reach masses billions of times that of the sun, are usually found at the hearts of their home galaxies, which they dominate with their immense gravity. The incredible speed of this supermassive black hole means it is around 230,000 light-years from its point of origin.

"This is the only black hole that has been found far away from its former home," van Dokkum said. "That made it the best candidate [for a] runaway supermassive black hole, but what was missing was confirmation. All we really had was a streak that was difficult to explain in any other way. With the JWST, we have now confirmed that there is indeed a black hole at the tip of the streak, and that it is speeding away from its former host."

How to spot a runaway

This now-confirmed runaway supermassive black hole was first identified by van Dokkum and colleagues back in 2023 using the Hubble Space Telescope, which spotted what appeared to be the wake of a massive body passing through space. Of course, like all black holes, this runaway is bounded by a one-way light-trapping surface called an event horizon, making it difficult to spot.

"The black hole is, well, black - and is very difficult to detect when it is moving through empty space. The reason why we spotted the object is because of the impact that the passage of the black hole has on its surroundings: we now know that it drives a shock wave in the gas that is moving through, and it is this shock wave, and the wake of the shock wave behind the black hole, that we see," van Dokkum said. "With the JWST, we discovered the huge displacement of the gas at the tip of the wake, where the black hole is pushing against it. The shock signatures are crystal clear, and there is just no doubt about what is happening here." The gas is pushed sideways away from the supermassive black hole at a velocity of hundreds of thousands of miles per hour (hundreds of km per second), a dynamical signature that the team saw with JWST.

A Hubble image of a now confirmed runaway supermassive black hole with the wake investigated by the JWST (Image credit: van Dokkum et al (2025)/ arXiv)

"The velocity of the displaced gas is directly related to the velocity of the black hole, and this is how we determined the black hole's velocity from the JWST data," van Dokkum said. "It is moving at approximately 1000 km per second, faster than just about any other object in the universe. It is this high speed that enabled the black hole to escape the gravitational force of its former home."

How does a supermassive black hole 'go rogue?'

van Dokkum explained that two possible mechanisms could lead to a supermassive black hole being ejected from the heart of its own galaxy. Both scenarios begin when two galaxies collide and begin to merge, each bringing to the cosmic smash its own supermassive black hole. Both mechanisms are initiated when the supermassive black holes reach the center of the newly formed galaxy.

"The first mechanism is that the two black holes merge with each other, and that the gravitational radiation [gravitational waves] released in that merger imparts a powerful kick to the newly formed black hole. That kick could impart a speed of 1,000 km/s, enough to eject the black hole," van Dokkum said. "The second is a three-body interaction. That happens when one of the two galaxies had a pair of binary black holes at its center. When a third black hole enters the binary system, it becomes unstable, and one of the three black holes will get kicked out of the system."

The team believes that it is the first scenario that accounts for the runaway supermassive black hole in this instance. That would lead to a galaxy lacking a supermassive black hole at its center, which van Dokkum said is unlikely to impact said galaxy very much. However, this runaway supermassive black hole could have a huge impact on any other galaxy it encounters as it rockets through space.

"An encounter with another galaxy would be quite spectacular, mostly because of the huge, galaxy-sized shock wave that precedes the black hole," van Dokkum continued. "When this shock wave encounters the dense gas of another galaxy, it would compress and shock that gas and likely form a lot of new stars. It would be quite the show!"

Fortunately, the two-ring galaxies that comprise the Cosmic Owl are located around 9 billion light-years away, meaning even if this runaway cosmic titan were headed our way, we don't ever need to worry about it reaching us.

Mergers between galaxies are common, occurring multiple times over the lifetime of a single galaxy. That means that ejected supermassive black holes may also be quite common, though population numbers vary based on how these collisions are modelled.

"Mergers happen often in the life of a galaxy; each galaxy with the size and mass of the Milky Way has experienced several during its lifetime. So black hole binaries should form pretty regularly. What we don't know is how quickly these binaries merge, if at all, and how often the resulting kick removes a black hole," van Dokkum said. "My view is empirical: now that we know how to look for them, we can find other examples - and then we can answer the question directly from data, by counting the number of escapes. The big thing is that black hole escapes lived purely in the realm of theory until now."Even though runaway supermassive black holes had been predicted by theory long before this discovery confirmed their existence, that doesn't mean these findings didn't deliver some unexpected twists.

"Everything about this research surprised me! I never expected to see such a thing, and confirming it with JWST was just incredible," van Dokkum said. "What we also had not quite appreciated is how much impact these escaping black holes have on the gas that they are moving through. In the wake, many new stars have formed from the shocked gas, about 100 million times the mass of the sun. This mode of star formation was unknown before, and it leads to a trail of stars far away from the galaxy, seemingly formed in empty space."

The Yale University researcher explained that the obvious next step for the team will be to search for more examples of runway black holes.

"You need space-based imaging to see them: the wake stood out to us because it is such a thin streak, and in ground-based images, it would be blurred beyond recognition," van Dokkum explained. "Fortunately, wide-field Hubble-quality imaging is just around the corner, thanks to the Roman Space Telescope, and, slightly blurrier, Euclid. Using machine learning algorithms to find thin streaks in the Roman data will be a cool project!"

The team's research has been submitted to The Astrophysical Journal Letters and is currently available as a pre-peer-reviewed paper on arXiv.

]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/james-webb-space-telescope-confirms-1st-runaway-supermassive-black-hole-rocketing-through-cosmic-owl-galaxies-at-2-2-million-mph-it-boggles-the-mind - + - EiVC5ja2wqhypvHY3j8oja - - Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000 + RzjJvixaarPWZrG9Ksvi4d + + Wed, 17 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0000 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 09:08:04 +0000 + - - - - - + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Hubble sees 'Lost Galaxy' in the Virgo constellation | Space photo of the day for Dec. 11, 2025 ]]> - The Hubble Space Telescope has turned its sharp eye toward a ghostly swirl of stars and gas known as the "Lost Galaxy," given its faint and elusive appearance to stargazers. More scientifically, this galaxy is known as NGC 4535 and its home to lots of stellar activity.

What is it?

In this recent image, the Hubble Space Telescope captured NGC 4535's spiral arms studded with bright blue star clusters: tightly packed families of young, hot stars. Around many of these clusters are soft pink-red glowing areas, which are zones of ionized hydrogen gas known as H II regions. These H II regions act like neon signs advertising recent star formation. Massive, newly formed stars pour out intense ultraviolet radiation and powerful stellar winds, energizing the surrounding gas and making it glow.

Where is it?

The "Lost Galaxy" is found around 50 million light-years away in the Virgo constellation.

The "Lost Galaxy" is full of H II regions. (Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, F. Belfiore, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST Team)

Why is it amazing?

This new image is part of a larger effort by astronomers to catalog roughly 50,000 H II regions in nearby star-forming galaxies. BY systematically mapping these glowing clouds in galaxies like NGC 4535, astronomers can better understand where and how stars form, how long star-forming regions last and how newborn stars affect the cold gas from which they came, which is part of NASA's larger PHANGS observing program.

From being a faint smudge on an Earth-based telescope to high-resolution photographs from the Hubble, NGC 4535 is no longer quite so "lost." Instead, it's emerging as a laboratory to understand how galaxies grow their stars.

Want to learn more?

You can learn more about star formation and the Hubble Space Telescope.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/hubble-space-telescope/hubble-sees-lost-galaxy-in-the-virgo-constellation-space-photo-of-the-day-for-dec-11-2025 + <![CDATA[ 10 years into the Disney 'Star Wars' era: Grading the ups and downs of a galaxy far, far away ]]> + December 18, 2015 (December 17 in the UK) will be a day long remembered. It was the day "The Force Awakens" first arrived in theaters, when "Star Wars" icons Han Solo, Leia Organa, and (eventually) Luke Skywalker made their long-awaited return to the big screen, and continued their fight against the dark side.

The Skywalker Saga's seventh instalment was a critical and commercial success, and made Disney's $4 billion purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012 look like a very smart piece of business.

Since then, there have been four more movies and the franchise's first-ever adventures in live-action TV, but — while it's undoubtedly been a lucrative endeavor — this new "Star Wars" era hasn't always been plain sailing.

We're celebrating the 10th anniversary of The Force Awakens with its own retrospective, but here we're casting the net wider, exploring the ups and downs of the first 10 years in Disney's version of a galaxy far, far away.

And to keep things fun, we're taking Disney back to school and giving each Star Wars project a letter grade. Starting with...

The Skywalker Saga

Screenshot from Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens

(Image credit: Disney)

The "Star Wars" sequel trilogy was the holy grail of Disney's Lucasfilm purchase. Fans — and numerous spin-off novels — had been pondering what happened after "Return of the Jedi" for decades, and now they'd get to see it on the big screen. With Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher returning as the holy trinity of Han, Luke, and Leia.

Hiring a director who'd recently had success resurrecting the other major "Star" franchise proved a smart move. Lucas's weird, out-there story treatments (ultimately jettisoned by Disney) would have made for intriguing movies, but JJ Abrams' crowd-pleasing approach (co-scripted with "The Empire Strikes Back" writer Lawrence Kasdan) was what the franchise needed. Yes, "The Force Awakens"' plot was essentially a remix of "A New Hope" but it also told those gen-X fans who'd moaned about the prequels that Disney knew how to make their kind of "Star Wars". It remains the only film in the franchise to top $2 billion at the global box office.

While "The Force Awakens" played it safe, follow-up "The Last Jedi" (2017) took some big swings. The resulting film became the most divisive in the entire saga.

General Leia in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Photo: Lucasfilm Ltd. © 2017

(Image credit: Disney / Lucasfilm)

For some — this writer included — writer/director Rian Johnson's choices were wonderfully bold and unexpected: Luke's disillusionment with the Jedi, Rey's "nobody" parentage, and Snoke's shock death all delivered on the trailer's promise that "this is not going to go the way you think". Other sectors of the fanbase, however, saw these as negatives, along with the very slow starship chase, the detour to a gambling planet, and accusations of excessive wokeness. (The deeply unpleasant online abuse directed at members of the cast and crew, particularly Kelly Marie Tran, highlighted the dark side of fandom.)

Then came "The Rise of Skywalker" (2019)…

Mistakes were undoubtedly made in both "The Force Awakens" and "The Last Jedi" — most notably, passing up the opportunity to reunite Han, Luke and Leia on screen — but "The Rise of Skywalker" was a bona fide catalogue of errors.

With Leia reportedly set to take a leading role in "Episode IX", the sad passing of Carrie Fisher in December 2016 threw the filmmakers the most tragic of curveballs. But when original writer/director Colin Trevorrow ("Jurassic World") departed the project less than two years ahead of its planned release— "we have come to the conclusion that our visions for the project differ," said a Lucasfilm statement — returning director Abrams found himself in a race against time.

Star Wars- Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker_Lucasfilm

(Image credit: Lucasart)

He wasn't helped by the Skywalker Saga's ad hoc approach to plotting, strangely reminiscent of Consequences, the old parlour game where players have to continue each other's unseen stories. It turned out there'd been little overarching grand plan for the new trilogy, as each creative team riffed on their predecessor's ideas.

While this narrative flexibility had arguably worked in Johnson's favor, Abrams and co-writer Chris Terrio made some really odd choices. They didn't shy away from those aforementioned big swings, but resurrecting the long- (and very) dead Emperor Palpatine — while revealing he'd been pulling the First Order's strings all along — made the "Star Wars" galaxy feel very, very small, undermining everything that had made "The Last Jedi" memorable.

The retcons — such as Rey being anything but nobody (hey everyone, she's Palpatine's granddaughter!) — were utterly nonsensical, as were the cheap, easily undone shock moments like Chewbacca's "death". Questions posed in "The Force Awakens" about the origins of the Knights of Ren and how Maz Kanata obtained Luke's lightsaber remained frustratingly unanswered. And then there was Carrie Fisher's posthumous appearance as Princess Leia, an unsatisfying blend of unused footage and CG recreation. In hindsight, it would have been better to have this beloved character die off-screen.

"The Rise of Skywalker" remains a very expensive ode to that old proverb that "those who fail to plan, plan to fail". It's still, by some distance, the worst film in the franchise, and ended (for now) the Skywalker Saga on a downer. It was also the fifth "Star Wars" movie released in the space of four years — it's telling there hasn't been another in the six years since.

The Skywalker Saga Report Card

Star Wars Project

Grade

The Force Awakens

A-

The Last Jedi

A

The Rise of Skywalker

D-

Standalone movies

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

(Image credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)

"Rogue One" (2016) shouldn't have worked. This was a standalone movie inspired by a couple of lines from "A New Hope"'s opening crawl (about the Rebels stealing some famous Death Star plans), featured an ensemble of unknown characters, and was the result of a famously troubled production, where "Michael Clayton" writer/director Tony Gilroy came on board to oversee extensive reshoots. The full extent of his involvement is still shrouded in secrecy.

And yet the film turned out to be one of the best in the entire franchise. It was a dark, gritty war movie, where themes about sacrifice (everybody dies!) sat side-by-side with the unashamed nostalgia of OG X-Wings and TIE Fighters dogfighting.

The second "Star Wars Story", "Solo", was less successful. Going back to the origins of everyone's favorite scoundrel, Han Solo, may have felt like a no-brainer — especially with Kasdan on board as co-writer — but the film never felt like an essential addition to the rapidly expanding canon.

Solo: A Star Wars Story_Lucasfilm

(Image credit: Lucasart)

As with "Rogue One" there was trouble behind the scenes, as original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ("The Lego Movie") left the production — "different creative visions" were blamed for the departure once again. Ron Howard, owner of two of the safest hands in Hollywood, was hired to shepherd the production over the line.

But, whether or not you feel Alden Ehrenreich was up to filling Harrison Ford's boots, the film's biggest problem was its concept. "Solo" was less a story than a succession of answers to questions you never needed to ask, from recreating the Kessel Run to confirming the origins of the Solo name — he's travelling alone, geddit? Little did we know that this "fill in the canonical blanks" approach to storytelling would later become integral to the "Star Wars" galaxy….

Standalone Star Wars Movies Report Card

Star Wars Project

Grade

Rogue One

A

Solo

C

Television

The Mandalorian and Groku backed up against a wall

(Image credit: Disney)

The launch of Disney+ in November 2019 gave "Star Wars" the chance to take its first step into a larger world. Sure, there had been plenty of animated series already (including the brilliant "The Clone Wars"), but nothing live-action, despite Lucas's best efforts on the abandoned "Star Wars: Underworld".

Jon Favreau's "The Mandalorian" (2019) was the right show at the right time, a welcome nod to the franchise's space-western roots in which a bounty hunting loner became surrogate dad to the cutest kid in the galaxy. It looked as good as a movie, but also made the most of its episodic structure. For the first time in its history, the most exciting place in the "Star Wars" galaxy could be found on TV.

Subsequent Disney+ shows have been more inconsistent. The galaxy's most infamous bounty hunter had come close to headlining his own movie in the 2010s, but ultimately became the lead in "The Mandalorian" spin-off, "The Book of Boba Fett" (2021). Fett's efforts to take control of the late Jabba the Hutt's crime empire lacked the crucial Grogu factor, however, and — somewhat ironically — the seven-part series' two best episodes were "The Mandalorian" outings in all but name.

Image from the TV show Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. A man is sitting in the piolet's chair of a spaceship. He is surrounded by four children.

(Image credit: Lucasfilm / Disney)

This post-"Return of the Jedi" period in the "Star Wars" timeline has proved particularly fertile ground for the franchise, with "Ahsoka" (2023) (which has been renewed for a second season) and "Skeleton Crew" (2024) (which has not).

Co-created by "Spider-Man: Homecoming" director Jon Watts, "Skeleton Crew" was a fun, refreshing effort to recreate "The Goonies" in outer space. "Ahsoka", meanwhile", gave former Lucasfilm animation overlord Dave Filoni (now Lucasfilm's chief creative officer) the chance to continue the stories of characters and storylines established in "The Clone Wars" and "Star Wars Rebels". It's as lore-heavy as anything in "Star Wars" — arguably too much so for casual viewers — and adheres closely to the "plug those gaps" formula established by "Solo".

Along with the functionally titled "Obi-Wan Kenobi" miniseries (2022), "Ahsoka" marked an important shift in the franchise's strategy. While the first batch of Disney-era movies went all-out to push the nostalgia buttons of older fans who'd grown up with Han, Luke, and Leia, Lucasfilm started to acknowledge that the kids who'd grown up on the prequels were now adults buying Disney+ subscriptions of their own. Anakin Skywalker (played by the returning Hayden Christensen) was their hero, while the Ewan McGregor incarnation of Obi-Wan was the Jedi Master they'd always known.

Still from the Star Wars T.V. show Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022). Here we see Obi-Wan Kenobi fighting Anakin Skywalker. They are both crouched, holding a blue lightsaber each.

(Image credit: Walt Disney Pictures & Lucasfilm)

"The Acolyte" (2024) (the brainchild of "Russian Doll" creator Leslye Headland) became "Star Wars"' first screen outing set outside the Skywalker era. Unfortunately, the Jedi/Sith action of the High Republic era — roughly a century before the events of "The Phantom Menace" — didn't feel significantly different from what we'd seen before, and the show was axed after a single season.

As on the big screen, it's Lucasfilm's biggest TV swings that have been the most successful. From various Lego spin-offs to "The Bad Batch" (2021), there's been no shortage of "Star Wars" animation over the last decade, but "Star Wars: Visions" (2021) has been the most radical. While it's undeniably hit and miss, the anthology series has allowed animators around the world to put new and varied spins on a universe that's nearly half a century old.

(Image credit: Disney Plus)

And, of course, there's "Andor" (2022), the "Rogue One" prequel that redefined what "Star Wars" can be. Without ever forgetting that it's set in a galaxy far, far away, Tony Gilroy's complex political thriller felt chillingly relevant, as a small band of Rebels risked everything to mobilize against crushing Imperial brutality. Forget Darth Vader and the Emperor, the Empire has never been scarier than it was here.

"Andor"'s two seasons are the standout of the Disney era, a reminder of "Star Wars"' impressive versatility. Of course, not everything has to be so dark and gritty, but — if the powers-that-be have been paying attention — they'll realise that any stories they want to tell could and should be on the (Sabacc) table. Even a "Lower Decks"-style comedy.

Star Wars TV Shows Report Card

Star Wars Project

Grade

The Mandalorian

A

The Book of Boba Fett

C

Obi-Wan Kenobi

B

Ahsoka

C+

Skeleton Crew

B-

The Acolyte

C+

The Bad Batch

B-

Star Wars: Visions

B+

Andor

A+

The future

Split image showing (left) A young woman holding a blue lightsaber, (center) a silver-armored man carrying a small green alien, flying through the air with an exploding ship in the background, and (right) an x-wing starfighter.

(Image credit: Disney)

In 2018, following the disappointing box-office performance of "Solo", Disney CEO Bob Iger issued a mea culpa to the Hollywood Reporter. Referring to the breakneck pace of Disney's early "Star Wars" release schedule, he admitted, "I think the mistake that I made — I take the blame — was a little too much, too fast."

And over the last decade, it's been hard to escape the feeling that — to paraphrase Indiana Jones, Lucasfilm's other timeless movie icon— they're making this up as they go. "Star Wars" has certainly suffered in comparison to Disney stablemate Marvel, whose MCU — despite some recent stumbles — remains the gold standard for all shared universes.

Projects come and go at every major studio — and more eyes are on "Star Wars" than most — but the sheer number of movies and TV shows that have fallen by the wayside is mind-boggling.

A man and a boy on a watercraft on the ocean

(Image credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)

Josh Trank's Boba Fett project, Patty Jenkins' "Rogue Squadron", a Lando Calrissian film, and potential big-screen projects from "Thor" director Taika Waititi, Marvel boss Kevin Feige, and "The Last Jedi"'s Johnson have all been discussed, but — for various reasons — never made it out of the development pipeline. "Rangers of the New Republic", another proposed "Mandalorian" spin-off, was also spiked. Stories teased by "Solo" (Maul’s new career as a crime lord) and "The Acolyte" (the arrival of Palpatine's master, Darth Plagueis) were frozen in carbonite, plot threads left hanging by shifting plans and cancellations.

But now, a decade on from "The Force Awakens, Disney may finally be finding some balance in the Force. Dave Filoni (a man steeped in "Star Wars" lore after serving as Lucas's Padawan on "The Clone Wars") feels like a wise appointment as chief creative officer, and hopefully, he'll be able to shape Lucasfilm's output as Feige has Marvel's. A much-needed slowdown in output should also give everyone — fans included — a chance to regroup.

Still from a Star Wars TV cartoon. Darth Maul is ready to strike with his red lightsaber. He has black and red face markings and several small spiky horns around his head. His yellow eyes are glowing with anger.

(Image credit: Lucasfilm)

The only major TV releases on the immediate horizon are "Ahsoka"'s second season (date TBC) and the animated "Maul: Shadow Lord" (2026). And, six years after "Star Wars" last graced movie theaters, the big screen is finally back on the agenda.

Upcoming Star Wars movie announcements about Rey's return in a post-"Rise of Skywalker" "New Jedi Order" film, and a Jedi origins tale from "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" director James Mangold, both got the internet buzzing. But it's the continuation of a TV show that'll be first out of the spaceport, as "The Mandalorian and Grogu" get ready to land in multiplexes in May 2026. At some point, we're also expecting a big-screen finale to the interweaving stories told in "The Mandalorian", "The Book of Boba Fett" and "Ahsoka".

And then there's "Starfighter" (2027), "Star Wars"'s first-ever attempt to sell a movie on established A-list talent, as "Deadpool & Wolverine"'s Shawn Levy directs Ryan Gosling. The Force could be very strong with this one…

You can find a galaxy of "Star Wars" movies and TV shows on Disney+.

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]]> + https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/10-years-into-the-disney-star-wars-era-grading-the-ups-and-downs-of-a-galaxy-far-far-away - + - SdwQF8p2VTFGw5QhRGxAXZ - - Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + DTEkSCNY9ywS46YRvHJNCU + + Wed, 17 Dec 2025 21:00:00 +0000 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 19:18:28 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS caught on camera in new images from Hubble Space Telescope and JUICE Jupiter probe ]]> - Two flagship spacecraft captured striking new images of Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, including a surprisingly sharp snapshot from a camera never meant for scientific imaging.

Discovered on July 1 by the NASA-funded ATLAS telescope in Chile, 3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed visitor from another solar system, following 1I/'Oumuamua in 2017 and comet 2I/Borisov in 2019.

In November, both the European Space Agency's Jupiter-bound JUICE spacecraft and the Hubble Space Telescope captured new views of the fleeting traveler as it raced through the inner solar system, providing valuable clues about the chemistry and dynamics of bodies born around other stars, scientists say.

On Nov. 2, JUICE pointed five of its science instruments at 3I/ATLAS during a planned campaign to study the comet's activity and composition. That high-resolution data won't reach Earth until February 2026, however. The spacecraft is currently using its main high-gain antenna as a heat shield to protect itself from the sun, according to an ESA statement.

"Our JUICE team couldn't wait that long," ESA wrote. Eager for a sneak peek, engineers used the spacecraft's smaller, slower antenna to trickle home just one-quarter of a single frame from JUICE's Navigation Camera (NavCam), a low-resolution imager designed not for science but for navigating JUICE around Jupiter's icy moons after its 2031 arrival.

The resulting grainy teaser reveals the comet's bright nucleus surrounded by a glowing coma of gas and dust. If you look closely, a faint tail stretches upward. That is the comet's plasma tail, created when sunlight ionizes gas released from its warming surface and the solar wind sweeps those charged particles away from the sun, according to ESA.

If you squint harder, you might also spot a subtler dust tail drifting down and to the left. Recent observations show this dust shows slightly atypical properties, hinting that its grain sizes differ from those of local comets, NASA revealed at a news briefing last month.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS caught by the JUICE spacecraft. (Image credit: ESA/Juice/NavCam)

The snapshot was taken on Nov. 2, just two days before JUICE's closest approach to 3I/ATLAS, when the spacecraft passed about 41 million miles (66 million kilometers) from the comet. Because JUICE observed the comet just after its closest approach to the sun, on Oct. 30, mission scientists expect the full dataset to reveal even more vigorous, sun-driven activity.

Just weeks after JUICE captured its preview, the Hubble Space Telescope turned its Wide Field Camera 3 back toward 3I/ATLAS for a second round of observations on Nov. 30. The comet was then about 178 million miles (286 million kilometers) from Earth and racing across the background stars. Hubble tracked the comet's motion, causing the stars to smear into thin streaks in the image, a second ESA statement read.

Hubble first imaged 3I/ATLAS in July, shortly after its discovery, revealing a teardrop-shaped cocoon of dust streaming from the comet's icy nucleus. The new observations show a bright central core similarly wrapped in a glow of dust, confirming continued activity.

The Hubble Space Telescope image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (Image credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, D. Jewitt (UCLA). Image Processing: J. DePasquale (STScI))

A recent coordinated NASA-led campaign, which drew on dozens of spacecraft and telescopes from Earth orbit to Mars and beyond, hints at unusual chemistry in the comet’s dust, including a higher-than-normal carbon-dioxide–to–water ratio and gas unusually rich in nickel relative to iron. Both findings may point to formation conditions unlike those in our own solar system, NASA scientists said at a November news briefing.

At the briefing, scientists also said 3I/ATLAS has probably spent a very long time drifting through interstellar space. Its incoming speed suggests it may have been born in an ancient planetary system, possibly one that predates our own.

That "gives me goosebumps to think about, frankly," said Tom Statler, the lead scientist at NASA for solar system small bodies.

At the same briefing, Nicky Fox, the associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, stressed that 3I/ATLAS poses no threat to Earth. The comet will come no closer than 170 million miles (270 million kilometers) to our planet and will not pass near any planets as it exits the solar system, including when it crosses Jupiter's orbit in spring 2026.

The objects in our solar system, Fox said, "will be just fine."

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-caught-on-camera-in-new-images-from-hubble-space-telescope-and-juice-jupiter-probe + <![CDATA[ US Senate confirms Jared Isaacman as new NASA administrator ]]> + NASA finally has an official, permanent leader.

The U.S. Senate voted today (Dec. 17) 67-30 to confirm billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, ending more than a year of uncertainty as the space agency has followed marching orders from temporary chiefs

Isaacman, 42, is the billionaire founder of the payment-processing company Shift4. He's also an astronaut and sponsor of Polaris, a privately funded spaceflight program chartering SpaceX launches to orbit. Two of those missions have launched to date with Isaacman in the commander's seat, Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn, which made history as the first private astronaut mission to Earth orbit and the first flight to feature a civilian spacewalk, respectively.

Though some members of Congress have expressed concerns about Isaacman's relationship with SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, citing the potential for bias or favoritism, Isaacman's nomination has been favorably received by much of the space community.

Or nominations, rather, for there have been two of them. Donald Trump first tapped Isaacman for the top NASA job in December 2024, when he was still president-elect. Isaacman sat for a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in April, which advanced his nomination to the full Senate, but lawmakers didn't get the chance to vote. Trump abruptly withdrew Isaacman's nomination in late May, halting the confirmation process and leaving NASA with an indefinite acting administrator.

a man in a spacesuit leans out of a space capsule, with earth in the background

Polaris Dawn commander Jared Isaacman becomes the first private astronaut to perform a spacewalk on Sept. 12, 2024. (Image credit: SpaceX)

At the time, that position was held by Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro. In July, however, with no prospects for a new NASA administrator nomination on the horizon, Trump handed the role to Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has remained in the acting administrator position ever since.

Trump's reversal on Isaacman came amidst a public falling out between the president and Musk, with Trump posting on his social media site Truth Social that he hadn't realized Isaacman was "a blue-blooded Democrat, who had never contributed to a Republican before."

Isaacman came back into the spotlight again in early November, when a Politico report exposed a 62-page document, known as "Project Athena," that outlines Isaacman's vision for NASA. After it was made public, Isaacman called the document a tentative list of "ideas, thoughts on the direction of the agency" and how it might operate in a leaner, more efficient way. Trump renominated Isaacman for NASA chief on Nov. 4 (a day after the Politico report published), which paved the way for his official appointment today.

President Trump's fiscal year 2026 budget proposal slashed NASA's budget by nearly 25% and cut the agency's science funding by 47%. When pressed during his two Senate nomination hearings this year, Isaacman voiced support for much of the administration's space agenda, including landing astronauts back on the moon before China does so and sending humans to Mars. Isaacman also indicated his commitment to spend NASA's funds as directed. It's still unclear what that budget will be; Congress aims to restore NASA funding to previous years' levels, though a final appropriations bill has yet to be passed.

"Mr. Isaacman emphasized the importance of developing a pipeline of future scientists, engineers, researchers, astronauts, to support the science and technology development and align with NASA's objectives," Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) said before lawmakers began their roll call vote this afternoon, in a statement that announced her support for his confirmation. "I look forward to working with administrator Isaacman on the future STEM talent with both NASA and more broadly, with the aerospace and innovation sector."

]]> + https://www.space.com/space-exploration/us-senate-confirms-jared-isaacman-as-new-nasa-administrator - + - 8ghVUhVsZ9xop4GgmeWMie - - Thu, 11 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000 - - - - - - + TtVC4EDJwicwEqKUFv7oqX + + Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:30:14 +0000 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:30:14 +0000 + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ James Webb Space Telescope discovers a hot Jupiter exoplanet leaking twin gas tails that defy explanation ]]> - Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to discover that a distant "hot Jupiter" planet has two staggeringly long tails composed of helium that currently defy explanation. The observations represent the first study of gases leaking from a planet beyond the solar system during one of its complete orbits, and help paint the most complete picture of atmospheric escape thus far.

The extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, in question is WASP-121b, also known as "Tylos," located around 858 light-years away. WASP-121b is an example of an "ultrahot Jupiter," a massive gas giant planet found so close to its parent star that it can complete an orbit in a matter of hours. As WASP-121b whips around its star once every 30 hours, intense radiation from its stellar parent heats its atmosphere to around 4,200 degrees Fahrenheit (2,300 degrees Celsius).

When a planet undergoes this type of heating, it causes gases of lighter elements like hydrogen and helium to flow into space, a slow atmospheric escape lasting millions of years that alters the planet's size, composition, and how it will evolve. Previously, scientists had caught glimpses of atmospheric escape as exoplanets passed in front of their parent stars, an event called a "transit." But this left a gap in our understanding of this process because scientists couldn't be sure if planetary atmospheres continued to leak outside of those few hours when the planets were observed during a transit.

These new observations, made using the JWST's Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) over around 37 consecutive hours, therefore represent the first most comprehensive continuous observation ever made of the presence of helium on a planet and how it leaks during a complete orbit.

"We were incredibly surprised to see how long the helium escape lasted," team leader Romain Allart, of the University of Montreal, said in a statement. "This discovery reveals the complexity of the physical processes that sculpt exoplanetary atmospheres and their interaction with their stellar environment. We are only beginning to discover the true complexity of these worlds.

A tale of two tails

Helium is one of the most important tracers of atmospheric escape from exoplanets, and the incredible sensitivity of the JWST allows the element to be observed at vast distances. Tracking the light absorbed by helium atoms, the researchers found that the envelope of gas around WASP-121b stretches out far beyond this hot Jupiter. The helium signal lasted for over half the orbit of the planet, making this the longest continuous detection of atmospheric escape yet.

The most remarkable thing about this investigation is the fact that the helium leaking from WASP-121b forms two distinct tails, one of which is pushed back behind the exoplanet by radiation and stellar winds from its parent star. The other tail leads the planet in its orbit, likely pulled forward toward the star by its gravity.

Combined, the helium tails are 100 times as long as WASP-121b is wide, and three times the distance between the hot Jupiter and its star. And the dual tails are something that scientists can't explain with current models.

"Very often, new observations reveal the limitations of our numerical models and push us to explore new physical mechanisms to further our understanding of these distant worlds," team member Vincent Bourrier, of the Department of Astronomy at the Faculty of Science of the University of Geneva, said.

The team's research was published on Monday (Dec. 8) in the journal Nature Communications.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/james-webb-space-telescope-discovers-a-hot-jupiter-exoplanet-leaking-twin-gas-tails-that-defy-explanation + <![CDATA[ Blue Origin scrubs space tourist rocket launch with first wheelchair user due to last minute 'observation' ]]> + Aerospace engineer Michi Benthaus will wait a little longer before she becomes the first wheelchair user ever to reach space.

Blue Origin was forced to scrub th launch of its suborbital New Shepard rocket carrying Benthaus and her five crewmates, which was scheduled to lift off from the company's West Texas launch site Thursday.

Instead, the launch countdown was put on hold twice, ultimately resulting in the postponement of the NS-37 mission. The first, due to upper level winds, pushed T-0 into the 11 o'clock hour (1600 GMT). Once the count resumed, another hold was called at T-58 seconds, due to an "issue with built-in checks prior to flight," Blue Origin commentators said during the mission's livestream.

Benthaus, who works at the European Space Agency, has used a wheelchair since suffering a mountain-biking accident in 2018. Joining her on the flight, once it gets off the ground, are investors Joey Hyde and Adonis Pouroulis, aerospace engineer Hans Koenigsmann, entrepreneur Neal Milch and self-proclaimed "space nerd" Jason Stansell.

Koenigsmann's name and face are familiar to many space fans, for he worked at SpaceX from 2002 to 2021. He served as the company's vice president of build and flight reliability for the final 10 years of that tenure and participated in many post-launch press conferences in that capacity.

Blue Origin has designated the mission NS-37, because it will be the 37th liftoff of New Shepard, an autonomous, fully reusable rocket-capsule combo.

New Shepard flights are suborbital and brief, lasting just 10 to 12 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown. Passengers get to see Earth against the blackness of space and experience a few minutes of weightlessness.

They also get astronaut wings. New Shepard gets above the 62-mile-high (100 kilometers) Kármán line, the widely recognized boundary where outer space begins.

a photo grid showing headshots of five men and one woman

The six passengers on Blue Origin's upcoming NS-37 suborbital spaceflight. (Image credit: Blue Origin)

a hexagonal mission patch featuring a white space capsule against a dark-blue background

The patch for Blue Origin's NS-37 suborbital tourism mission. (Image credit: Blue Origin)

Sixteen of New Shepard's 36 flights to date have carried passengers; the other 20 have been uncrewed research missions. The 16 crewed flights have lofted a total of 86 people, though just 80 individuals — six passengers have been repeat customers.

Blue Origin has not disclosed how much it charges for a seat aboard New Shepard.

]]> + https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/watch-blue-origin-launch-1st-wheelchair-user-to-space-on-dec-18 - + - B5tbbLfoHSMPMGDCBSbdoS - - Thu, 11 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + 6sfFQ6EMz73qjdqESzdQ39 + + Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:00:00 +0000 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 17:16:46 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ How do you activate a supermassive black hole? A galaxy merger should do the trick ]]> - Scientists have confirmed that colossal collisions between galaxies trigger titanic eruptions in the centers of those galaxies, and the discovery is thanks to an artificial intelligence tool that was able to sort through images of a million galaxies to find those possessing a so-called active galactic nucleus, or AGN.

The results come courtesy of the Euclid space telescope, which is a European Space Agency mission that's designed to study dark matter and dark energy by measuring and mapping billions of galaxies. Researchers took a "small" subset of a million of the galaxies Euclid is charting and used them to chronicle the causes of AGN.

An AGN describes a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy that suddenly begins consuming vast amounts of material. That material cannot all fit into the black hole's maw all at once, so it waits its turn in an accretion disk circling around the black hole. Think of it as a logjam of gas, and as more and more gas piles up, the density rises and the temperature increases, causing the disk to shine brilliantly. Furthermore, powerful magnetic fields can whip away some of the charged particles within the disk and spit them out in beams moving at almost the speed of light. When we see an AGN with beams coming towards us we call it a quasar or, for the most powerful that are pointed directly at us, a blazar.

It has long been strongly suspected that mergers play a crucial role in sparking AGN activity, because something needs to push all that gas into the nucleus of a galaxy, but suspecting and having confirmation are two different things. Validating this hasn't been as easy as one might think, because the most powerful AGN are at a great distance from us (the closest quasar is 3C273, which is 2.3 billion light-years away) and clearly resolving galaxies at such distances so that we can see that they are definitely merging has been difficult. While the Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope can resolve them, they don't cover a wide enough area of sky to be able to image enough to obtain a census.

Following its launch in 2023, Euclid has changed all that. With its 1.2-meter telescopic mirror, 600 megapixel camera and wide field of vision, in just one week it can provide higher quality images than most other telescopes while covering an area of sky similar to the total area that has been observed by the Hubble Space Telescope during its entire 35 years in service.

Astronomers in the Euclid Collaboration divided the million galaxies seen by Euclid into two categories: one where the galaxies appear to be merging, and one where no merger is taking place.

They then employed an artificial intelligence image decomposition tool developed by Berta Margalef-Bentabol and Lingyu Wang from SRON, the Netherlands Institute for Space Research, to identify AGN in these galaxies and even quantify their power output to determine which are the most energetic.

"This new approach can even reveal faint AGN that other identification methods will miss," said Margalef-Bentabol in a statement.

The team found that there were between two and six times as many AGN in galaxies in the category of mergers than those not experiencing a merger.

In the case of mergers that have begun relatively recently and which have kicked up a lot of interstellar dust such that it shrouds the nucleus, making it only visible in infrared light, there are six times more AGN. In the case of mergers that are nearing their end stages and in which the dust has all settled, there are still twice as many AGN than in the non-merger galaxies.

"The difference between the two AGN types could mean that many AGN found in non-mergers are actually in merged galaxies that have completed the chaotic stages and appear as a single galaxy in a regular form," said Antonio la Marca of the University of Groningen.

The observational evidence not only heavily supports the concept of mergers being a trigger of AGN activity, but also indicates that mergers are the primary cause, particularly for the most luminous AGN.

"We also conclude that mergers are very likely to be the only mechanism capable of feeding the most luminous AGN," said la Marca. "At the very least they are the primary trigger."

AGN represent the most rapid growth phase of supermassive black holes, and the outpouring of radiation from these gluttonous black holes can heat the molecular gas in a galaxy, preventing it from forming stars. AGN can therefore have a long-term impact on their host galaxy, and understanding that the host is likely to be merging is important to know when modeling the evolution of galaxies.

The findings are set to be published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, and are available as two pre-prints, one detailing the analysis of merging galaxies and AGN, and the other describing the AI image decomposition tool.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/how-do-you-activate-a-supermassive-black-hole-a-galaxy-merger-should-do-the-trick + <![CDATA[ Rocket Lab launches 4 experimental 'DiskSats' for the US military ]]> + Rocket Lab launched a new type of satellite for the U.S. Space Force early Thursday morning (Dec. 18).

An Electron rocket carrying four "DiskSats" lifted off from Rocket Lab's pad on Wallops Island, Virginia on Thursday at 12:03 a.m. EST (0503 GMT).

The launch, which Rocket Lab called "Don't Be Such a Square," kicked off the Space Test Program (STP)-S30 mission for the U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command.

four disk-shaped satellites covered in solar panels eject out of a cone-shaped spacecraft above earth

An illustration of DiskSats being deployed from a small launch vehicle fairing. (Image credit: The Aerospace Corporation)

STP-30 will operate the first-ever DiskSats, a new type of spacecraft developed by The Aerospace Corporation with funding help from NASA. At 40 inches wide by just 1 inch thick (102 by 2.5 centimeters), each DiskSat has the approximate dimensions of a manhole cover.

That odd shape could lead to greater performance in the final frontier for small satellites, which have traditionally employed the boxy "cubesat" form factor.

DiskSats "could offer more power and surface area for instruments, providing more opportunities for NASA to expand upon target mission objectives for small spacecraft," agency officials wrote in a description of the new tech.

"With its ability to fly continuously with one face pointing at the Earth, the DiskSat can also have a very low drag, making them capable of very-low-altitude missions (less than 300 kilometers or 185 miles) such as those necessary for some Earth-observation missions," NASA added.

The DiskSats won't be flying so low on their inaugural mission, however. The Electron deployed the quartet at an altitude of 342 miles (550 km) about 55.5 minutes after launch as planned, according to Rocket Lab.

side by side photos showing a closeup of a disk-shaped satellite and a black rocket nose cone inside a large white room.

Rocket Lab technicians prep for the "Don't Be Such a Square" mission, which will launch four "DiskSats" for the U.S. Space Force. (Image credit: Rocket Lab)

Rocket Lab initially planned to launch "Don't Be Such a Square" in April 2026 but expedited it at the Space Force's request, the company said in an emailed statement.

The mission was Rocket Lab's 20th of 2025, extending the company's single-year launch record. The previous high was 16, set in 2024. Most of these have been orbital flights of the 59-foot-tall (18 meters) Electron, which gives small satellites dedicated rides to Earth orbit. But three were suborbital missions conducted by HASTE, a modified version of Electron that lets customers test hypersonic technologies in the space environment.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:18 a.m. ET on Dec. 18 with news of successful launch and satellite deployment.

]]> + https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/rocket-lab-electron-launch-disksats-us-space-force - + - HAMy49Kqj5DnS9rNrPU6eD - - Wed, 10 Dec 2025 23:00:00 +0000 - - - - + Q6MLQkcSi63eBppcJj3W7a + + Wed, 17 Dec 2025 19:00:00 +0000 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 07:26:23 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Want to see further for less? We have rounded up the last few Cyber Monday binocular deals, saving up to hundreds, but you'll have to be fast ]]> - Were you hoping to save money on the best binoculars? Think you've left it too late? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Cyber Monday may be behind us, but there are still binocular deals around, and we've uncovered those few remaining offers.

We do mean deals, too. The problem with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, or any sale, is that it's hard to know if a deal is genuine or not. We've seen companies, reputable ones, spike prices just to claim a massive discount. That's where our experts come in.

They have picked out the best Cyber Monday deals, ones which will save you money on the average price of these binos, so you know you're getting a real saving. You don't have to spend a fortune, either; we have picked out a range of deals, with prices to suit all pockets. You will have to act quickly, though, as these really are the last-chance Cyber Monday offers. So read on and grab yourself a Cyber Monday binocular bargain, in time to make the most of this month's new moon-darkened skies.

Last chance Cyber Monday binoculars deals still available

Save $50 on these excellent, high-powered binoculars, which are equally suitable for stargazing or nature watching. We think the Pro version of these binos are the best binoculars for long distance viewing. View Deal

Save $63 on these fog and water-resistant binoculars which, while being beginner-friendly, which, budget-friendly as budget-priced as they are, boast excellent optics. We think they're the best binoculars for beginners. View Deal

Save $37 on these astronomy-friendly Celestron 12x60 binoculars. We think they're the best beginners binoculars for long-distance viewing and they're sturdy enough to withstand a little rough handling.

NOTE: Make sure you tick the coupon box to get these binoculars are the lowest price. View Deal

Save $140 on an excellent pair of binoculars that we think are the best long-distance for magnification and they're fantastic for skywatching too. We gave them four stars in our Celestron Skymaster 25x100 binoculars review. View Deal

Save $320 on these Canon 10x42L IS WP binoculars. They feature in our best binoculars and best binoculars for kids guides and they're worth every cent, especially at his price. Their image stabilization means you'll get stable and sharp views of the night sky. View Deal

Save $62 on these pocket-sized image-stabilized (IS) binoculars from Nikon. Despite their size, we think they're the best for image stabilization, which is especially effective for stargazing. Our expert Jase Parnell-Brookes awarded them five stars in their Nikon 12x25 S review. View Deal

Save $20 on the image stabilized binoculars, powerful but compact with them. In their review of the Nikon 10x20 IS binoculars, reviewer Jase Parnell-Brookes awarded them four-and-a-half stars, remarking that "It’s incredible to get 10x magnification and image stabilization in such a small package."View Deal

]]> - https://www.space.com/stargazing/skywatching-kit/we-have-rounded-up-the-last-few-cyber-monday-binocular-deals-saving-up-to-hundreds-but-youll-have-to-be-fast + <![CDATA[ Camera on NASA Mars probe snaps its 100,000th photo of the Red Planet ]]> + NASA's sharp-eyed Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) just notched a big milestone.

MRO's HiRISE ("High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment") camera has now snapped 100,000 photos of the surface of Mars, NASA announced on Tuesday (Dec. 16).

Image number 100,000, which was captured on Oct. 7, "shows mesas and dunes within Syrtis Major, a region about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Jezero Crater, which NASA's Perseverance rover is exploring," NASA officials said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Scientists are analyzing the image to better understand the source of windblown sand that gets trapped in the region’s landscape, eventually forming dunes," they added.

MRO arrived in orbit around Mars in March 2006, tasked with searching for signs of past water activity on the Red Planet and conducting a variety of other investigations.

HiRISE — which is capable of resolving features as small as a coffee table on the Martian surface — has been key to that wide-ranging mission.

"HiRISE is the instrument the mission relies on for high-resolution images of features ranging from impact craters, sand dunes, and ice deposits to potential landing sites," NASA officials said in the statement. "Those images, in turn, help improve our understanding of Mars and prepare for NASA’s future human missions there."

Though MRO has been operating at Mars for more than 20 years, it's not the longest-lived NASA Red Planet orbiter. That distinction goes to Mars Odyssey, which has been studying the planet from above since October 2001.

MRO and Odyssey are two of nine spacecraft actively studying Mars up close. The others are NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers and five other orbiters: NASA's MAVEN, Europe's Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, China's Tianwen 1 and the United Arab Emirates' Hope mission.

MAVEN may be in trouble, however: It has been silent since Dec. 4 and has apparently begun spinning in an unexpected way.

]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/nasa-mars-reconnaissance-orbiter-hirise-camera-100000-photos - + - TXeahoUEnKF9ph3C4g3LxK - - Wed, 10 Dec 2025 22:02:00 +0000 - - - - - + UzMJvvAtShoQKjULoYjCtY + + Wed, 17 Dec 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:44:43 +0000 + + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Human evolution hits a crossroad in daring new sci-fi novel, 'Existence Equation', and we have an exclusive excerpt for you ]]> -

Matthew Medney, former Heavy Metal magazine CEO and current founder of the invigorating new sci-fi fantasy publishing house Gungnir Books, is embarking on a futuristic fable next year with "Existence Equation," a provocative speculative fiction novel that poses topical questions regarding artificial intelligence, cybernetics, immortality, and our quest to conquer the stars.

Medney ("Beyond Kuiper") and co-author Don Macnab-Stark have crafted an intelligent examination of the human condition in the 23rd century as it surges into an existential era of decision, and we’ve got an exclusive excerpt and book trailer premiere that reveal the project's universal appeal.

There's even a trailer for it. I know, since when does a book get a trailer? Check it out above.

It’s the saga of a teenager in the year 2293 named Liam Kerr who must make the life-altering decision to traverse the heavens as an emotionless android hybrid like his space racing idol, Larkin Downey, or live out his natural biological years on Earth until they expire at the age of 60.

Now strap in for our exclusive chapter excerpt from Gungnir Books' "Existence Equation," which lands in bookstores and online retailers on May 5, 2026.

Existence Equation: What Is The Price Of The Stars? by Matthew Medney & Don Macnab-Stark:

Pre-order the hardcover now for $30 at AmazonView Deal

Existence Equation - Exclusive excerpt

“It's a good night for speed racing.”

Larkin Downey looked up at the sky. Streaks of iridescent color blazed a trail from horizon to horizon. The green, purple, and orange hues then softly began to fade into the darkening night sky.

Larkin grunted and said nothing. The colors shimmered on his slick metal limbs.

“C'mon. Clear skies, almost no wind, and just enough rain earlier to damp down the dust. What's not to like about that?”

Ricard stared at Larkin’s smooth android face, looking for a reaction, anything to reveal his thoughts, but Larkin’s expression never varied; there was nothing to betray what he might be thinking, let alone feeling. He simply stared out into the desert, visualizing and recalling the course, running the race in his mind for the fiftieth time.

Ricard, a loose-limbed bipedal with nimble fingers and a slim body, tapped the speed racer with a wrench. “Whatever. She’s ready to go when you are.”

The sound of revving engines was slowly building up around them; the smell of unburned fuel hung heavy in the air. Ricard shook his head in irritation. “So, you gonna check her out, or you gonna stand there looking cool and inscrutable all frecking day?”

Larkin finally moved, turning his head and scanning Ricard with his cold blue eyes. “Don’t you ever stop talking?”

Ricard gave a nervous laugh. “You know me, man, I always get nervous before a race.” He grinned. “I remember when you used to look forward to these things, but these days, even if you had a pulse I bet it would be as slow and steady as a deep space hibernation pod.”

Again, Larkin gave a non-committal grunt.

“Really? Don’t you feel the buzz?”

Larkin placed a hand on the fuselage of his speed racer, a slick silver and blue bullet that Ricard had built from scratch. “It’s running a bit rough.”

Ricard grinned. “Nah, that’s not rough you’re feeling, my man, that’s raw, latent power just waiting to be unleashed.”

Larkin looked at Ricard for the first time. “You did it? You fixed the feedback relay?”

Ricard couldn’t keep the smile off his face. He leaned into the cockpit and pointed at a small black switch. “Just toggle that and you’ll instantly get a burn— 20 percent extra power—for around ten seconds.”

“How many shots do I get out of it?”

“Three. But if you run it too long, you’ll burn the whole damn rig out and come grinding to a halt.”

Larkin nodded. “Got it. Ten seconds. Twenty percent. Three times.” The rumble and growl of the other racers’ engines was growing louder by the minute.

Larkin looked around the pits, at the melee of machines, racers, and mechanics, then back at Ricard. “Everyone’s heading towards the start line.”

“Yeah, time to roll,” agreed Ricard. “Oh, and one other thing. I rigged the relay so that when you activate it, there’ll be a quick blast of smoke from your tailpipes. It’s enough to make anyone in your wake have to slow down for a second, but you can claim ignorance and blame it on your dodgy mechanic.”

Larkin’s eyes gleamed a little brighter for a moment, the closest he came to showing any emotion. “Underhanded and ingenious. I like it.”

Ricard gave a mock bow, his long arms sweeping across the ground. “Words that should be inscribed on my epitaph.”

“Indeed.”

With an agile leap, Larkin jumped into the cockpit. He scanned the instruments.

Ricard leaned his head into the cockpit. “All good?”

Larkin nodded. “All good. See you at the finish.”

“Be careful,” Ricard reminded him. “You’ve got a target on your back after some of the stunts you've pulled lately.”

Larkin gave him his deadpan look. “When aren't I careful?”

Ricard stepped back. “Always?”

As Ricard straightened up, Larkin gently eased the throttle forward, and the racer glided towards the starting line. Ricard watched him all the way out of the hangar, wiping his hands on a greasy rag. “Good luck…” he said softly.

The grid was already starting to fill up with machines of all shapes, sizes, colors, and designs. Some were as sleek as a stiletto, while others had all the brutal subtlety of a thirty-pound sledgehammer. They all had one thing in common: they were designed to go fearsomely fast.

The course was a mix of open desert, narrow box canyons, high plateaus and even a few tunnels. This meant that no one design could dominate every race. Each machine had its strengths and weaknesses, meaning that the skill and adaptivity of the driver determined who crossed the finish line first.

Larkin found his place on the grid, then throttled back. He usually started nearer the front, but he’d had a so-so qualifying run, so he was in the third row. Not only had his ailerons been jamming, which slowed him down through the canyons, but he had found himself strangely distracted. His mind was filled with the sort of soul-searching thoughts that normally only visited him late at night when he was alone and his brain was freewheeling. At such times, he recalled his life on Earth, his life before he became an android. Even now, he found them returning to him—the shades of self-doubt and questions about his very existence. Why was he putting his life on the line yet again when the universe still held so many wonders, so much mystery?

“If you had a skin face, I’d say you looked like shit, Downey.”

Larkin turned to his left and stared into the blank insect eyes of his great rival, Sedulous. “You’re a fine one to talk.”

Sedulous made a loud cawing noise that Larkin had learned was his version of laughter. “Is it fear you are feeling?” croaked Sedulous. “Or are you just anticipating the embarrassment you will feel when I beat you. Again.”

In a rivalry going back several years, neither Larkin nor Sedulous had ever had the upper hand for long—until recently. Sedulous had won their last three encounters, the longest winning streak either of them had ever enjoyed, and the pain of defeat had registered even in Larkin’s emotional void.

"Winning isn’t everything." Larkin's voice was barely audible above the roar of engines.

Sedulous stared at him for a long moment, unreadable, then suddenly gave another loud, cawing laugh. “You’re right. It isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” He turned to scan his instruments and made a minor adjustment. “I’ll wait for you at the finish line. Please don’t make me wait too long, I don't want to miss the medal ceremony.”

Larkin tried to come up with a witty riposte but came up empty. He glanced up at the starting gantry. The large digital clock was ticking down the final thirty seconds of its countdown. All around him, the other racers—forty in total—were running through their final checks, securing their goggles in place, and praying to whatever deity they thought might help them win or at least keep them alive.

Larkin slid his goggles down over his eyes. Although he was an android and impervious to the effects of wind on his eyes, speed racers spent most of the time gliding just a few feet off the ground, and as a consequence, would be awash with clouds of abrasive sand and grit from Kurin’s desert landscape.

As he glanced upwards, he was greeted by the strange experience of seeing his own image on the giant vid-screens, as the commentators introduced the racers to the baying crowds that filled the grandstand at the start/finish line.

Was Ricard actually right? Was he looking even more inscrutable than ever? Androids displayed few emotions at the best of times, but lately Larkin had been experiencing a growing feeling of ennui, needing increasing levels of stimulants—whether external chemical shots or internally generated hormones— to feel anything at all. The countdown clock was almost finished.

"Three, two, one…”

]]> - https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-books/human-evolution-hits-a-crossroad-in-daring-new-sci-fi-novel-existence-equation-and-we-have-an-exclusive-excerpt-for-you + <![CDATA[ 10 years later, 'The Force Awakens' stands as the blueprint for a 'Star Wars' that never was ]]> + There's a saying: no one hates "Star Wars" more than "Star Wars" fans. While the river of abhorrence flows freely through the deluge of online forums and social media now, it feels like everyone was genuinely excited about the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in 2015.

There was something in the air during this time. The Force was strong as audiences packed theatres, wearing Jedi robes and raising their lightsabers in unison as the famous opening crawl scrolled across the screen. And why shouldn't they have been excited? It had been 10 years since "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith" and this marked the beginning of the next chapter in the Skywalker Saga. A new new hope, so to speak, under Disney's controversial umbrella, but that's a story for another day.

At the helm was filmmaker J. J. Abrams, who had successfully rebooted the "Star Trek" movie franchise years earlier. Everyone knows Trekkies are just as passionate as "Star Wars" fanatics, so if anyone could carry the space opera into a post-George Lucas future and keep the fans happy – well, for the most part – it was Abrams.

Screenshot from Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens

(Image credit: Disney)

Much like how Goldilocks liked her porridge, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" turned out to be neither too hot nor too cold; it was just right. The film treads safely and reads like a greatest hits of everything "Star Wars," but it also finds the appropriate balance of leaning on nostalgia and preparing for the future.

It's something Abrams also confirmed to Wired. "We wanted to tell a story that had its own self-contained beginning, middle, and end, but at the same time, like 'A New Hope,' implied a history that preceded it and also hinted at a future to follow," he said.

The new hero is Rey (Daisy Ridley) – a goodhearted nobody who gets pulled into this seemingly never-ending battle between light and dark. But who is she, really? That promises to be revealed later on. She's joined by the fresh additions of pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), former Stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), and the cute-as-a-bug droid BB-8. Each of them offers a hint of how they will aid Rey on her journey of discovery, but they also have their own unique backstories that beg to be unravelled and explored further in subsequent movies.

A young white woman stood against a desert backdrop.

(Image credit: Disney)

That isn't all, though, as the legacy characters return. Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), C3-PO (Anthony Daniels), and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) feature in several ways. Rightfully so, Abrams keeps Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) off-screen for most of the film, raising the anticipation for when Luke and Rey finally meet and he assumes the Yoda role.

Then, there are the villains – arguably, one of the most important elements of any "Star Wars" film. Snoke (Andy Serkis) positions himself to be the new Palpatine, manipulating and scheming in the shadows as the leader of the First Order. Serving Snoke is the Darth Vader of "The Force Awakens", Adam Driver's Kylo Ren aka Ben Solo. He has the Skywalker bloodline running through his veins, but broke bad at a point in his life. The question is, will he or won't he turn his back on the dark side like his grandfather did many moons before? Well, that lightsaber through his father Han's chest suggests not – at least not in this movie.

If one were to dissect "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," you'd find it tends to follow the formula of the original film, "A New Hope": A reluctant hero emerges and they're aided by a motley crew of companions as they embark on a mission of restoring hope to the galaxy. They encounter the Big Bad and quickly discover how ruthless they are, losing a beloved mentor in the process. However, this chosen one finds the inner strength to win the battle – not the war – setting up the stakes for a sequel.

Screenshot from Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens

(Image credit: Disney)

As the first entry in the latest trilogy, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" effectively accomplishes its primary task: it establishes the premise, introduces new characters into the universe, and teases the future storyline. It also received mostly positive reviews from fans and critics, and brought in a mouth-watering $2 billion at the box office.

Unfortunately, all this good work gets undone by the sequels that lack any creative cohesion or forethought. Legacy characters fall to the wayside. Finn and Poe become insignificant in the story. Snoke dies unceremoniously. Rey is revealed to be nobody significant, only to be retconned and related to Palpatine, who somehow returns.

Oh, and Kylo Ren has a come-to-Jesus moment, turns to the light side of the Force, and falls in love with Rey, because… who knows. Probably not even the filmmakers or actors. If anything, 2019's "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" proves that everyone is just winging it at this point and hoping for the nightmare to end.

Screenshot from Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens

(Image credit: Disney)

So, what went wrong here? The biggest issue is that Lucasfilm hired three filmmakers for the trilogy. The original plan was that Abrams would tackle the first film, Rian Johnson would do the second, and Colin Trevorrow the third. Trevorrow departed after creative differences, ironically. Abrams returned and attempted to pull a rabbit out of a hat, but grabbed a turkey instead.

There was supposed to be some semblance of an outline of where they were going overall, but that's debatable when you watch the seismic jump from "The Force Awakens" to "The Rise of Skywalker."

It's to be expected, though. When you throw three different filmmakers into a universe, they will each have their own visions of what they want to do. It's like asking three chefs to make potato salad. One might make it the traditional way with boiled potatoes and mayonnaise, while the other chucks ghastly boiled eggs into the mix, and the final person decides it needs sausages too. At some point, this potato salad turns into a stew that no one asked for.

Screenshot from Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens

(Image credit: Disney)

What's frustrating about "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is how it's an easy-to-follow blueprint, but it gets wiped out in "The Last Jedi" like it's the second coming of Jar Jar Binks. Johnson turns everything on its head, cutting the story threads introduced by Abrams and heading off in his own unexpected direction. Now — even though this upset the fans at the time — it would be okay if there were a final pay-off in "The Rise of Skywalker," but there wasn't. It's a perfect example of what happens when films are made by committee and by people who don't understand "Star Wars," something that George Lucas has said about Disney's handling of the trilogy.

While "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" doesn't compare to the best Star Wars movies, it's certainly the best of the sequel trilogy and glimmers with potential. The only problem is when Han says, "I got a bad feeling about this," he was not only predicting his own fate but also that of the future films. Maybe they needed more sand here… or just better creative leadership.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is available to stream on Disney+.

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]]> + https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/10-years-later-the-force-awakens-stands-as-the-blueprint-for-a-star-wars-that-never-was - + - Z7vzBCYichWjchH75rdXAT - - Wed, 10 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0000 + E39ktyHunCfWjRPKCrWJW5 + + Wed, 17 Dec 2025 17:00:00 +0000 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:56:31 +0000 + - - - - + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Rocket Lab's 'Hungry Hippo' passes final test ahead of 1st reusable Neutron rocket launch ]]> - Rocket Lab is getting ready to take a bigger bite out of the space launch market. The company recently completed final qualification tests on the fairing that will crown its newest launch vehicle, the partially reusable Neutron, which is expected to fly for the first time early next year.

The "Hungry Hippo"-style fairing opens and closes like a clamshell (or the jaws of the colorful game pieces in the "Hungry Hungry Hippos" children's boardgame) and is a novel approach to launch vehicle reusability. While Rocket Lab's workhorse (but expendable) Electron rocket has quickly gained momentum in the small launch market, Neutron is built to compete with SpaceX's heftier Falcon 9 — the only orbital launch vehicle with a proven track record of reusability.

SpaceX, too, has implemented its own recovery and refurbishment plans for Falcon 9 fairings, but the two halves of the shell protecting the rocket's payload on its way to orbit are still designed to split apart and fall back to Earth independently of each other, and of Falcon 9's first stage. Neutron's first stage, by contrast, will open its top like a giant mouth to spit out the vehicle's entire second stage and payload, and will then close the two halves back together before descending back through Earth's atmosphere to land and fly again.

With qualification tests now complete, Neutron's fairing section has been shipped to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia, where it will be mated to the rocket ahead the vehicle's debut launch.

“A rocket like Neutron has never been built before, and we’re doing it at a pace and price point that’s going to bring the innovation and competition needed in today’s industry,“ Rocket Lab Vice President for Neutron Shaun D’Mello said in a Dec. 8 statement.

The company hails Neutron as “the world’s largest carbon composite launch vehicle,“ and said the new rocket's fairing underwent extensive tests before it was finally deemed ready for flight.

Related stories:

— Building rockets and looking for life on Venus: Q&A with Rocket Lab's Peter Beck

— Facts and information about Rocket Lab

— US Space Force picks Rocket Lab for 2025 Victus Haze space domain awareness mission

Before departing Rocket Lab's California-based test facility, the fairing was exposed to 275,000 pounds of external force to simulate dynamic pressures during launch, rapid cycling of the open and close mechanisms to ensure faster-than-necessary operations, software integration and load forces exceeding 125% design requirements.

Once the fairing is incorporated with Neutron's first stage, Rocket Lab will perform a series of prelaunch tests, including a static hotfire of the nine Archimedes engines that power the reusable booster. Neutron will stand 141 feet (43 meters) tall with a 23-foot (7 m) diameter, and is expected to deliver up to 28,700 pounds (13,000 kilograms) of payload to low Earth orbit.

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/rocket-lab-completes-final-tests-on-reusable-hungry-hippo-fairing-ahead-of-1st-neutron-rocket-launch + <![CDATA[ SpaceX launches Starlink missions in dual-coast spaceflight doubleheader (videos) ]]> +

SpaceX launched two more batches of Starlink satellites today (Dec. 17), in a pair of launches from both U.S. coasts.

First up was a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 of the broadband internet relay units (Group 6-99) into low Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The satellites were successfully deployed about an hour and five minutes after the 8:42 a.m. EST (1342 GMT) liftoff on Wednesday.

"Deployment of 29 Starlink satellites confirmed," SpaceX reported on social media.

a white and black rocket launches into a clear blue sky from its ocean side launch pad

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink satellites launches from Kennedy Space Cener in Florida on Dec. 17, 2025. (Image credit: SpaceX)

The Florida flight's first stage booster (B1094) completed its sixth flight, landing on the "Just Read the Instructions" droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Then came 27 more Starlink satellites (Group 15-13), riding atop a Falcon 9 rocket launched from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Lifting off at 10:27 a.m. EST (1527 GMT or 7:27 a.m. PST local time), the mission was on track to deploy its payload about an hour after leaving the ground.

The California flight's first stage booster (B1063) performed its 30th propulsive landing, touching down on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean.

The California flight's first stage booster (B1063) performed its 30th propulsive landing, touching down on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean.

The 56 (in total) Starlink satellites launched on Wednesday add to SpaceX's megaconstellation, which now numbers more than 9,400 units in orbit. The network provides access to the internet to areas around the globe where other options for connectivity is sparse, as well as enables in-flight wifi and cell-to-satellite service on select carries.

Wednesday's dual launches were SpaceX's 164th and 165th Falcon 9 flight of the year.

]]> + https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-6-99-ksc-jrti-15-13-vsfb-ocisly - + - Yu64Pn6Ug9JXjwfyeiAhUd - - Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:00:00 +0000 + XE2T76hHPDRvFjv9mncujc + + Wed, 17 Dec 2025 16:46:56 +0000 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 17:07:10 +0000 + - - - - + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ ARC Raiders is an oddly comforting reminder that Earth will get along just fine without us after the AI apocalypse ]]> - 2025 has been filled with great multiplayer video games, with giants like Battlefield 6 and indie hits like Peak, but — even among them — ARC Raiders stands out as the game to finally crack the 'extraction shooter' code.

In its post-apocalyptic future, an AI fleet of drones and robots has forced humanity underground, but the origins of the robotic invaders are unknown. We cower in bunkers, only emerging to skulk amongst the ruins and scavenge for supplies. Humanity is on the brink. Meanwhile, Earth's doing… fine? ARC's giant robots and laser weapons might seem out there, but this one of the most realistic sci-fi dystopias we've ever seen.

When we think about the post-apocalypse, our minds instantly wander to the irradiated, broken-down wastelands seen in Terminator, Mad Max, or Fallout, that depict what remains of us after a violent downfall of modern civilization. On the surface, ARC Raiders' world-building seems derivative: Humans who still roam the surface are scrappy survivors dodging drone patrols and hulking metal giants. But underneath that is a more hopeful tone. In this future, we're on the back foot, but our planet isn't... even after kicking us out.

But why is this brutal online sandbox — where every interaction with another human can be lethal — so alluring? How have Embark Studios' designers and artists crafted a post-apocalypse that appears welcoming even when deadly machines are on the hunt?

Rise of the machines

Screenshot from the 2025 extraction shooter

(Image credit: Embark Studios)

The original Terminator movies weren't all about humanoid killer robots, at least not in the Skynet-dominated future our heroes were trying to prevent. Remember HK-Drones and the terrifying HK-Aerials from the future war sequences? In ARC Raiders, most enemies look and sound a lot like that.

The human shape is inefficient if you're looking to dominate Earth's surface, and whoever created the ARC machines is (or was) well aware of that. Are they the product of a secret AI experiment gone wrong or space invaders akin to Oblivion's aerial attackers?

ARC Raiders' robotic threat doesn't feel as far-fetched as Terminator's unsettling T-800s or the animal-like behemoths often found in the Horizon video game series. They're just drones. Advanced drones that can quickly tase and gun you down, sure, but still an evolution of the drones we see flying around today, whether piloted by civilians or used as tools of destruction by military forces.

Screenshot from the 2025 extraction shooter

(Image credit: Embark Studios)

We've already seen the cold horror drones capable of in the real world, so their overt presence in the game isn't as shocking as it would have been a decade ago. Somehow, we got used to the idea of unmanned flying machines that can rain down death.

Not all of ARC's robots look like they can be ordered from Amazon, though. If you wander into the wrong neighborhood, you'll get to meet the more unbelievable clankers like Leapers, Bastions, and even the hulking Matriarch. Those are the times when ARC Raiders feels more distant, and they're born out of a need for a bigger challenge in a video game. Even then, it's not hard to imagine humans building similar automated tools of destruction at some point — looking at you, Boston Dynamics… looking at you.

I don't want to live on this planet anymore

Screenshot from the 2025 extraction shooter ARC Raiders.

(Image credit: Embark Studios)

Even before the ARC machines' sudden arrival in 2180, Earth wasn't doing so hot thanks to environmental destruction and climate change.

In an off-screen plot beat which feels quite familiar, the wealthy managed to flee our planet before the environment collapsed; this is the main reason why many areas are tied to space exploration and rocketry. Even a cursory glance at our own homepage shows humanity already stumbling down this path, with corporate launches from SpaceX & Blue Origin now vastly outnumbering those of agencies like NASA.

Who knows? Maybe those same rich people who left Earth behind when things got ugly are responsible for ARC in the first place. They didn't mean to destroy Earth; they were just maximising shareholder value.

Screenshot from the 2025 extraction shooter

(Image credit: Embark Studios)

As for the rest of us? We become raiders, survivors, and descendants of those left behind, who skulk underground in makeshift cities like Toledo. Raiders regularly visit the surface to recover and loot valuable machinery and resources (and grief each other at extraction points).

It's not just the killer robots you've got to watch out for, though; there's some seriously bad weather in our future. Sandstorms blow through the buried city, deadly electromagnetic storms blast the landscape with lightning, and we've even got snowfall on the way thanks to the Cold Snap event. Such violent and disparate weather conditions, all localised into a small region of Italy, draw obvious parallels to the climate change we're now experiencing ourselves. This more dynamic, aggressive climate is bad for us, but great for ARC Raiders' worldbuilding, making the world feel equal parts ominously real and alive.

Nature is healing

Screenshot from the 2025 extraction shooter ARC Raiders.

(Image credit: Embark Studios)

Unlike in other works of post-apocalyptic fiction, however, Earth doesn't stop spinning because humanity is having a hard time. The Mediterranean locales you visit during expeditions are thriving and often even lush. What are the machine overlords looking for? We don't know it yet, but they seem to be okay with leaving the other living beings alone. Back at the hideout, players even have a friendly rooster, and fruit-picking topside is a common activity.

Trek in any direction and you'll find the same: In the absence of humans, life continues. As we resist extinction in this digital world and a murderous AI faction seeks to destroy what remains of us, everything looks, sounds, and feels calm and in balance. The hulking remains of ARC monstrosities sit amongst the ruins of our world, now peaceful and overgrown with nature. Desolate human cities covered by the sand sit alone, waiting to be scavenged and reminding visitors of days gone by.

The exact instrument of humanity's undoing in ARC Raiders has been made unclear on purpose, and I'm hoping that magic is never dispelled. As apocalyptic scenarios go, this one ain't so bad. Sure, there's a tale of human ingenuity, grit, and survival against the odds in here, but even more so, it's nice to know that Earth will be just fine without us.

Should the game receive a fully countryside map with even fewer man-made places to see, ARC Raiders' unique brand of survival could become far more soothing, at least until a single bullet cuts through the silence and goes into my avatar's skull. Be nice out there, raiders, and don't shoot.

ARC Raiders is now available to buy on PC (Steam & Epic Games Store), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

]]> - https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-games/arc-raiders-is-an-oddly-comforting-reminder-that-earth-will-get-along-just-fine-without-us-after-the-ai-apocalypse + <![CDATA[ Surprise! Saturn's huge moon Titan may not have a buried ocean after all ]]> + Saturn's huge moon Titan may not hide an ocean under its frozen surface but rather widespread pockets of liquid water, a new study finds.

Titan is the largest of the 274 known moons orbiting Saturn. In fact, Titan is bigger than the planet Mercury.

"I love Titan — I think it's one of the most interesting worlds in the solar system," study lead author Flavio Petricca, a planetary scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, told Space.com. "It's the only moon in our solar system with an atmosphere, and it's the only body with liquid on its surface other than Earth."

Scientists have long suspected that seas might also lurk under Titan's icy shell. For instance, the way Titan flexes under Saturn's gravity suggests that the moon is home to a vast underground ocean.

In the new study, Petricca and his colleagues wanted to reexamine Titan using new, improved methods to analyze radio tracking data. These new techniques greatly reduced uncertainties regarding data gathered by NASA's Cassini mission of Titan's interior.

Unexpectedly, the scientists discovered that Titan's interior is resisting distortion from Saturn's gravitational pull to a much greater degree than previously thought. This suggests Titan likely does not have a hidden ocean, but instead a layer of ice close to its melting point that is kept from liquefying by high pressure. This slushy icy likely hosts pockets of liquid water, the researchers added.

This artist’s concept shows a possible model of Titan’s internal structure that incorporates data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. (Image credit: A. D. Fortes/UCL/STFC)

Titan may once have had an underground ocean near the beginning of its history, Petricca said. There may not have been enough heat from radioactive elements in its core to keep this ocean from freezing, he noted. "It may be going through a phase again where heating is increasing again," Petricca added.

All in all, ocean worlds may be less common than recently thought, the scientists noted. "We're not certain if having widespread liquid pockets instead of a global ocean makes Titan more or less habitable," Petricca said. "It will be interesting to find out."

NASA's upcoming Dragonfly mission to Titan can help scan the moon to better understand its geology. "We'll better understand the conditions for habitability there," Petricca said.

The scientists detailed their findings online Dec. 17 in the journal Nature.

]]> + https://www.space.com/space-exploration/search-for-life/surprise-saturns-huge-moon-titan-may-not-have-a-buried-ocean-after-all - + - hox4uaDBKVGC4svpza2KxP - - Wed, 10 Dec 2025 20:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + eJbgeZLMqPTZHw2riQyugf + + Wed, 17 Dec 2025 16:01:00 +0000 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:10:36 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Rocket Lab scrubs launch of Korean disaster-monitoring satellite due to sensor issue ]]> - A Korean disaster-monitoring satellite wasn't able to get off the ground Wednesday (Dec. 10) after all.

An Electron rocket had been scheduled to launch the "Bridging the Swarm" mission from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site on Wednesday evening (Dec. 10). But that didn't happen.

"We're standing down from today's launch attempt to assess sensor data, but we have plenty of backup opportunities in the coming days," Rocket Lab said via X on Wednesday night. A new target date will be announced soon, the company added.

"Bridging the Swarm" will launch a single satellite for the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) — NEONSAT-1A, an advanced Earth-observation spacecraft designed to monitor natural disasters throughout the Korean Peninsula.

KAIST already operates one such satellite — NEONSAT-1, which flew to orbit on an Electron in April 2024. But the goal is to build that fleet out over the next few years, and NEONSAT-1A is part of that vision.

The new spacecraft "will be deployed to validate KAIST’s advanced satellite's capability, boost operational utility and pave the way for the single NEONSAT satellite to become a constellation — thus fulfilling the mission's name, 'Bridging the Swarm,'" Rocket Lab wrote in an emailed statement on Tuesday evening (Dec. 9).

If all goes to plan on "Bridging the Swarm," the Electron will deploy NEONSAT-1A into low Earth orbit, 336 miles (540 kilometers) above our planet, about 54 minutes after launch.

Rocket Lab expedited the "Bridging the Swarm" launch, deciding to conduct the mission on a fast timeline, the company announced in Tuesday evening's statement.

"This launch rescheduling is a demonstration of Rocket Lab's operational efficiency, responsiveness, and flexibility to meet the ever-evolving needs of its customers, while continuing to launch more missions every year to support a growing manifest," Rocket Lab wrote.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 8:20 p.m. ET on Dec. 10, then again at 11 p.m. ET, with news of the scrub and the reason for it.

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/watch-rocket-lab-launch-korean-disaster-monitoring-satellite-today + <![CDATA[ Best Fallout gifts to spend your caps on ]]> + If you're looking to spend your caps on Fallout gifts and merch ahead of the holidays and season two of the hit TV show, we've got you covered.

Fallout season two is coming this month to Amazon Prime Video, which is both one of the best streaming services and the best value streaming services available. Here, we've scoured the wasteland (well, reputable retailers on the internet) and found a worthy mix of replicas, toys, clothing and more. Although we haven't reviewed and tested any of the products you find below, we wouldn't put our name to them if we didn't recommend having them, as fans of the game series and TV show ourselves.

Of course, grabbing some cool stuff ahead of season two's release isn't the only reason to consider the best Fallout gifts out there. It's also the holiday season, and that's the time of year for gifting. If you're struggling for gift ideas, and Fallout doesn't quite hit the spot, you can always check out our best Lego Star Wars sets, best star projectors and best Lego space sets guides. But, for the best Fallout gifts for the Vault Dweller in your life, scroll down below.

The Best Fallout Gifts We Recommend

Best Fallout Replicas

This full-scale replica is a must for any collector and Fallout super-fan. It's a carefully crafted and carefully painted replica of the Nuka Cola thirst Zapper, made to look as if it's come straight from the wasteland. A detailed Nuka Cola sign is also included in this purchase and you can display the Thirst Zapper on a stand. Dimensions are approximately 13 x 14 x 6 inches (height x width x depth)View Deal

Made from Zinc Alloy, this official replica is a fun display piece at a more affordable price than other replicas in this guide. It measures at approximately 6 x 2.5 inches and comes in a display box. Only 5,000 have been made.View Deal

This is a metallic replica of the media storage devices used in pip boys to play recordings. It's embossed on both sides and comes with a display stand. Again, only 5,000 have been made. View Deal

Hand-painted and made from premium resin, this mini-nuke isn't real, but is a great replica and display model of the mini-nukes found in-game. It stands at over six inches in height and makes for a great display piece.View Deal

This is an ultimate for Fallout super-fans, your very own Pip Boy. Made from dye-cast metal and featuring a memory foam cuff, this 1:1 scale replica is wearable and comes with its own display stand. View Deal

Best Fallout Toys and Gifts

This 824-piece buildable set is a recreation of the gas station as seen in Fallout 4. As well as the great level of detail, it also features figures of a sole survivor, a dog and a T-60 Power Armor Unit. View Deal

It's always better to be safe than sorry. This emergency stash of caps is a great gift for any Fallout fan who wants a bit of Wasteland vibes in their decor or a reminder of their love for the franchise. 30+ caps also means that should we find ourselves in a Fallout situation, they've got a head start on the rest of us. View Deal

This 8 x 12 inch tin poster for Nuka Cola is a great way for a fan to showcase their love of Fallout, and for fictitious soda. This poster is designed to look scratched and worn-in and comes with four pre-drilled holes for easy display.View Deal

Made from wood, this is the ideal gift for anyone whose desk looks a little apocalyptic and would love to showcase their affection for the franchise. It's designed to hold pens, pencils and other similar bits of stationery on a desk.View Deal

Best Fallout Clothes

This officially licensed hoodie comes in sizes S-XXL, is 60% cotton and 40% polyester and is machine washable. Most importantly, it looks great! It's a top choice for fans who love wearing merch and want to walk around living their best vault-dweller life. View Deal

With a range of solid colors and sizes available, and all being machine washable, this officially licensed t-shirt is a great gift for any fan of Fallout for casual wearing, or for showing off when out and about. The materials used can vary depending on the size and color of the tee, but it's mainly cotton, if not 100%. View Deal

Another officially licensed t-shirt, this one depicts a Nuka Cola advert. It's a great choice for more hardcore fans of the franchise who will appreciate the less instant recognizability of the design. It also comes in a range of colors and sizes and the materials used will depend on which color and size you opt for. If it isn't 100% cotton, then it will mostly be cotton and still machine washable. View Deal

]]> + https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/best-fallout-gifts - + - yoq8XLv2WiKakCL8ZXZzBe - - Wed, 10 Dec 2025 19:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + KP5Z3H6Eo2NZfWo8hu4ukV + + Wed, 17 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 10:52:05 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ NASA's loses contact with MAVEN Mars orbiter on the far side of the Red Planet ]]> - NASA teams are working to restore contact with one of its most advanced interplanetary satellites.

MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) is one of only three NASA missions currently in operation around Mars, and one of five spacecraft serving as a communications relay for the space agency's rover missions on the Martian surface.

During routine operations on Dec. 6, NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) lost communications with MAVEN as it orbited behind the planet. This type of loss of signal (LOS) is anticipated by NASA's tracking systems, which usually reestablish connections with distant spacecraft after they are temporarily blocked by planetary bodies. As MAVEN was expected to emerge from Mars' far side, however, DSN failed to reacquire a signal, according to a Dec. 9 NASA update. "The spacecraft and operations teams are investigating the anomaly to address the situation," NASA wrote in the statement.

MAVEN launched on a ULA Atlas V rocket in Nov. 2013, equipped with instruments to measure the evolution of Mars' atmosphere and its interaction with solar winds. The orbiter arrived 10 months later, and has remained operational in Martian orbit for the last decade.

In addition to its scientific mission, MAVEN also serves as a critical link to the small handful of missions on the Martian surface. MAVEN works in tandem with NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and Odyssey, as well as the European Space Agency's Mars Express (MEX) and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) to provide planet-wide communications relay coverage for missions like the NASA's Perseverance and Curiosity rovers.

Data from MAVEN indicated a nominal trajectory and normal operating status for the spacecraft's systems prior to its disappearance behind the Red Planet, according to NASA. Assuming the satellite's orbit remained unaffected by whatever caused the communications anomaly, NASA and DSN operators can continue attempts to ping the spacecraft along its predicted orbit as they work to determine a cause and subsequent solution.

NASA's statement indicated more information would be shared on MAVEN's status as it becomes available.

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/nasas-loses-contact-with-maven-mars-orbiter-on-the-far-side-of-the-red-planet + <![CDATA[ Watch interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS make its closest approach to Earth in free livestream on Dec. 19 after rain delay ]]> +

Eager skywatchers will soon have front-row seats to a rare cosmic encounter as interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS makes its closest approach to Earth, and you can watch it happen live online tonight!

The Virtual Telescope Project will host a free livestream starting at 11 p.m. EST on Dec. 19 (0400 GMT on Dec. 20), sharing real-time telescope views of comet 3I/ATLAS captured by its robotic observatories in Manciano, Italy, weather permitting.

Comet 3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to Earth at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) on Dec. 19. At that time, it was about 1.8 astronomical units away — roughly 168 million miles (270 million kilometers), nearly twice the average distance between Earth and the sun.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS captured by astronomer Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project on Nov. 19. (Image credit: Gianluca Masi, Virtual Telescope Project)

Discovered in July 2025 by the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) survey, 3I/ATLAS quickly captured the attention of both scientists and the public. It is only the third confirmed interstellar object ever detected passing through our solar system, following 1I/'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. Researchers are especially interested in its composition and behavior, which could offer rare clues about how planetary systems form around other stars.

The comet is too faint to be seen with the naked eye and will be challenging even for small backyard telescopes. Under dark skies, observers with a telescope of 8 inches or larger may be able to spot it as a faint, fuzzy patch of light. If you're unable to look for the comet in person, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the view from the comfort of your own home via the livestream.

Editor's note: This article was updated Dec. 18 at 11 p.m. EST to notify readers that the livestream of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS by the Virtual Telescope Project has been postponed one day due to rain at the observing site. It is now scheduled for Friday, Dec. 19, at 11 p.m. EST (0400 GMT).

]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/watch-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-make-its-closest-approach-to-earth-in-free-livestream-on-dec-18 - + - b9vg7Bovpb8viAUgvYDAYg - - Wed, 10 Dec 2025 18:30:00 +0000 - - - - - + wVwjAaU3YSfYva8e7UYbfU + + Wed, 17 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000 Fri, 19 Dec 2025 06:20:06 +0000 + + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' clip shows off hammy acting and teen drama, putting fans on yellow alert (video) ]]> -

"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" is approaching at warp speed, with the first pair of episodes for its 10-chapter debut season due to arrive on Jan. 15, 2026.

Last week, Paramount+ released a new "people pile" poster to precede this dynamic clip, and it's got an overly-familiar "Friends" feeling to it, which isn't necessarily a bad thing... Is it?

We'll let you ruminate on that after you check out this sneak peek of "Starfleet Academy" recently revealed during the CCXP fanfest in São Paolo, Brazil, which shows the villainous Klingon/Tellarite Nus Braka (Paul Giamatti) mercilessly attacking Chancellor Nahla Ake's (Holly Hunter) school training vessel, the U.S.S Athena. It's a savage looking encounter, but it's the rest of the trailer that has us raising our shields.

a promo poster for a sci-fi show with a pile of people

The infamous "people pile" poster for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" (Image credit: Paramount+)

Braka's transformable battlecruiser, the Venari Ral, is a formidable opponent, and the two spaceships face off in deep space. Batten down the hatches, forego any evasive maneuvers, and enjoy the sweet symphony of destruction, complete with.... if we're honest, some seriously hammy acting and awkward dialogue.

The young-adult-targeted series takes place in the post-Burn universe of the 32nd century, where the first new class of cadets in 120 years seeks to revive the storied institution aboard the teaching starship U.S.S. Athena, to restore Starfleet as a bright beacon of galactic hope. We're getting real "Star Trek" does "Dawson's Creek" vibes from this. Is that a good thing? No, probably not, but we're excited to be proven wrong.

In addition to Hunter and Giamatti, the young cast includes Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir, Karim Diané as Jay-Den Kraag, Kerrice Brooks as Sam, George Hawkins as Darem Reymi, and Bella Shepard as Genesis Lythe.

Executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" arrives on Paramount+ with a two-episode debut on January 15, 2026.

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When it does release, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will be available to watch on Paramount+. You can also watch almost every other Star Trek show and movie on there, too, while you wait.View Deal

If you want to check out Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (or any of the other great shows on Paramount+) while you're abroad, you can also use a VPN to access your subscription from anywhere in the world.

For a limited time, you can save up to 77% on 24 months of NordVPN (+3 free months extra).

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]]> - https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/star-trek-starfleet-academy-clip-shows-off-hammy-acting-and-teen-drama-putting-fans-on-yellow-alert-video + <![CDATA[ Crewed Russian spacecraft meets up with ISS | Space photo of the day for Dec. 17, 2025 ]]> + Suspended above the Mediterranean Sea, Russia's Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft made its final approach to the International Space Station (ISS) on Nov. 27, 2025, the same day it launched from Earth. Not only did Soyuz MS-28 carry three new crew members beginning their mission, but it also helped to make a historical first for the ISS

Though the liftoff was successful, there was a downside: During the launch, Baikonur's Pad 31/6 — the only pad that hosts Russian crew and cargo launches to the ISS — sustained serious damage, and it's unclear when it will be repaired.

What is it?

The Soyuz (Russian for "unison") program began during the height of the space race in the 1960s as the Soviet Union's third human spaceflight program, following Vostok and Voskhod. Soyuz was originally conceived as part of a lunar landing project. Soyuz never made it to the moon, but it's still going strong decades later.

Aboard Soyuz MS-28 were three long-duration crew members: NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russian cosmonauts Sergei Mikaev and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov. The three men will participate in an eight-month mission as part of the ISS' Expedition 73.

Where is it?

This image was taken in low Earth orbit, around 263 miles (432 kilometers) above the Mediterranean Sea near Barcelona.

Soyuz MS-28 arrived at the ISS the same day it launched. (Image credit: NASA)

Why is it amazing?

While the Soyuz program itself is historic, the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft helped made some history of its own. With Soyuz MS-28 docked at the International Space Station, all eight of the ISS' visiting vehicle docking ports were occupied at the same time, a first in the orbital outpost's 25-year history.

Want to learn more?

You can learn more about the International Space Station and the Soyuz program.

]]> + https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/crewed-russian-spacecraft-meets-up-with-iss-space-photo-of-the-day-for-dec-17-2025 - + - o3p4FJP9E5ZQEn4HcjZ2aG - - Wed, 10 Dec 2025 17:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + kRUhbMKVHdsLZw8FrnX8hc + + Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 20:44:31 +0000 + + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ SpaceX launches Starlink satellites from California on 160th Falcon 9 flight of the year (video) ]]> -

The launch of a new batch of SpaceX Starlink satellites lit up the predawn sky in southern California today (Dec. 10) as the company marked its 160th flight of a Falcon 9 rocket this year.

Lifting off at 6:40 a.m. EST (1140 GMT or 3:40 a.m. PST local time) Wednesday from Vandenberg Space Force Base's Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E), the 27 broadband internet satellites (Group 15-11) were deployed into low Earth orbit just over an hour into the flight.

"Deployment of 27 Starlink satellites confirmed," SpaceX officials posted to social media.

a stack of satellites are deployed into Earth orbit with the full sun visible

A new group of Starlink satellites are deployed into Earth orbit after launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Dec. 10, 2025. (Image credit: SpaceX)
Previous Booster 1082 missions

USSF-62 | OneWeb Launch 20 | NROL-145 | 14 Starlink missions

The first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket completed its 18th flight, landing back on the autonomous droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" positioned in the Pacific Ocean.

The Starlink megaconstellation now numbers more than 9,000 operational satellites, including the more than 3,000 launched just this year. The network provides access to the internet to areas around the world where there was no or sparse coverage, as well as enables WiFi access on commercial airliners and cell-to-satellite service on select providers.

Wednesday's launch was SpaceX's 165th overall launch of 2025 (including Starship test flights) and the 605th mission in the company's history.

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-15-11-b1082-vsfb-ocisly + <![CDATA[ Experiments on a private space station: Vast asks scientists for research proposals ]]> + Vast has opened a call for scientific research aboard its Haven-1 private space station, which is set to launch next year.

The California-based startup is soliciting proposals for ground-based and space-based experiments to fly aboard Haven-1 as well as for potential private crewed missions to the International Space Station (ISS), although the latter are contingent on awards by NASA.

Vast says Haven-1 will be the world's first crewed commercial space-based research and manufacturing facility when it reaches low Earth orbit, with the lab due to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as soon as the second quarter of 2026. The 31,000-pound (14,000 kilograms) space lab is designed to accommodate crewed visits totalling up to 160 astronaut days on board during its planned three-year lifespan.

The company, which has moved fast since its founding in 2021, says Haven-1 is well kitted out to host experiments in a diverse range of areas, including on-orbit pharmaceutical development, stem cell research, plant growth and human research and tech demos.

"The opportunity to expand access to microgravity research upon the world's first commercial space station is historic," Vast Principal Scientist Meghan Everett said in a statement. "We need to build on the heritage of the ISS National Lab and help scientists and industry continue world-changing research breakthroughs that are only possible in the novel environment of microgravity."

Vast adds that it is keen on research that could assist human exploration of the moon and Mars and breakthroughs that can benefit humans on Earth, such as studies of bone, muscle and cardiac health, medical tech and stem cell research and regenerative medicine. Vast has already secured partners for Haven-1 including Redwire, Yuri, Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation (JAMSS), Interstellar Lab and Exobiosphere.

In early November, Vast's Haven Demo launched on a Falcon 9 aiming to test critical systems for Haven-1 in orbit. Haven-1 itself is planned to be a stepping stone to a larger and more permanent presence in space, according to Vast, with the company aiming to secure support for the planned Haven-2 habitat through NASA's Commercial LEO Destinations program.

]]> + https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/experiments-on-a-private-space-station-vast-asks-scientists-for-research-proposals - + - 8e3LuM5NrnLrNxcCmNbWwE - - Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:13:28 +0000 + qadRrFpQFPeu47QteYLuTH + + Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 08:05:04 +0000 + - - - - + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Comet SWAN shines with the Pillars of Creation in breathtaking deep space photo ]]> -

Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) glows alongside the Eagle Nebula. (Image credit: Daniele Gasparri)

passed in front of the Eagle Nebula and the iconic Pillars of Creation, from his home in the Chilean Atacama Desert on the night of Oct. 17 earlier this year.

The deep-space vista reveals the glowing green coma of comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN), a little over a month after its closest approach to the sun on Sept. 12, as it journeyed through the stars of the constellation Serpens.

Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN)'s backdrop is dominated by the Eagle Nebula — a vast cosmic structure of dust and hydrogen-rich gas that glows with its own light, having been ionized by the radiation emitted by its population of energetic young stars.

The nebula gets its name from its resemblance to a cosmic bird of prey and is most famous for playing host to the Pillars of Creation — a collection of stunning radiation-sculpted columns made of interstellar dust and gas. The formation has been immortalized in images captured by both the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, along with countless others. Though small, the Pillars of Creation can be spotted nestled in the glowing, star-studded heart of the Eagle Nebula, to the left of C/2025 R2 (SWAN)'s glowing coma in Gasparri's image.

ZWO ASI533MC Pro

Product photo of the ZWO ASI533MC Pro camera

(Image credit: https://astronomy-imaging-camera.com)

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Gasparri captured the scene over the course of 40 X 120-second exposures using a 130 mm Newtonian reflector telescope in the skies over the Atacama Desert, close to the Chilean city of Copiapó, where he works as a professional astronomer. "It was also an amazing sight through the eyepiece, with its characteristic green coma drifting across one of the most observed nebulae in the sky," Gasparri told Space.com in an email.

C/2025 R2 (SWAN) was discovered by Ukrainian astronomer Vladimir Bezgly on Sept. 10, 2025, in data collected by the Solar and Heliospheric Wind Anisotropies (SWAN) camera on NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observer (SOHO) spacecraft. The comet is now heading out towards the far reaches of the solar system, having survived its close approach with the sun on Sept. 12 and won't return for approximately 1,400 years.

Ensure that you're prepared to view the next cometary visitor or night sky event by perusing our roundups of the best telescopes and binoculars for exploring the night sky. If you're an astrophotographer looking to upgrade your gear, then you may also want to read our picks of the top cameras and lenses for capturing the majesty of the post-sunset realm!

Editor's Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

]]> - https://www.space.com/stargazing/astrophotography/comet-swan-shines-with-the-pillars-of-creation-in-breathtaking-deep-space-photo + <![CDATA[ Latest Comet 3I/ATLAS news: Comet close approach today ]]> + The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to Earth today (Dec. 19, 2025). Here's the latest news you need to know.

Latest Comet 3I/ATLAS news

Comet 3I/ATLAS has last hurrah this week

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on the right glows white and surrounded by a blue haze. on the left is an image of Earth from space.

(Image credit: 3I/ATLAS inset (NASA, ESA, STScI, D. Jewitt (UCLA). Image Processing: J. DePasquale (STScI)). Graphic created in Canva Pro. )

Good morning, Space Fans! As of today, we are T-2 days until the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS makes its closest approach to Earth and then we'll have to say our goodbyes.

Whether or not you're in Team Comet or Team "Could It Be A Spaceship?" 3I/ATLAS has dominated the comet conversation since its discovery on July 1 by the ATLAS telescope in Chile. On Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, the comet will be at its closest to Earth at a range of roughly 168 million miles (270 million kilometers) before heading out of our solar system for good.

Over the next two days, we'll chronicle comet 3I/ATLAS's Earth flyby, and revisit its passage through our solar system — and its legacy.

Read our full preview of the comet's Earth flyby.

Comet 3I/ATLAS: An early Christmas gift for scientists

3I/ATLAS is currently racing away from the sun towards interstellar space. (Image credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio)

When 3I/ATLAS is closest to Earth on Dec. 19, all the features that we are looking for will be easier to detect with our telescopes and it has scientists as eager as kids on Christmas.

Comet 3I/ATLAS is the third large interstellar visitor (an asteroid or a comet) known to have passed through our solar system from beyond our solar system. By studying it closely, astronomers hope to learn more about other celestial objects through telescope observations.

"It has since been careening through the interstellar medium of the Milky Way galaxy for billions of years," Darryl Z. Seligman, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Michigan State University, wrote in an op-ed. "And we get front-row seats to watch as it gets close to our sun, for what is almost surely the first time it has ever gotten close to a star".

Read the full op-ed on the comet's Earth flyby here.

Who discovered Comet 3I/ATLAS?

Two photos with the one on the left of a man wearing a green long-sleeved shirt and the image on the right a pixelated picture of 3I/ATLAS as a ball of yellow light with green and blue light emanating from it outwards.

(Image credit: ATLAS project/Gemini North Obervatory/Shadow the Scientists)

If you've been as captivated as us here at Space.com by comet 3I/ATLAS's trip through the solar system, you might find yourself wondering exactly how it was discovered. So did we, which is why our own Kenna Hughes-Castleberry took it upon herself to find out  —  and the result was eye-opening!

What seemed like a normal July night ended up making history when astronomer Larry Denneau at the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy discovered a new moving object while scrolling through data from ATLAS — the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System."I was the person reviewing at the time that 3I popped out of the pipeline," Denneau told Space.com "And at the time, it looked like a completely garden variety new Near Earth Object."

Read the full story behind the discovery of comet 3I/ATLAS here.

How to watch the comet 3I/ATLAS Earth flyby

See 3I/ATLAS make a close pass of Earth as it passes through the constellation Leo on Dec. 19. (Image credit: Comet inset image - Gianluca Masi/Virtual Telescope Project. Graphic made in Canva Pro)

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will make its closest pass by Earth on Dec. 19, and you'll be able to watch its approach live online, but you'll need to tune a bit earlier than you'd think.

Astrophysicist Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project will host a free livestream of comet 3I/ATLAS on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 11 p.m. EST Dec. 18 (0400 GMT on Dec. 19), weather permitting. You can watch the livestream here on Space.com.

Masi's livestream will run through comet 3I/ATLAS's closest approach at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT), but will depend on good weather from his telescope's observing site.

The comet is too faint to be seen with the naked eye and will be challenging even for small backyard telescopes. Under dark skies, observers with a telescope of 8 inches or larger may be able to spot it as a faint, fuzzy patch of light. Read how to watch the comet 3I/ATLAS flyby live online.

How far is Comet 3I/ATLAS from Earth right now?

3I/ATLAS's current position illustrated in NASA's Eyes on the Solar System. (Image credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio)

As of 12 p.m. ET today (Dec. 17), Comet 3I/ATLAS is about 166.9 million miles (268.6 million kilometers) from the Earth and closing, ahead of its closest approach on Dec. 19.

You can track comet 3I/ATLAS yourself with the help of NASA's Eyes On The Solar System webpage, which has a "Distance Tool" that allows you to calculate the separation between the comet and any other solar system object included in the simulation.

Not the first interstellar comet

As its name suggests, comet 3I/ATLAS is not the first interstellar object known to come from beyond our solar system. To date, there have been three in total (hence the "3I" in the name, it stands for "3 Interstellar").

Comet 3I/ATLAS's discovery in 2025 followed the discovery of the first interstellar object, 1I/'Oumuamua, in 2017. Two years later, another object was spotted. That one was called comet 2I/Borisov in 2019. Both 'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov spent months passing through the solar system, only to leave us behind for the void of interstellar space.

The same fate awaits 3I/ATLAS, so we should enjoy the comet while it's with us.

Is comet 3I/ATLAS really a comet?

a fuzzy white blob on a black background

One of the images NASA recently released of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, this one taken from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

You've probably heard all the theories: It's really an alien spaceship. It's changed direction. It spat out a tiny spacecraft.

Well, NASA recently made it official: Comet 3I/ATLAS is just what it looks like - a comet from beyond our solar system. In late November, NASA held a televised press conference to put the comet 3I/ATLAS rumours to bed.

"It looks and behaves like a comet, and all evidence points to it being a comet. But this one came from outside the solar system, which makes it fascinating, exciting and scientifically very important," NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya told reporters during the press briefing.

Here's the full story on NASA's take on comet 3I/ATLAS.

Good night, for now.

Good evening, Space Fans. We're wrapping up today's T-2 day countdown to the comet 3I/ATLAS flyby of Earth, but we'll be back tomorrow with another series of stories and a look back at the comet's legacy.

Tune in then!

Comet 3I/ATLAS is less than 1 day away from Earth flyby

Good morning, space fans! We are officially T-1 day away from the closest approach to Earth of comet 3I/ATLAS, with the flyby set for early Friday, Dec. 19.

We're keeping a close eye on the comet's progress and as of this posting, comet 3I/ATLAS is about 166.8 million miles (268.5 million kilometers) from Earth and closing. But there's no need to worry about the comet's approach.

At its closest point, comet 3I/ATLAS will be about 168 million miles (270 million kilometers) away. After that, it will get farther and farther with each passing minute until it's off to visit some other solar system.

We've got a great set of comet stories for you today, so check back here for the latest on 3I/ATLAS as we get closer to its Earth flyby.

How comet 3I/ATLAS captured our hearts with mystery

3I/ATLAS as viewed through the eyes of NASA assets spread throughout the solar system. (Image credit: NASA)

We'll admit it: We would love it if the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS really was an alien spaceship, but at the end of the day, it's still a comet. Yet that does not mean 3I/ATLAS isn't still completely amazing; otherwise, we wouldn't have covered the comet's passage through our solar system as we've done over the last six months.

Why not read up on the four key things that NASA revealed about the comet in a long-awaited briefing following the reopening of the U.S. government in November? At the event, NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya explained "we very much want to find signs of life in our universe," before re-iterating, "but 3I/ATLAS is a comet".

Full article: 4 key things NASA just revealed about the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS just revealed its secret wobble

gif animation showing fuzzy comet.

(Image credit: Miquel Serra-Ricart / Light Bridges)

Astronomers have spotted the first-ever wobbling jet from an interstellar comet and it is changing how we understand visitors from beyond our solar system.

Using the Two-meter Twin Telescope at Tenerife's Teide Observatory, researchers detected a faint jet of gas and dust blasting from 3I/ATLAS, slowly wobbling as the comet rotates. Crucially, that rhythmic motion confirms that 3I/ATLAS spins once every 14-17 hours, making it the first interstellar comet with a directly measured rotation period tied to visible activity on its surface.

What surprised scientists most is how familiar the behavior looks. Despite forming around another star, 3I/ATLAS behaves much like comets born closer to home. Scientists describe it as an "extraordinarily normal interstellar comet," complete with sunlight-driven jets.

The findings of this study are published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Spacecraft reveal 3I/ATLAS's X-ray signature

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS shines in X-ray light. (Image credit: ESA/XMM-Newton/C. Lisse, S. Cabot & the XMM ISO Team)

Scientists are working hard to collect valuable data on 3I/ATLAS's spectral fingerprint before it disappears from our skies for good, in an attempt to shed light on the composition of the distant star system where it was born.

The European Space Agency's XMM-Newton observatory and the Japanese space agency-led X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) revealed a vast 250,000 mile (400,000 kilometer) X-ray glow extending from the comet's nucleus. An analysis of this X-ray light, emitted by gasses interacting with the solar wind, will help scientists understand how the comet is being influenced by the high-energy environment surrounding our star after its marathon voyage through interstellar space.

Read the full story here: Scientists detect X-ray glow from interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS extending 250,000 miles into space.

How fast is interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS going?

A simulation of the solar system showing the orbits of Jupiter and its moons in March 2026, as the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS performs a flyby. (Image credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio)

Having made its closest approach to the sun on Oct. 30, comet 3I/ATLAS is now on its way back out of the solar system, charging away from our parent star at a breathtaking speed of 144.1 thousand miles per hour (231.9 thousand kilometers per hour) as it heads towards interstellar space.

The ancient interloper is already well beyond the orbit of Mars ahead of its closest pass of Earth on Dec. 19. Its next planetary rendezvous will be with Jupiter in March next year, when it will pass 36 million miles (58 million kilometers) from the gas giant, before continuing on an incident-free course to exit the heliosphere.

What time is comet 3I/ATLAS's closest Earth approach?

graphic showing earth on the left and interstellar comet 3I Atlas on the right

(Image credit: Comet: NASA, ESA, STScI, D. Jewitt (UCLA). Image Processing: J. DePasquale (STScI)). Graphic created in Canva Pro.)

If you're hoping to try and watch comet 3I/ATLAS's closest approach to Earth live online, it would help to know exactly when to tune in. But don't worry, space fans, we've got you covered.

As Space.com's Daisy Dobrijevic reports, comet 3I/ATLAS closest point to Earth will occur at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) as it zips past our planet at a whopping 144.1 thousand mph (231.9 thousand kph). At the time, it will be 168 million miles (270 million km) from Earth.

You'll be able to watch the flyby live online starting at 11 p.m. EST (0400 GMT), courtesy of the Virtual Telescope Project. Comet 3I/ATLAS is too far from Earth to see with the unaided eye, and you'd need a large telescope to try and spot it, so the livestream may be one of our last public looks at the interstellar visitor as it passes by.

How you can track interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS

You may not be able to see 3I/ATLAS with your own eyes or most telescopes, but there are multiple ways you can track it from home.In fact, there are four different ways you can track the interstellar comet right now, according to our skywatching writer Anthony Wood.

The coolest way to track comet 3I/ATLAS is through NASA's Eyes on the Solar System website, which allows you to follow the comet's progress in a very accessible format by creating a 3D model based on real-life observations. You can see that feature below as well, right now.

But there are other ways. The Comet Observation Database allows you to track the comet's brightness over time based on observations from amateur astronomers. A smartphone astronomy app (I like to use SkySafari) can also allow you to pinpoint where comet 3I/ATLAS is in the sky, even if we can't see it with the naked eye.

Finally, there is the Virtual Telescope Project run by astrophycisit Gianluca Masi, which will offer a livestream of comet 3I/ATLAS during its closest approach. That livestream begins at 11 p.m. ET (0400 GMT) and will run through the closest approach at 1 a.m. ET (0600 GMT), weather permitting.Happy comet hunting!

NASA's Europa Clipper sees comet 3I/ATLAS!

A fuzzy blue blob and two dust tails in an ultraviolet comet photo from NASA's Europa Clipper.

(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI)

It may look like only a pale blue blob, but this is definitely the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS.

This image was taken by NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft, which is on its way to the Jupiter moon Europa, and publicly unveiled to the world today (Dec. 18), just one day before the comet's closest approach to Earth on Dec. 19.

The Europa Clipper spacecraft used its Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) developed by the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to observe comet 3I/ATLAS on Nov. 6 at a time when it could not be seen properly from telescopes on Earth and spacecraft orbiting Mars. At the time, Europa Clipper was about 103 million miles (164 million kilometers) away from the comet.

"We’re excited that this opportunity to view another target on the way to Jupiter was completely unexpected,” SwRi's Kurt Retherford, principal investigator for Europa-UVS, said in a statement. "Our observations have allowed for a unique and nuanced view of the comet."

The Europa Clipper image looks sunward towards comet 3I/ATLAS, revealing its twin tails from behind, as well as a glimpse at the comet's head-like coma and surronding cloud of gas. The UVS instrument found signs of oxygen, hydrogen and dust-related features, "supporting the preponderance of data indicating that comet 3I/ATLAS underwent a period of high outgassing activity during the period just after its closest approach to the Sun," SWRI reported.

NASA launched Europa Clipper toward Jupiter in 2024. It should arrive at Jupiter in 2030 to begin orbiting the icy moon Europa.

3I/ATLAS close Earth flyby: What to know tonight

graphic showing comet 3I/ATLAS on a laptop screen against a background of stars

Be sure to watch one of the three 3I/ATLAS livestreams, (Image credit: Comet inset image - Gianluca Masi/Virtual Telescope Project. Graphic made in Canva Pro)

Okay, space fans, it's nearly make or break time for the close Earth flyby of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS.

In case you're just joining us, we are now just hours away from the closest approach to Earth by the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. We've been offering live coverage over the last two days for the flyby, with a series of stories and guides online, including how to watch the flyby in a livestream, different ways to track the comet and more. But it all goes down tonight. Comet 3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to Earth at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) tonight, when it will come within 168 million miles (270 million km) of our planet. That's about 1.8 astronomical units, or nearly twice as far from Earth as our own planet is away from the sun. So there's no danger of an impact to Earth.

Scientists around the world have been tracking the interstellar comet to understand how it differs from the comets and dust we see in our own solar system.

Comet 3I/ATLAS is the third known interstellar comet after 2017's 1I/'Oumuamua and 2019's 2I/Borisov. It was discovered on July 1, 2025 and made its closest approach to the sun in October. Now it is looping outward to exit the solar system. Once it's gone, it will be gone forever.

See you at 11 pm ET for comet 3I/ATLAS's Earth approach!

Okay, space fans, we're going to pause our updates for interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS for a few hours as we await the final countdown to its 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) approach to Earth. Thanks for joining us today.

We'll be back at 11 p.m. EST (0400 GMT) with the start of the livestream coverage of the comet from the Virtual Telescope Project by Gianluca Masi of Ceccano, Italy. PLEASE NOTE: The livestream is weather dependent. If the skies are cloudy over Ceccano, the livestream could be delayed or canceled. But we're hoping for good weather. See you at 11 p.m. ET, space fans.

Good night!

2 hours to Comet 3I/ATLAS flyby: Livestream postponed

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is now less than 2 hours away from its closest approach to Earth.

We were expecting to begin sharing a livestream of the comet as seen by astrophysicist Gianluca Masi with the Virtual Telescope Project in Ceccano, Italy. However, Masi reports that rain over his observing site is thwarting observations.

"Because of rain, this event has been postponed," Masi wrote in an update.

The livestream has been rescheduled for Friday night, Dec. 19, at 11 p.m. EST (0400 GMT).

Meanwhile, comet 3I/ATLAS continues on its course by Earth.

As of 11 p.m. ET tonight, it was 166.8 milion miles (286.5 million km) from Earth and traveling at about 148,600 mies per hour (239,200 km/h), according to NASA's Eyes On The Solar System.

1 hour until comet 3I/ATLAS is closest to Earth

The orbit of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is shown beyond the orbit of Mars ahead of its closest pass of Earth

(Image credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio)

We are now one hour away and counting until the closest approach to Earth by comet 3I/ATLAS, the interstellar comet from beyond our solar system.

As of 12:08 a.m. EST (0500 GMT), the comet is beyond the orbit of Mars, as it is about 166.8 milion miles (286.5 million km) from Earth, according to NASA's Eyes On The Solar System site.

Comet 3I/ATLAS's closest poitn to Earth will come at abotu 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT).

Did you see it? Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has just zoomed past Earth!

A deep image of interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS captured by the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) on Gemini North on Maunakea in Hawai‘i, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, partly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by NSF NOIRLab. The image shows the comet’s coma — a cloud of gas and dust that forms around the comet’s icy nucleus in the vicinity of the Sun. 3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed interstellar visitor to our Solar System. The exposures tracked the comet as it traveled across the sky, and the final image is composed to freeze the stars in place during the observation. An almost invisible, unknown main belt asteroid is photobombing the image to the lower right of the comet.

A deep image of interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS captured by the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) on Gemini North on Maunakea in Hawai‘i, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, partly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by NSF NOIRLab. (Image credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/B. BolinImage Processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab))

Good morning space fans!

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to Earth moments ago, passing within 168 million miles (270 million km) of our planet. The icy visitor will now continue its journey through the outer solar system, passing Jupiter in early 2026, crossing the orbits of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune by 2028 and then head out to interstellar space, never to return.

As some of you may be aware, the comet livestream hosted by Gianluca Masi with the Virtual Telescope Project has been postponed until 11 p.m. EST Friday night, Dec. 19 (0400 GMT on Dec. 20), weather permitting. Join us later today to catch a glimpse of 3I/ATLAS before it's gone forever!

Stay tuned today as we continue to bring you the latest Comet 3/I ATLAS news and bid farewell to our icy visitor.

]]> + https://www.space.com/news/live/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-closest-to-earth-flyby-today-dec-19-2025 - + - T5ERBm5Kt5mz5oW7TY8a8i - - Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + kMsHzq7kzsEY8AhLPgxjK5 + + Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:58:03 +0000 Fri, 19 Dec 2025 06:13:58 +0000 + + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Uranus may have more in common with Earth than we thought, 40-year-old Voyager 2 probe data shows ]]> - The Voyager 2 mission may have caught Uranus at a special time during which the ice giant's radiation belts were being supercharged with electrons accelerated by a similar process to what can drive geomagnetic storms on Earth.

This realization, resulting from placing old data from Voyager 2 under new scrutiny, could help explain several puzzling aspects of Uranus's magnetic envelope.

When the fast component of the solar wind, which emanates through coronal holes on the sun and is somewhat irregular, slams into slower portions of the solar wind, it results in electromagnetic shocks in the sleet of charged particles carried on the wind. Such an event is referred to as a co-rotating interaction region, and when one occurs near Earth, it can be one of the causes of geomagnetic storms that can result in the aurora.

The solar wind extends out past Earth, and even beyond Uranus, Neptune and the Kuiper Belt to form the 'heliosphere', which is a magnetic bubble around the solar system. The realization that a co-rotating interaction region may have been passing Uranus at the same time as the Voyager 2 encounter on Jan. 24, 1986 could be the missing piece of the puzzle that has eluded scientists for nearly four decades.

Voyager 2 remains the only mission to have visited Uranus (and Neptune, for that matter). What it found was a cold, icy gas bag with a very strange magnetosphere, which is what we call the magnetic envelope generated by the planet's intrinsic magnetic field. The north–south orientation of that magnetic field is tilted by 59 degrees relative to Uranus' axis of rotation, which itself is tilted by 98 degrees relative to the ecliptic plane. Furthermore, the magnetosphere is off-center inside Uranus, allowing for a much stronger magnetic field in the north than in the south.

Just as Earth's magnetosphere is ringed by belts of radiation in the form of charged particles, so is Uranus. Yet, when Voyager 2 arrived in 1986, it found that there was barely any plasma (ionized gas) contained within Uranus' magnetosphere. In fact, the magnetosphere had been compressed and the plasma seemingly squeezed out. What was in abundance were electrons, contained in surprisingly densely populated belts.

Back in 1986, scientists thought that a solar-wind event like a co-rotating interaction region would scatter electrons present in Uranus' magnetosphere into the planet's atmosphere. However, almost four decades of studying the solar wind and how it interacts with planets has taught us something different.

"Science has come a long way since the Voyager 2 fly-by," said the Southwest Research Institute's Robert Allen, who led the new research, in a statement. "We decided to take a comparative approach looking at the Voyager 2 data and compare it to Earth observations we've made in the decades since."

While on some occasions co-rotating interaction regions can scatter electrons into a planet's atmosphere, studies of their interaction with Earth have shown that such an event can also dump a lot of energy into the magnetosphere.

"In 2019, Earth experienced one of these events, which caused an immense amount of radiation-belt electron acceleration," said Sarah Vines, who is also from the Southwest Research Institute. "If a similar mechanism interacted with the Uranian system, it would explain why Voyager 2 saw all this unexpected additional energy."

In the absence of a second mission to Uranus after Voyager 2, scientists have learned to squeeze all they can out of the old Voyager 2 data instead, using new insights and techniques garnered over the past four decades, to learn more about the ice giant. These new findings come just a year after another team looked at the old data to conclude that the solar wind had indeed compressed Uranus' magnetosphere, squeezing out the plasma normally present.

SwRI scientists compared space weather impacts of a fast solar wind structure (first panel) driving an intense solar storm at Earth in 2019 (second panel) with conditions observed at Uranus by Voyager 2 in 1986 (third panel) to potentially solve a 39-year-old mystery about the extreme radiation belts found. The ‘chorus’ wave is a type of electromagnetic emission that may accelerate electrons and could have resulted from the solar storm. (Image credit: Courtesy of SwRI)

For those four decades, scientists had thought that Uranus' magnetosphere was always in this bizarre state, but now we are learning that we simply caught it at a rare moment, and that what Voyager 2 measured might not be the status quo.

"This is just one more reason to send a mission targeting Uranus," said Allen.

Uranus is not alone in having a strange magnetosphere. When Voyager 2 encountered Neptune three-and-a-half years later, it found that it too had a displaced and tilted magnetosphere, just like Uranus. Indeed, the findings of the new analysis of the old Uranus data "have some important implications for similar systems, such as Neptune's," added Allen.

Perhaps misaligned magnetospheres are typical of all ice giants, both in the solar system or beyond. Or perhaps they are atypical, or symptoms of Uranus and Neptune's unique histories. Either way, new missions are urgently needed to provide the first close-up data in nearly 40 years and counting. Fortunately, a new Uranus mission is currently a top priority for NASA.

The new analysis of the old Voyager 2 data can be found in a paper published on Nov. 21 in Geophysical Research Letters.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/uranus/uranus-may-have-more-in-common-with-earth-than-we-thought-40-year-old-voyager-2-probe-data-shows + <![CDATA[ Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS wasn't supposed to be there — meet the astronomer who discovered it ]]> + What seemed to be just a normal evening on July 1, 2025 for Larry Denneau, senior software engineer and astronomer at the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy began the same way hundreds of nights before it had: with data quietly rolling in from telescopes scanning the night sky.

Denneau is part of the team behind ATLAS — short for Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System — a network of wide-field telescopes that repeatedly images huge swaths of sky to catch anything that moves, particularly near-Earth asteroids. The system snaps the same patch of sky four times in quick succession to create a short motion path, or "tracklet" that shows possible movement, then uses reference images where the sky is still to subtract out any stars and galaxies, leaving behind moving points that could be asteroids, comets, or something else. Candidates that survive these automated filters are sent to a human reviewer to verify they're real and ready to be catalogued by the Minor Planets Center.

That July evening, one of those survivors landed in front of Denneau. When 3I/ATLAS first showed up in the ATLAS software, it didn’t look special at all. "I was the person reviewing at the time that 3I popped out of the pipeline," Denneau told Space.com "And at the time, it looked like a completely garden variety new Near Earth Object." So Denneau did as the software he designed recommended he do. He clicked "submit."

When the discovery of a new interstellar object lit up astronomers' inboxes around the world, Larry Denneau was nowhere near his email.

He was up in the mountains at Mauna Loa, high on Hawaii's Big Island, servicing a telescope. For an entire day, he was effectively offline, while excitement quietly built around a strange object moving across the solar system.

When he finally got back that night, reality hit all at once.

"I was oblivious to them until we got back that night," he said. "And my inbox was completely exploded with all of this stuff […] At that point, we're thinking about where is it, how fast is it going? Within a day, because this object is so interesting, there are hundreds of observations from different telescopes all confirming the orbit."

The object was classified by the Minor Planets Center as 3I/ATLAS, only the third-known interstellar visitor ever observed passing through our solar system, following 1I/'Oumuamua's discovery in 2017 and 2I/Borisov's in 2019. Unlike typical asteroids or comets, interstellar objects are not gravitationally bound to the sun; they originate around other stars and are briefly visible to us only as they pass through our solar system.

To find these objects, software like the type ATLAS uses looks for any moving objects, just points of light shifting against a background of stars.

"What comes out of our pipeline are really positions," Denneau said. "Things that look like stars that are moving across the background."

A slide from the recent "Shadow the Scientists" seminar showing what Denneau saw the night of his discovery. (Image credit: Dr. Bryce Bolin/Shadow the Scientists)

At that stage, a human still has to make the call. Someone has to look at the data and decide whether it's real.

"So, yeah," Denneau said, "I'm literally the person who clicked the button and submitted the discovery observations for this object."

Only later did the oddities become clear, especially in the models showing from where 3I/ATLAS might have been moving. As Denneau explained, "Folks with follow-up telescopes go to these places in the sky and they'll see the thing moving in the direction that it’s supposed to be moving. And they'll send in the observations and then Minor Planet Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, at the same time, will fit the observations to the orbit and try to compute what the orbit should be."

These follow-up observations and models showed that the object's orbit didn’t behave like anything bound to the sun.

"All of the orbit fits turned out to be really poor," Denneau said. "They didn’t look like the solar system — they had this funny trajectory that said it's going really fast. It's not bound to the sun."

That's when it became obvious: this was something from outside our solar system entirely.

"I was getting asked by JPL, do we have any earlier possible observations that can confirm the trajectory and stuff?" He added. "So we scrambled to try to find some more observations from previous nights."

A photo of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS taken by the International Gemini Observatory. (Image credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Shadow the Scientist. Image Processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab)/T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab)/M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab).)

Where engineer meets astronomer

Denneau doesn't fit the traditional mold of an astronomer. He didn't start his career studying stars or planets — he started with code.

"I'm sort of a non-traditional astronomer," he said. "I started out my career in engineering, mostly computer programming, and so my degree is in EE actually, and not in physics or astronomy." Denneau eventually did receive a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Queen's University Belfast, but continued to use his software skills to shape his career.

After moving to Hawaii and working as the software architect for the asteroid detection pipeline on the Pan-STARRS telescope project, Denneau became deeply involved in building the software systems that modern sky surveys depend on. He eventually joined ATLAS, a NASA-funded project designed to scan the sky every night for near-Earth asteroids. From Denneau's perspective, astronomy depends on a mix of hardware and software.

"We built some telescopes," Denneau said, "but after the telescopes are built, it's really a software project." It would be that software project, one that Denneau helped develop, that would eventually capture images of an interstellar comet.

Each night, ATLAS telescopes take thousands of images of the sky. Because the system uses wide-field lenses, it can cover an area of the sky more than 100 full moons at once. This adds up to an area the size of nearly the entire visible sky every 24 hours, repeatedly revisiting the same regions to look for motion. Those images are automatically transferred, processed, compared and filtered by custom software designed to find anything that moves, especially asteroids close to Earth.

"We have automated software that controls the telescopes, copies the data to Honolulu and then searches these images […] for things that are moving," Denneau explained. That volume is intense as "four or five telescopes combined take a good fraction of a terabyte of data every night," he added. "We're a multi-petabyte project at this point. And so that's the kind of stuff that, as a computer person, keeps me awake, because it’s a lot of data to keep secure and backed up."

That’s why, for Denneau, studying the stars is more of a software project as opposed to a hardware project, as the system has to ingest, clean, subtract, detect, match and archive, all while helping to filter out false positives that could waste other astronomers’ time chasing ghosts.

"We're really sensitive to not wanting to put false things on the confirmation page," Denneau said. "Because other telescopes will spend precious telescope time chasing something that's not real."

ATLAS aims for near-perfect reliability before sending out an alert. "We want to be like 99-point-something-percent reliable on that front," he added.

Detecting other moving objects

Not only was Denneau the person who initially detected 3I/ATLAs using his software, but just months earlier, he'd also been the one on duty for another discovery: near-Earth asteroid YR4.

As with most ATLAS detections, YR4 first appeared as a faint moving point pulled out of the background. Denneau checked the detections and confirmed that they were real before sending the data to the Minor Planets Center. The building-sized YR4 was initially thought to only have slim chances of hitting Earth on Dec. 22, 2032. However, with more study from astronomers, NASA concluded that YR4 actually poses no significant impact threat at all.

An illustration of near-Earth asteroid YR4 (Image credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor)

Why 3I/ATLAS was hard to detect

Unlike YR4, finding earlier observations of 3I/ATLAS to model where it might have come from was easier said than done. During its July 1, 2025 detection, the interstellar object happened to be moving through a particularly crowded part of the sky, packed with stars from the Milky Way. That made detection much harder.

ATLAS requires four clean detections to officially flag a new object. Until 3I/ATLAS moved into a less cluttered region of the sky, it stayed hidden in the noise, which is most likely why it wasn't detected sooner.

"When there's so many stars in the background, sometimes an asteroid goes right on top of a star," Denneau explained. "And so you only get three out. Because it was in the Milky Way, we had to kind of wait for it to get to a less dense part of the sky, for our pipeline to automatically admit it. And so we got it a week later than we actually first thought." Once 3I/ATLAS did move to a less dense area, the software worked exactly as designed, and even dug up earlier, "precovery" observations that helped confirm its unusual orbit.

Since its initial classification, 3I/ATLAS's popularity has spilled from the astronomy community into headlines and social media feeds. Interstellar visitors are still so rare that each one captures the public imagination and 3I/ATLAS is no exception. Each of these objects offers a fleeting, invaluable glimpse of material formed around another star.

And in this case, that glimpse began not with a dramatic telescope view, but with software, data, and one person clicking a button at exactly the right time.

"Every day I still love coming to work and working on astronomy," Denneau said. "It's just super fun."

]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-wasnt-supposed-to-be-there-meet-the-astronomer-who-discovered-it - + - 4mo7rP8seyxKpa7NCBVbDL - - Wed, 10 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000 + oRteRyUMTjvbX5BaJZFfDS + + Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 20:43:27 +0000 + - - - - + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Extremely Large Telescope under construction | Space photo of the day for Dec. 10, 2025 ]]> - High up in the Chilean Andes, the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is set to become the world's largest optical telescope and one of the most ambitious scientific instruments ever built. Developed by the European Southern Observatory, the ELT represents a major leap forward in humanity's ability to study the universe with unprecedented clarity.

What is it?

Construction on the ELT officially began in 2014, with the observatory designed around a segmented primary mirror that's 128 feet (39 meters) wide — nearly five times larger than any current ground-based optical telescope mirror. Once operational, the ELT will use advanced adaptive optics to correct for atmospheric turbulence, yielding images 15 times sharper than those from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Where is it?

This drone image was taken high above Cerro Armazones, the 9,993 -oot-tall (3,046 m) mountain where the ELT is located.

The ELT's construction is underway (Image credit: G. Vecchia/ESO)

Why is it amazing?

Given its advanced instruments, the ELT's overarching mission is to push observational astronomy into a new precision era. The huge telescope will directly image small, rocky exoplanets and look for possible conditions suitable for life outside our solar system. The ELT will also help scientists study our universe's origins by looking at distant galaxies while also measuring the universe's rate of expansion. This telescope will also be used to study stellar dynamics and how stars are born, evolve and sometimes turn into black holes.

As the ELT's construction nears completion, the world waits to see just what this cutting-edge telescope will show us about the world we live in.

Want to learn more?

You can learn more about the Extremely Large Telescope and other ground-based telescopes.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/extremely-large-telescope-under-construction-space-photo-of-the-day-for-dec-10-2025 + <![CDATA[ Wildfire smoke lofted miles high could have an unexpected effect on Earth's climate ]]> + Wildfires don't just scorch landscapes. Some are so intense that they create their own weather systems, such as pyrocumulonimbus thunderstorms that loft smoke up to 10 miles (16 kilometers) into the atmosphere. While it's long been known that this high-altitude smoke can persist in the atmosphere for weeks or months, their effect on climate has been hard to measure, due to the difficulties in collecting samples. That is, until now.

Atmospheric scientists at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences report the first direct measurements of five-day-old wildfire smoke in the upper troposphere, about nine miles (14.5 kilometers) above Earth's surface. They discovered large smoke particles that aren't represented in current climate models, and these particles appear to actually cool the atmosphere.

To capture fresh smoke directly, the team flew a NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft into a plume created by a New Mexico wildfire in June 2022, just five days after the fire ignited. Onboard instruments measured particle size, concentration and chemical composition.

Inside the smoke cloud, researchers detected aerosols roughly 500 nanometers wide — about twice the size of typical wildfire aerosols at lower altitudes. The team suggests the large size can be attributed to efficient coagulation.

"Particles can coagulate at any place in the atmosphere," Yaowei Li, the lead author of a study on the research, said in a statement. "But in that specific region, the air mixes very slowly. That allows wildfire smoke particles to remain concentrated and collide more often, making coagulation much more efficient."

Such aerosols play a role in changing the amount of radiation that gets to the Earth's surface, whether by absorbing sunlight or reflecting back toward space. In this study, the larger particles had a striking effect: They increased outgoing radiation by 30% to 36 compared to lower-altitude particles, producing a measurable cooling effect that current climate models don't account for.

More research is needed to determine further effects of such high-altitude wildfire smoke on both weather and climate. Study co-author and project scientist John Dykema suggests that the large coagulated smoke particles could affect atmospheric circulation through local heating, potentially shifting jet streams. "I think all of these things are possible, and we don't currently have enough information to say which way they could go," he said.

The study was published on Dec. 10 in the journal Science Advances.

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]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/wildfire-smoke-created-a-new-particle-in-the-atmosphere - + - GxyUzVioj5fN3JWVVBdZVQ - - Wed, 10 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000 - - - - + GED5bjizETzLFkhEXdhgLe + + Tue, 16 Dec 2025 23:00:00 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 20:58:14 +0000 + + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ An industrial project in Chile threatens Earth's darkest sky. 28 leading astronomers signed an open letter urging to move it ]]> - German Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist Reinhard Genzel has penned a letter urging the government of Chile to halt the development of a green hydrogen plant in the vicinity of one of the world's top astronomical observatories.

In the letter, Genzel and 30 other world-leading astronomers urge Chilean leaders to protect the pristine, unpolluted night sky above Cerro Paranal, an 8,740-foot-high (2,664-meter) peak in the Atacama Desert that is home to the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) most valuable astronomical observatories including the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), which when built will be the world's largest telescope.

The astronomers believe that the Paranal Observatory, currently considered among the least light-polluted astronomical sites in the world, will suffer if a planned clean hydrogen plant gets a go-ahead. "As currently conceived, the project represents an imminent threat to some of the most advanced astronomical facilities on Earth, operating under one of the world's last pristine dark skies," the scientists wrote in the letter, criticizing the placement of the clean hydrogen plant, called INNA, just a few miles from the summit of Cerro Paranal. "Earlier this year, an in-depth, data-driven technical analysis by ESO revealed that INNA would cause an increase of up to 35% in light pollution above Cerro Paranal."

It's not just light pollution that poses a threat, however. the letter continues. The signing scientists write that the same analysis "also revealed other impacts of the project, from creating micro-vibrations that will negatively affect and possibly impede the operation of some of the most cutting-edge astronomical facilities, to increasing turbulence that blurs our view of the universe."

The Paranal Observatory is home to the Very Large Telescope (VLT), which is actually a quartet of telescopes with 27-foot-wide (8.2 meters) mirrors that can work in concert as a so-called interferometer to maximize the facility's sky-observing abilities.

Genzel, who won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics for his research of the Sagittarius A* black hole at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy, used VLT to observe the movements of stars close to the galaxy's center to determine the black hole's properties.

Cerro Paranal is also home to the Cherenkov Telescope Array, the world's most powerful observatory for research of high-energy gamma rays, extremely energetic radiation emitted from black holes and released in supernova explosions. According to the ESO analysis, the Cherenkov array could suffer an up to 50% light pollution increase from the proposed plant, being located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) away from the prospected site.

The astronomers think that interference from the hydrogen plant might degrade Paranal from being the world's premium astronomy site to a merely mediocre one.

"We might lose the ability to observe about 30% of the faintest galaxies," Xavier Barcons, ESO's Director General, told Space.com in an earlier interview. "We are at the point of starting to be able to see details of exoplanet atmospheres, but if the sky gets brighter, we may not be able to see those details anymore."

The unspoiled nature of the Paranal sky, together with the world's most favorable weather conditions for astronomy, prompted ESO to choose the neighboring Cerro Armazones as a site of the next-generation ELT. ELT, currently under construction, will be fitted with a single 130-foot-wide (39.3m) mirror and will become the world's largest telescope capable of studying the universe in visible light.

The $1.4-billion observer should enable astronomers to directly image exoplanets orbiting nearby stars and observe the most distant galaxies. The presence of INNA, however, is likely to increase the brightness of the sky above ELT by 5%, reducing the telescope's scientific potential.

The $10 billion INNA renewable hydrogen plant, developed by the U.S.-headquartered energy company AES, will spread across 7,500 acres (3,021 hectares) of land and consist of three solar farms, three wind farms, a battery energy storage system and facilities for the production of hydrogen.

AES submitted its environmental assessment for the development a year ago and is awaiting a decision by local authorities. The astronomers call for the plant's relocation away from Atacama's precious observatories.

"While we recognize the need, both in Chile and globally, to develop green energy facilities, the proximity and extent of the infrastructure associated with the INNA project pose a grave threat, which cannot be mitigated given the closeness of the planned installation to the observatory," the scientists wrote in the letter. "We are convinced that economic development and scientific progress can and must coexist to the benefit of all people in Chile, but not at the irreversible expense of one of Earth's unique and irreplaceable windows to the universe."

AES previously told Space.com that the site's impact on the Paranal night sky would be negligible.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/an-industrial-project-in-chile-threatens-earths-darkest-sky-28-leading-astronomers-signed-an-open-letter-urging-to-move-it + <![CDATA[ NASA's Parker Solar Probe captures solar wind doing a 'U-turn' ]]> + The sun may not be green, but it turns out to be adept at recycling.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has captured the clearest view yet of solar material billowing away from the sun before some of it makes a "U-turn," falling back toward the star after an eruption.

The snapshots reveal how the sun recycles its magnetic energy — a process that helps shape the next solar storm and could allow scientists to forecast space weather farther in advance.

The video below stitches together images taken during Parker's record-setting close approach to the sun on Christmas Eve 2024, when the spacecraft swooped within 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) above the solar surface. During that flyby, Parker observed a solar flare erupting from the sun, just as scientists had hoped, capturing a bright blob of superheated material bursting into space.

A grayscale image shows a close up of the sun and shows a solar wind changing direction, curving to the left of the image

A gif from the NASA Parker Solar Probe showing the solar material changing directions. (Image credit: NASA)

Like a puff of breath on a cold winter day, the cloud of solar material can be seen coasting outward from the sun before thinning, with some of it curling back inward. That returning material was pulled back by powerful magnetic field lines that snap and rapidly realign into looping structures, some of which continue outward into space, while others stitch back to the sun, according to a NASA statement.

"We've previously seen hints that material can fall back into the sun this way, but to see it with this clarity is amazing," Nour Rawafi, the project scientist for Parker Solar Probe at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland, said in the statement.

"This is a really fascinating, eye-opening glimpse into how the sun continuously recycles its coronal magnetic fields and material."

What Parker observed was a coronal mass ejection, or CME, which is an eruption of superheated plasma from the sun that, if directed toward Earth, can trigger powerful geomagnetic storms capable of disrupting power grids, radio communications and satellite navigation systems, while also igniting breathtaking auroras.

In the video above, as the CME expanded outward from the sun, nearby magnetic field lines stretched until they snapped apart "like the threads of an old piece of cloth pulled too tight," the NASA statement read. The torn magnetic fields quickly reconnected, forming giant loops, some of which continued traveling outward while others retracted back toward the sun, dragging blobs of solar material along in a process known as inflows.

As that material falls back, it interacts with and reshapes the magnetic fields closer to the sun's surface — changes that potentially alter the paths of future CMEs emerging from that region.

"That's enough to be the difference between a CME crashing into Mars versus sweeping by the planet with no or little effects," Angelos Vourlidas, who is the project scientist for WISPR, the instrument onboard Parker that captured the snapshots, and a researcher at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, said in the same statement.

Such inflows have previously been observed before from a distance by missions, including the sun-watching SOHO observatory. But Parker's close-up close-up images revealed the returning material on scales never seen before, scientists say.

For the first time, scientists were able to directly measure the speed and size of the blobs falling back toward the sun, findings that they are currently using to refine models of space weather and the sun's complex magnetic environment, the statement read.

"Ultimately, this work may help scientists better predict the impact of space weather across the solar system on longer timescales than currently possible."

]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/sun/nasas-parker-solar-probe-captures-solar-wind-doing-a-u-turn - + - FCvHqRXw4g2xKDsuYaCRhA - - Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000 - - - - + HanYwXXCapH98YJeYkCaAV + + Tue, 16 Dec 2025 21:00:00 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 19:58:56 +0000 + + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Hear dust devils on Mars crackle with electricity in new NASA Perseverance rover video ]]> -

NASA just released striking new video and audio that reveal the sounds of dust storms on Mars crackling with tiny lightning-like sparks.

The footage, which NASA released on Dec. 3, was captured by the Perseverance rover inside Jezero Crater on Sept. 6, as Martian dust devils swept across the surface. Meanwhile, the rover's SuperCam microphone also picked up the sounds of faint crackles and mini-sonic booms, marking the first clear recording of electrical discharge inside a Martian dust storm, according to a statement from NASA.

For decades, researchers suspected that wind-blown dust on Mars could build up enough static charge to spark, but that idea long remained mostly theoretical. Mars' thin atmosphere lowers the threshold for electrical discharge, allowing even small swirls of dust to generate sparks that would never form in Earth's denser air.

Electrified dust devils swirl across Jezero Crater, producing faint crackles and mini-sonic booms recorded by NASA's Perseverance rover. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI)

Perseverance has now confirmed those theories — not just in raw sensor data, but in sound you can actually hear. While the discovery was first detailed in a study published Nov. 26 in the journal Nature, NASA has now released, for the first time, a striking GIF and audio clip showcasing the electrified dust devils in action.

"We got some good ones where you can clearly hear the 'snap' sound of the spark," Ralph Lorenz, co-author of the study and a Perseverance scientist, said in the statement.

Dust devils on Mars form when air near the warm surface heats up and rises through cooler surrounding air, causing nearby air to rush in and start rotating. As this spinning air column accelerates, it lifts dust from the ground, creating a swirling dust devil.

Electrical sparks then form when dust particles in the swirling column rub and collide, building up static electricity. When the charge gets strong enough, it discharges as a tiny spark — a process called the triboelectric effect, which is similar to the static shock a person may experience from walking on a carpet and touching a metal doorknob.

These sparks aren't dramatic lightning bolts like on Earth — they're tiny, localized and only centimeters long. Studying them helps researchers better understand Mars' atmospheric chemistry, climate and habitability, and could guide the design of future robotic and human missions to the Red Planet.

While exploring Mars, Perseverance has logged dozens of these electrical events, and at least one passed directly over the rover, letting its microphone capture the crackling walls of dust as grains collided and discharged.

"In the Sol 215 dust devil recording, you can hear not only the electrical sound, but also the wall of the dust devil moving over the rover," Lorenz said in the statement. (A sol, or Martian day, is about 40 minutes longer than a day here on Earth.) "And in the Sol 1,296 dust devil, you hear all that plus some of the particles impacting the microphone."

The new audio and visual data from Perseverance provide a fresh look at Mars, capturing the sparks and crackles in the swirling dust storms that rage across the planet's surface.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/hear-dust-devils-on-mars-crackle-with-electricity-in-new-nasa-perseverance-rover-video + <![CDATA[ Steven Spielberg finally reveals 1st trailer for new UFO film 'Disclosure Day', and now we're terrified ]]> +

The veil has finally been lifted for Hollywood icon Steven Spielberg's clandestine sci-fi project centered around UFOs and an extraterrestrial incursion that's been speculated on and whispered about for more than a year, and it's one of the best early Christmas gifts we’ve been given in years! Plus it's kinda scary!

Universal Pictures just unwrapped this somber new trailer for Spielberg's "Disclosure Day" and it's an uncanny exploration of an alien invasion as initially experienced by a meteorologist (Emily Blunt) and a passionate UFO whistleblower (Josh O'Connor) who want to share the truth with the world all at once.

The official teaser synopsis describes the Spielberg-directed event film as "If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to seven billion people. We are coming close to … Disclosure Day."

a movie poster with a blue-eyed woman and a bird silhouette

First official poster for Universal Pictures' "Disclosure Day" (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Here in this tense preview offering some serious "Signs" and "Three Body Problem" vibes, Blunt ("Oppenheimer," "A Quiet Place") is overcome by a strange alien brain scramble while conducting a live Kansas City weather report. O’Connor ("Challengers") portrays a passionate man who wants to reveal the truth of alien life to the rest of the world, while Colin Firth ("The King’s Speech") appears as some scientist wired up to a sinister mind-melding machine.

Spielberg's long fascination with UFOs, aliens, and outer space began at a very early age when his father woke him up late one night to go witness the Perseid meteor shower while lying in a field outside the suburbs of Haddon Heights, New Jersey. This led to one of his first amateur film projects at the age of 17, a 1964 feature-length sci-fi movie called "Firelight" that he screened at a local Phoenix, Arizona theater for family and friends for the price of $1 per ticket.

His Hollywood explorations of flying saucers and science fiction came to glorious fruition with 1977's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," then later in 1982's "E.T the Extra-Terrestrial," and more recently for 2005's "War of the Worlds." Now he's firmly back in the UFO business with a dark descent into traditional alien invasion fare, complete with crop circles, sentient cardinals, herds of odd elk, and some positively creepy clicking voices. But so far, no actual aliens or spaceships!

a man in a house unloading a backpack

Josh O'Connor prepares the world for the truth about aliens in "Disclosure Day" (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

"Disclosure Day's" screenplay, based on an original Spielberg story, was penned by frequent collaborator David Koepp, who helped write "Jurassic Park," "Jurassic Park: The Lost World," and "War of the Worlds."

Not to be a killjoy here, but is anyone slightly fatigued by Emily Blunt in yet another alien-centric sci-fi film after her turns in two "A Quiet Place" installments and "Edge of Tomorrow?" No? Okay, let's move on then. Oh, but did we mention that the legendary John Williams is doing the film's score?! Now we did.

Produced by Spielberg with Kristie Macosko Krieger at Amblin Entertainment, and also starring Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo, Wyatt Russell, and Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Universal’s "Disclosure Day" drops into theaters June 12, 2026.

]]> + https://www.space.com/entertainment/steven-spielberg-finally-reveals-1st-trailer-for-new-ufo-film-disclosure-day-and-now-were-terrified - + - qiDN674nQRVT8Cb9xTeKdL - - Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000 - - - - - - + 75rDquiZnuUCyYgvD3wE8g + + Tue, 16 Dec 2025 20:30:00 +0000 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 10:51:51 +0000 + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ China breaks record with 3 Long March rocket launches in 19-hour stretch (video) ]]> -

China continues to make big advances in the final frontier.

The nation just launched three Long March rockets in less than 19 hours, setting a new national mark for liftoff cadence.

In addition, the trio pushed China's orbital-launch tally for 2025 to 83, extending another record. The previous yearly high for the country, set last year, was 68. (Eighty-three is not a global record, however; SpaceX has launched 159 orbital missions in 2025 so far by itself.)

overhead drone photo of a white rocket launching from a concrete pad with a blue and gray launch tower

A Chinese Long March 4B rocket launches the Yaogan 47 satellite to space from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Dec. 9, 2025. (Image credit: CCTV)

The flurry began Monday (Dec. 8) at 5:11 p.m. EST (2211 GMT), when a Long March 6A rocket lifted off from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China. That mission successfully sent a batch of broadband satellites to low Earth orbit for the Guowang ("national network") megaconstellation.

Then, at 10:41 p.m. EST on Monday (0341 GMT on Tuesday, Dec. 9), the mysterious Yaogan 47 spacecraft took flight atop a Long March 4B from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. Yaogan 47 is a classified satellite that will be used by the Chinese military.

The tripleheader wrapped up on Tuesday at 10:08 a.m. EST (1508 GMT) with the launch of another classified satellite, known as TJSW-22, on a Long March 3B from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in western China.

All three of these launches took place on Tuesday Beijing time, as noted by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the state-owned entity that operates the Long March family of rockets.

"This was the third successful launch of China's Long March rockets today, setting a new record of three launches in one day," CASC officials said in a statement on Tuesday, referring to the TJSW-22 liftoff (in Mandarin; translation by Google).

A total of five orbital launches have now occurred in the 24-hour stretch beginning with Monday's Guowang liftoff. The other two were SpaceX Falcon 9 missions — a Monday evening flight lofted a batch of the company's Starlink satellites and the NROL-77 launch for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office happened on Tuesday afternoon.

That's not a 24-hour record, however: Between April 28-29 of this year, six different rockets launched toward orbit in a span of just 18 hours — a Long March 5B, two Falcon 9s, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V, an Arianespace Vega C and Alpha, a vehicle built and operated by Texas-based company Firefly Aerospace. All but Alpha were successful.

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/china-breaks-record-with-3-long-march-rocket-launches-in-19-hour-stretch-video + <![CDATA[ NASA's MAVEN spacecraft is still silent at Mars — and apparently is spinning, too ]]> + Things aren't looking good for one of NASA's Mars orbiters.

MAVEN (short for "Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution") has been silent since Dec. 4, despite repeated efforts to hail the spacecraft, NASA announced in an update on Monday (Dec. 15). And a fragment of tracking data recovered on Dec. 6 delivered a bit of additional bad news.

"Analysis of that signal suggests that the MAVEN spacecraft was rotating in an unexpected manner when it emerged from behind Mars," NASA officials wrote in the update. "Further, the frequency of the tracking signal suggests MAVEN's orbit trajectory may have changed."

MAVEN launched in November 2013 and arrived in Mars orbit 10 months later, tasked with studying Mars' atmosphere and how it interacts with the solar wind, the stream of charged particles flowing from the sun.

MAVEN's prime mission lasted one Earth year, and the spacecraft delivered in that time. Its data helped scientists understand how (and when) the Red Planet lost its once-thick atmosphere, which allowed liquid water to flow on Mars billions of years ago.

The orbiter just kept going after that, gathering loads of information about the Red Planet — for example, its dust storms, winds and auroras, for example.

MAVEN also serves as a communications link between mission control and NASA robots on the Martian surface — at the moment, the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers.

But MAVEN isn't the only orbiter that plays this relay role; NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey do as well, along with the European Space Agency's Mars Express probe and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. And those four other spacecraft are still going strong.

"For the next two weeks of scheduled surface operations, NASA is arranging additional passes from the remaining orbiters, and the Perseverance and Curiosity teams have adjusted their daily planning activities to continue their science missions," NASA officials wrote in the update.

]]> + https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/nasas-maven-spacecraft-is-still-silent-at-mars-and-apparently-is-spinning-too - + - JmPrkQuaa4AyfXYj2sARS - - Tue, 09 Dec 2025 23:00:00 +0000 + GBtMTyc3k49MfDu6mEZgVZ + + Tue, 16 Dec 2025 19:00:00 +0000 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:03:21 +0000 + - - - - + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ The James Webb Space Telescope just found the oldest supernova ever seen ]]> - The light of the oldest supernova ever seen, dating back 13 billion years to just 730 million years after the Big Bang, has been captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.

The supernova was accompanied by a powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB), signifying the destruction of a massive star and possibly the birth of a stellar-mass black hole.

"There are only a handful of gamma-ray bursts in the last 50 years that have been detected in the first billion years of the universe," said Andrew Levan, of Radboud University in the Netherlands and the University of Warwick in the U.K., in a statement. "This particular event is very rare and very exciting."

The story begins on March 14, when the French–Chinese SVOM (Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Objects Monitor) satellite detected a blast of gamma rays from somewhere in deep space. Ninety minutes later, NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory detected the same event but in X-rays, enabling astronomers to pinpoint where on the sky the GRB, designated GRB 250314A, had occurred.

Eleven hours after Swift's detection, the Nordic Optical Telescope, which is 2.6-meter (8.5 feet) telescope on La Palma in the Canary Islands, detected the faint glimmer of light from the GRB's afterglow as material ejected by the dying star smashed into circumstellar gas. Finally, four hours after that, the Very Large Telescope in Chile got in on the act and confirmed the redshift of the GRB afterglow to be a huge 7.3, meaning that we are seeing an event that happened 13 billion years ago.

Yet the expansion of space that redshifted the afterglow also creates the illusion of slowing down processes. Rather than the supernova reaching peak brightness in a matter of days or a few weeks, from our point of view, relative to this distant stellar explosion that detonated so long ago only for its light to be traveling through space all this time, it would reach peak brightness three-and-a-half months later.

Armed with this knowledge, Levan led a team to request what's known as Director's discretionary time on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). With that granted, they were ready for July 1, when JWST used its Near-Infrared Camera to detect the light of the supernova that accompanied the GRB.

"Only Webb could directly show that this light is from a supernova — a collapsing massive star," said Levan. "This observation also demonstrates that we can use Webb to find individual stars when the universe was only 5% of its current age."

The JWST was even able to detect the supernova's host galaxy. Despite that galaxy appearing smudged over just a handful of pixels, astronomers are still able to discern something about the supernova’s galactic environment.

Artist impressions of the initial GRB (left) and then the supernova that was seen 3.5 months later. (Image credit: Artwork: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Leah Hustak (STScI))

"Webb's observations indicate that this distant galaxy is similar to other galaxies that existed at the same time," said Emeric Le Floc'h at CEA Paris-Saclay in France, who is a member of Levan's team.

The supernova's spectrum also looks remarkably similar to modern-day supernova explosions, and that the mass of the star that exploded was not atypical of massive stars today. However, upon closer inspection it is likely that there will be differences, given that the supernova exploded in an era where there was a much lower abundance of heavy elements. More data will be needed to tease these details out of the supernova’s spectrum.

Nevertheless, the supernova is a record breaker — the most distant supernova ever seen, and one of only a few GRB detected (without anyone seeing their supernova explosion) from that first billion years. Previously, the oldest supernova seen (also by the JWST) blew up 1.8 billion years after the Big Bang. It's safe to say that this new redshift 7.3 supernova has well and truly smashed that record.

The findings were published in December in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/the-james-webb-space-telescope-just-found-the-oldest-supernova-ever-seen + <![CDATA[ Europe's Ariane 6 rocket launches its 1st pair of Galileo navigation satellites (video) ]]> +

Europe's towering Ariane 6 rocket is gaining momentum in the heavy-lift launch market.

The first pair of Galileo navigation satellites to launch on an Ariane 6 lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on Wednesday (Dec. 17) at 12:01 a.m. EST (0501 GMT; 2:01 a.m. local time in Kourou).

Galileo Launch 14 (L14) is sending the spacecraft pair to join 26 other active satellites in the constellation, which is Europe's equivalent to the Global Positioning System (GPS) used by the United States

An Arianespace Ariane 6 rocket launches two Galileo navigation satellites from Kourou, French Guiana on Dec. 17, 2025.

An Arianespace Ariane 6 rocket launches two Galileo navigation satellites from Kourou, French Guiana on Dec. 17, 2025. (Image credit: Arianespace)

The L14 satellites are scheduled to deploy about 3 hours and 20 minutes after liftoff and will then spend three days unfolding their solar arrays and running checks on critical systems. The two satellites will then enter a four-month drift and positioning phase before settling into their final orbital position to begin operation.

The Galileo constellation circles Earth at an altitude of 14,429 miles (23,222 kilometers). To date, most of the 1,610-pound (730 kilograms) spacecraft have been launched aboard Europe's Ariane 5, which retired in 2023, or the Russian-built Soyuz rocket, an arrangement that Europe ended following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Europe tapped SpaceX's Falcon 9 to fly Galileo satellites after the invasion, but now that Ariane 6 is operational, the continent can loft those missions without depending on outside launch providers.

This was the fifth-ever launch of the Ariane 6, which completed four successful flights over the past year, with its most recent lifting off just over a month ago.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 1:14 a.m. ET on Dec. 17 with news of successful liftoff.

]]> + https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/arianespace-ariane-6-launch-galileo-33-3 - + - Xt2uvgV7p67ru8Kzeuaam7 - - Tue, 09 Dec 2025 22:16:08 +0000 - - - - - + m7Lv6tHcG3dRHNRUraPduS + + Tue, 16 Dec 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 15:15:00 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ This 7-hour cosmic explosion is the longest gamma-ray burst ever seen. Could it be from an elusive class of black hole? ]]> - Astronomers have spotted the longest gamma-ray burst ever seen, a cosmic explosion that lasted seven hours — and they determined it could be the work of a black hole destroying a star.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are considered to be the most powerful cosmic explosions since the Big Bang, but when GRB 250702B was first detected on July 2, 2025 by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, it quickly stood out among the around 15,000 GRBs detected thus far. The blast could be the result of an elusive intermediate-mass black hole devouring a star.

The record-breaking GRB is the longest ever seen, with none of its contemporaries even coming close to its seven-hour duration. Not only that, but GRB 250702B also exhibited repeating explosive bursts, stretching its duration over days. Because most GRBs last for just a few minutes, this meant GRB 250702B offered astronomers a unique opportunity to study such an event. They also believe this is an entirely new form of cosmic explosion.

"The initial wave of gamma rays lasted at least 7 hours, nearly twice the duration of the longest GRB seen previously, and we detected other unusual properties," team member Eliza Neights of George Washington University and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in a statement. "This is certainly an outburst unlike any other we've seen in the past 50 years."

Following up on Fermi's initial detection, astronomers turned to the Very Large Telescope (VLT) located on Cerro Paranal in the Atacama desert of northern Chile. This revealed the location from which the GRB erupted, a galaxy billions of light-years away from the Milky Way.

Investigating the afterglow of GRB 250702B with three of the world's most powerful ground-based telescopes, the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope and the twin 8.1-meter International Gemini Observatory telescopes, a team of researchers led by Jonathan Carney, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, found clues as to what caused this record-breaking explosion.

"The ability to rapidly point the Blanco and Gemini telescopes on short notice is crucial to capturing transient events such as gamma-ray bursts," Carney said in a statement. "Without this ability, we would be limited in our understanding of distant events in the dynamic night sky."

What caused the longest gamma-ray burst ever recorded?

This research suggested that the initial gamma-ray signal from GRB 250702B emerged from a narrow, near-light-speed jet of plasma slamming into surrounding gas and dust. This indicates that the galaxy that is home to this event is packed with a vast amount of dust around the point of emission. The team also found that the host galaxy of GRB 250702B is more massive than those of other GRBs.

One current theory about the creation of GRBs suggests they happen when massive blue supergiant stars collapse at the end of their lives, when an extreme neutron star called a magnetar is born, or when a black hole rips apart a star in a so-called "tidal disruption event" (TDE). However, GRB 250702B doesn't seem to completely fall in line with any of these scenarios.

Left: The stellar field around the host galaxy of GRB 250702B — the longest gamma-ray burst that astronomers have ever observed. It comprises observations from the Gemini North telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab, as well as the U.S. Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, mounted on the NSF Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab.Right: Close-up view of the host galaxy taken with the Gemini North telescope. This image is the result of over two hours of observation, yet the host galaxy appears extremely faint due to the large amount of dust surrounding it. (Image credit: International Gemini Observatory/CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURAImage processing: J. Miller (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF NOIRLab))

Researchers currently have three ideas of what event could have launched this record-breaking GRB. The first would involve a black hole colliding with a star that has had its outer layers of hydrogen stripped and is now composed mostly of helium.

The second scenario suggests a star or a smaller stellar body like a brown dwarf or even a planet could have encountered the immense gravitational influence of a black hole or a neutron star, resulting in a smaller, less powerful TDE-type event called a micro-tidal disruption event.

The third potential launch mechanism for GRB 250702B involves an elusive class of black hole called an "intermediate mass black hole," with a mass ranging from 100 times that of the sun, to 100,000 times the mass of our star. Despite the fact that scientists believe the cosmos is packed with these middle-of-the-road black holes, they are rarely detected. If this scenario is the right fit for GRB 250702B, this would represent the first time astronomers have spotted an intermediate-mass black hole producing a plasma jet after ripping up a star.

"This work presents a fascinating cosmic archaeology problem in which we're reconstructing the details of an event that occurred billions of light-years away," Carney said. "The uncovering of these cosmic mysteries demonstrates how much we are still learning about the universe's most extreme events and reminds us to keep imagining what might be happening out there."

The team's research was published in November in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/this-7-hour-cosmic-explosion-is-the-longest-gamma-ray-burst-ever-seen-could-it-be-from-an-elusive-class-of-black-hole + <![CDATA[ Launch of Japan's Michibiki 5 navigation satellite scrubbed late in countdown ]]> + Update for 10:05 p.m. ET on Dec. 16: The planned Dec. 16 launch of the Michibiki 5 navigation satellite was scrubbed with less than a minute left in the countdown. A new target date has not yet been announced.

Japan will launch a new navigation satellite to orbit tonight (Dec. 16), and you can watch the action live.

An H3 rocket is scheduled to launch the Michibiki 5 spacecraft from Tanegashima Space Center today at 9:10 p.m. EST (0210 GMT and 11:10 a.m. local Japan time on Dec. 17).

You can watch it here at Space.com, courtesy of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), or directly via the agency. Coverage will begin at 8:15 p.m. EST (0115 GMT).

The 10,580-pound (4,800-kilogram) Michibiki 5 will be part of the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), Japan's homegrown navigation network in geosynchronous orbit.

"This system is compatible with GPS satellites and can be utilized with them in an integrated fashion," Japanese officials wrote in a description of the QZSS project.

"QZSW can be used even in the Asia-Oceania regions with longitudes close to Japan, so its usage will be expanded to other countries in these regions as well," they added.

Five QZSS satellites have reached orbit to date, starting with a pathfinder that launched in September 2010. That spacecraft, called Michibiki 1, was replaced by Michibiki 1R, which flew in October 2021.

Michibiki 5 will make QZSS a five-satellite system. But the launches won't end there: The constellation will eventually consist of 11 spacecraft, if all goes to plan.

Tonight's launch will be the seventh to date for the two-stage H3, the successor to Japan's workhorse H-2A, which retired this past June after 24 years of service.

The H3 failed during its debut launch in March 2023, resulting in the loss of the ALOS-3 Earth-observing satellite. But the medium-lift rocket bounced back strong, acing its next five missions, including a February 2025 launch that sent another Michibiki satellite to orbit.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 10:05 p.m. ET on Dec. 16 with news of the launch scrub.

]]> + https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/japan-h3-rocket-launch-michibiki-5-navigation-satellite - + - UYjZVq4t3XRZfNhSWpNDUn - - Tue, 09 Dec 2025 21:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + 9RwmrU4ntmaoB5arvRdqZK + + Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:00:00 +0000 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 03:09:09 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Chinese astronauts inspect damaged Shenzhou 20 spacecraft during 8-hour spacewalk (video) ]]> -

Chinese astronauts just got an up-close look at the damage that space junk can cause.

Two astronauts of the three-person Shenzhou 21 mission conducted an extravehicular activity (EVA) outside China's Tiangong space station on Tuesday (Dec. 9). They were very busy on the eight-hour spacewalk, which wrapped up around 5:45 a.m. EST (1045 GMT; 6:45 p.m. Beijing time).

The duo "fully utilized their active role as first responders outside the spacecraft, successfully completing tasks including inspecting and photographing the Shenzhou 20 return capsule's windows, installing the space station's space debris protection system, and replacing the multi-layered cover of the temperature control adapter," officials with the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said in a statement on Tuesday (in Mandarin; translation by Google).

an astronaut in a white spacesuit works outside a space station with earth in the background

A Shenzhou 21 astronaut conducts a spacewalk outside China's Tiangong space station on Dec. 9, 2025. (Image credit: CCTV)

The Shenzhou 20 vehicle arrived at Tiangong in late April, carrying three astronauts for a regular six-month rotation aboard the station. That trio was supposed to head back to Earth on Nov. 5, but inspections revealed cracks in Shenzhou 20's windows — the apparent result of a space junk strike, Chinese space officials said.

After some deliberation, the Shenzhou 20 capsule was deemed unsafe to carry astronauts down through Earth's atmosphere. So the mission's three crewmembers ended up returning home on Nov. 14 aboard the Shenzhou 21 vehicle, which had just arrived at Tiangong on Halloween night.

On Nov. 24, China launched the Shenzhou 22 spacecraft with nobody on board, to give the Shenzhou 21 taikonauts a safe ride back to Earth when their mission is over.

Chinese space officials have said that they plan to bring the Shenzhou 20 vehicle home, crewless, at some point in the future. And they likely now have a better understanding of its condition, thanks to Tuesday's spacewalk.

The EVA was the first for the Shenzhou 21 mission, which consists of commander Zhang Lu, 48, who also flew on the Shenzhou 15 flight in 2022; rookie Wu Fei, 32, and rookie Zhang Hongzhang, 39.

Wu Fei is the youngest member of China's astronaut corps, and on Tuesday he became the youngest person from his country ever to perform a spacewalk. Zhang Lu also ventured outside the three-module Tiangong, while Zhang Hongzhang assisted from inside the station.

Tuesday's EVA was not the first to beef up Tiangong's debris shielding; a number of previous spacewalks have done so recently as well. And that appears to be a wise move, considering what happened to Shenzhou 20.

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/chinese-astronauts-inspect-damaged-shenzhou-20-spacecraft-during-8-hour-spacewalk-video + <![CDATA[ How to watch 'Fallout' Season 2 online and from anywhere ]]> + In the grand style only an entertainment behemoth like Amazon could pull off, Prime Video is vaulting back to the Wastelands for "Fallout" Season 2 a day earlier than originally planned. The premiere episode is now arriving Dec. 16, 2025.

Yes, that's right, that's today. It's out now, so fill your canteen, take a deep breath of clean filtered air, and let's step into the mayhem. Don't know how? Our handy guide to how to watch "Fallout" season 2 has you covered.

This joyous news was revealed by Amazon MGM Studios yesterday via the Las Vegas Sphere. It's a fitting venue for the announcement given the iconic Season 2 setting.

A giant snowglobe advertising a sci-fi TV series

"Fallout" Season 2 arrives one day earlier than expected! (Image credit: Prime Video)

"Fallout" Season 2 and its loose adaptation of Bethesda Softworks' "Fallout: New Vegas" video game from back in 2010 is sure to be one of the brightest spots on this holiday season's must-watch list into the new year, and we’ve got you covered with all the details of Lucy and The Ghoul's treacherous trek across the Mojave to the crumbling remnants of that timeless den of extreme vice, Sin City.

Thumbs up! Off we go.

What Is The "Fallout" Season 2 Release Date?

As shared in our intro above, the initial episode of "Fallout" Season 2 drops onto the Prime Video platform a tad bit prematurely on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET.

Subsequent single chapters will be unleashed each following Wednesday at the same time for the remainder of the 8-episode season until its finale on Feb. 4, 2026. Last season, all eight episodes of "Fallout" Season 1 were unveiled at once so you'll have to pace yourselves this year!

How To Watch "Fallout" Season 2

a promo banner for a sci-fi survival TV series

(Image credit: Prime Video)

"Fallout" Season 2 is streaming exclusively on Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories worldwide. There will be a Season 3 of "Fallout" as Amazon already announced back in May that the series has been greenlit for a third outing. Season 1 is currently available on Prime Video.

Watch Fallout on Amazon Prime Video. Sign up and get a free 30-day trial.

Amazon Prime: $14.99 per month or $139 per year
Prime Video: $8.99 per monthView Deal

Out of the country when the show debuts? Not a problem, as you can still watch it on your streaming service of choice using a VPN. You'll be able to connect to the service you've paid for, no matter where you are (on Earth, it won't work in space, sorry).

Save up to 76% on 24 months of NordVPN, and get a bonus three months for free.

Users will get an ad-blocker, anti-malware protection, high-speed connection, encrypted cloud storage, identity theft insurance up to $1M, and cyber extortion insurance up to $100K.View Deal

What Is The Plot Of "Fallout" Season 2?

Screenshot from Fallout Season 2

(Image credit: Amazon)

Adapted from Bethesda Game Studios' mega-popular sci-fi survival video game series, "Fallout" Season 2 unfolds right after the events seen in Season 1's momentous finale and delivers audiences straight into a mutually beneficial team-up between Lucy MacLean, The Ghoul, and Dogmeat.

The team traverse the wastelands of the Mojave Desert towards their intended destination of the post-apocalyptic metropolis of New Vegas and its evil overlord, Mr. House. There, Lucy hopes to locate her villainous dad, Hank, while The Ghoul tries to search for his lost family.

Set two-hundred years after atomic armageddon, residents of Vault-Tec’s network of luxury fallout habitats begin to explore the radioactive territory outside their shelters and discover a nightmarish world of militant factions, irradiated creatures, vicious raiders, and feral monsters.

"Fallout" Season 2 Trailers & Teasers

The timeline for "Fallout" Season 2 takes place roughly 15 years after the plot in the "Fallout: New Vegas" video game, so don't expect an exact adaptation. We'll still be seeing many familiar sights associated with the cherished franchise as exposed in the main trailer below. The first teaser came out on Aug. 19, followed by a full launch trailer Nov. 13.

Who Are The "Fallout" Season 2 Creators And Cast?

Promo image for Fallout Season 2

(Image credit: Amazon)

"Fallout" was conceived by showrunners Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner, who also act as executive producers in cahoots with Kilter Films' Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy, and Athena Wickham, Todd Howard of Bethesda Game Studios and James Altman for Bethesda Softworks. The alt-future show is produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Kilter Films with Bethesda Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks.

Season 2 stars Ella Purnell ("Yellowjackets," "Sweetpea"), Aaron Moten ("Emancipation"), Walton Goggins ("The White Lotus," "The Righteous Gemstones"), Kyle MacLachlan ("Twin Peaks"), Moisés Arias ("The King of Staten Island"), and Frances Turner ("The Boys"). They’ll be joined by series newcomers Justin Theroux, Macaulay Culkin, and Kumail Nanjiani.

What Surprises Might "Fallout" Season 2 Spring On Fans?

a sci-fi centurion stabs another soldier

Macaulay Culkin co-stars in "Fallout" Season 2 (Image credit: Prime Video)

Wanna see some crazy things? Unnatural things? Season 2 is going to shock you with post-apocalyptic excess.

Ghoul Kings have already been revealed in the trailer, as have many of the giant mutated bugs like radscorpions and cazadors, Macaulay Culkin is in as a Caesar’s Legion centurion, and we're bound to witness epic clashes with Maximus' imposing Brotherhood of Steel.

Deadly Deathclaws! Definitely lots of Mr. House. Maybe a Marty Robbins tune or two? A side-trip to meet the verdant toxic denizens of Vault 22? A run-in with Securitrons? And perhaps the great Ron Perlman as an intimidating Super Mutant!

We can only hope. The rich and twisted "Fallout" bestiary is rife with endless possibilities!

]]> + https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/how-to-watch-fallout-season-2-online-and-from-anywhere - + - 2CZVfmoksTHGfG3hGL92aC - - Tue, 09 Dec 2025 19:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + PdrCrr4RcUGBNUwYeXmo4i + + Tue, 16 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 16:57:19 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ January full moon 2026: When, where and how to see the Wolf Moon ]]> - The January full moon will occur at 5:03 a.m. EST (1003 GMT) on Jan. 3, when the moon sits opposite the sun and appears completely illuminated from our perspective.

This month's full moon will reach its full phase while close to perigee — the nearest point to Earth in its 27-day orbit —giving rise to a visually spectacular "supermoon", which can be 30% brighter and 14% larger than the smallest full moon of the year, according to NASA.

January's's full moon is often called the "Wolf Moon", in reference to the packs of predators that are active around this time of year.

When to see the January full moon

Look east at sunset on Jan. 3 to see the fully-lit lunar disk climb over the eastern horizon. It will likely take on a yellowish hue in the period following moonrise, as a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering deflects bluer wavelengths of light while allowing redder wavelengths to pass through unhindered.

Full moon timings for when the moon is 100% illuminated (note local moonrise and moonset times will vary depending on your location):

New York

5:03 a.m. EST

London

10:03 a.m. GMT

Tokyo

7:03 p.m. JST

Beijing

6:03 p.m. CST

Sydney

9:03 p.m. AEDT

Why it's called the Wolf Moon

January's full moon is called the "Wolf Moon" a name that invokes the hungry predators who vie for food in the scarce winter months and as the "Quiet Moon", according to TimeandDate.com. It was also named it the "Center Moon" by Canada's indigenous Assiniboine people owing to how the date of its rising comes close to the middle of the winter season and as the "Severe Moon", to reflect the austere nature of the bitter month, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

Cultural traditions and festivals

The January full moon coincides with the Sri Lankan festival of Duruthu Poya Day — a Buddhist celebration that marks Buddha's first visit to the country and the establishment of the first Buddhist temple therein.

Buddhist devotees photographed praying during Duruthu Poya Festival in Sri Lanka. (Image credit: Photo by Thilina Kaluthotage/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

What else to see in the sky around the full moon

On the night of Jan. 3, the moon will rise in the eastern sky among the stars of the constellation Gemini, with the gas giant Jupiter shining less than four degrees to its lower right, according to in-the-sky.org. For context, the width of the tip of your little finger accounts for one degree when held at arm's length against the night sky.

Look above the southeastern horizon to find the stars of the constellation Orion twinkling with the sideways 'V' formation of the Hyades open star cluster forming the face of the great bull in the constellation Taurus above, as the Pleiades glows nearby.

Celestron NexStar 4SE

Celestron NexStar 4SE Computerized Telescope

(Image credit: Amazon)

Want to see the full moon up close? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality views of Earth's natural satellite. It's quick to set up and automatically locates night sky targets and provides crisp, clear views. Check out our Celestron NexStar 4SE review for more!

Saturn, meanwhile, will shine close to the circlet of stars that represents the "Great Western Fish" in the constellation Pisces in the southwestern sky in the hours following sunset. The diamond formation of stars that makes up the famous "Square of Pegasus" asterism can also be found glowing to its upper right on the night of Jan. 3, which will slip below the horizon around midnight local time.

Look out for shooting stars belonging to the Quadrantid meteor shower on the night preceding the full moon on Jan. 2-3, when the annual shower hits its peak. Up to 25 shooting stars could be visible streaking through the night sky from the constellation Bootes under ideal dark sky conditions, according to the American Meteor Society. However, you shouldn't expect to see that many in 2026, when the light of the near full moon will conspire to hide dimmer members of the shower.

Observing tips

The entirety of the Earth-facing lunar surface is laid bare during the monthly full moon phase, making it an excellent time to photograph the dark expanses of lunar seas and to reveal the locations of bright impact sites and ejecta rays marking the ancient natural satellite.

You can use a DSLR camera with a telephoto lens, or even a modern smartphone camera — particularly one with a bespoke astronomy function — to capture gorgeous images of the full moon. The following tips will help, but for best results, you should read our expert guide to imaging the moon, along with our roundups of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography if you want to upgrade your equipment.

Top tips to photograph the moon

Full moons are spectacular events that bring out the very best in the astrophotography community. However, the weeks surrounding them can provide spectacular views of their own, as the line separating night from day, known as the terminator, sweeps across its surface, throwing ancient craters, ravines and mountain ranges into relief.

Why not try and capture an image of the moon during each major phase (excluding the new moon phase) to see how its appearance shifts over its 27-day orbit.

Upcoming full moons

Month

Full moon name

Date and time

February

Snow Moon

Feb. 1, 5:09 p.m. EST (2209 GMT)

March

Worm Moon

March 3, 6:38 a.m. EST (1138 GMT)

April

Pink Moon

April 1, 11:12 p.m. EDT (0312 GMT April 2)

These times mark the exact instant of full illumination. Your own moonrise or moonset may be hours earlier or later, depending on your location. For the best viewing plan, use an app such as Stellarium or SkySafari 7 Pro to find your local moonrise time.

Editor's Note: Did you capture a beautiful picture of the moon and want to share it with Space.com's readers? Then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

]]> - https://www.space.com/stargazing/january-full-moon-2026-when-where-and-how-to-see-the-wolf-moon + <![CDATA[ James Webb Space Telescope discovers a lemon-shaped exoplanet unlike anything seen before: 'What the heck is this?' ]]> +

Since astronomers discovered the first world outside the solar system in the mid-1990s, these extra-solar planets or "exoplanets" have astounded us with their strange characteristics.

A new discovery, made using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), may just be the weirdest exoplanet yet, possessing an atmosphere unlike any we've ever seen on an exoplanet. Currently, the team behind this discovery can't explain how such a planet came to be.

The planet, designated PSR J2322-2650b, has a mass around that of Jupiter and orbits a dead star called a pulsar that blasts out twin jets of radiation that sweep across the universe like a cosmic lighthouse. Technically, the system is classified as a "black window pulsar," a binary star normally containing both a pulsar and stellar body, which the pulsar erodes and devours with its jets of radiation.

That isn't in itself so strange. The first planets beyond the solar system ever confirmed, Poltergeist (PSR B1257+12 B) and Phobetor (PSR B1257+12 C), spotted in 1992, also orbit pulsars, a young, rapidly spinning form of neutron star.

However, what sets PSR J2322-2650b apart are the facts that it has an ellipsoid shape, like a planetary lemon or football, and that it has an atmosphere like none scientists have ever seen before.

"This was an absolute surprise," team member Peter Gao of the Carnegie Earth and Planets Laboratory said in a statement. "I remember after we got the data down, our collective reaction was 'What the heck is this?' It's extremely different from what we expected."

The atmosphere of PSR J2322-2650b is dominated by helium and carbon, and likely has clouds of carbon soot that condense to create diamonds that rain down onto the planet.

At just around 1 million miles (1.6 million km) from its pulsar parent star (the Earth is around 100 times as distant from the sun), PSR J2322-2650b completes an orbit once every 8 hours or so. Its lemon-like shape emerges from tidal forces generated within the planet by the powerful gravity of the dead star it clings to.

a pink and purple, oblong planet near a point of light in the distance that is emitting two beams of light in opposite directions

This artist's concept shows what the exoplanet called PSR J2322-2650b (left) may look like as it orbits a rapidly spinning neutron star called a pulsar (right). Two radio beams are emitted from the pulsar's magnetic poles, whipping around like a beam from a lighthouse. Gravitational forces from the much heavier pulsar are pulling the Jupiter-mass world into the shape of a lemon. This planet, studied with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, appears to have an exotic atmosphere unlike any ever seen before. How the planet came to be is a mystery. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI))

"A new type of planet atmosphere that nobody has ever seen before"

Like all neutron stars, pulsars are born when massive stars at least 10 times the size of the sun exhaust the fuel for nuclear fusion. This results in the star's outer layers, and most of its mass, being blown away in a supernova explosion.

Left behind is a core with between 1 and 2 times the mass of the sun that crushes down to a width of around 12 miles (20 kilometers), and because it retains angular momentum, it can spin as fast as 700 times per second!

The parent star of PSR J2322-2650b is just such a so-called millisecond pulsar, but while it blasts out intense gamma-ray radiation, it doesn't emit very much infrared light. Because the JWST has been designed to see the cosmos in infrared, that means this powerful dead star doesn't block the $10 billion space telescope's view of PSR J2322-2650b.

This allowed the team to investigate the atmosphere of PSR J2322-2650b in detail and uncover its unique composition.

"This is a new type of planet atmosphere that nobody has ever seen before," team leader Michael Zhang of the University of Chicago said. "Instead of finding the normal molecules we expect to see on an exoplanet — like water, methane, and carbon dioxide — we saw molecular carbon, specifically carbon-3 and carbon-2."

a small white orb emitting bright green and purple beams of light, close to a bright white and yellow star that is much larger than the orb

An illustration of a "traditional" black widow pulsar, consisting of a neutron star stripping away mass from its stellar companion. (Image credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center)

PSR J2322-2650b is tidally locked to its star, which means one side permanently faces the neutron star, the planet's dayside, while the other faces out into space in perpetuity, its nightside.

The dayside of PSR J2322-2650b has a maximum temperature of 3,700 degrees Fahrenheit (2,040 degrees Celsius), while the nightside has a minimum temperature of 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit (650 degrees Celsius).

At these temperatures, molecular carbon should bind with other types of atoms, only becoming dominant if there is almost no oxygen or nitrogen in the planet's atmosphere. Of the 150 or so exoplanet atmospheres studied to date, no others have possessed detectable molecular carbon.

"Did this thing form like a normal planet? No, because the composition is entirely different," Zhang said. "Did it form by stripping the outside of a star, like 'normal' black widow systems are formed?

"Probably not, because nuclear physics does not make pure carbon. It's very hard to imagine how you get this extremely carbon-enriched composition. It seems to rule out every known formation mechanism."

There is one possible route of the creation of this planet, hinging on a unique phenomenon occurring in the bizarre atmosphere of PSR J2322-2650b.

"As the companion cools down, the mixture of carbon and oxygen in the interior starts to crystallize. Pure carbon crystals float to the top and get mixed into the helium, and that's what we see," team member and Stanford University researcher Roger Romani said. "But then something has to happen to keep the oxygen and nitrogen away. And that's where the mystery comes in.

“But it's nice not to know everything. I'm looking forward to learning more about the weirdness of this atmosphere. It's great to have a puzzle to go after."

]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/james-webb-space-telescope-discovers-a-lemon-shaped-exoplanet-unlike-anything-seen-before-what-the-heck-is-this - + - Ed39ZPPg4xQTwiKDNXMFdB - - Tue, 09 Dec 2025 17:56:58 +0000 - - - - + g3J9etdsgMBB4rw45eEu6h + + Tue, 16 Dec 2025 15:01:00 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 16:43:34 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ 1st human missions to Mars should hunt for signs of life, report says ]]> - The first astronauts to set foot on Mars should hunt for signs of past or present Red Planet life.

That's the overarching conclusion of an in-depth report about human Mars exploration from the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine that came out today (Dec. 9).

"The detection of life on Mars is a persistent top priority for explorers of many disciplines, and it is the top science objective in this report," states the 240-page document, which is called "A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars."

The National Academies prepared the report for NASA, which wants to send astronauts to the Red Planet as soon as the mid-2030s. The document offers recommendations for how the agency can maximize the science gains of its planned crewed Mars campaign.

Those recommendations are extensive and detailed. For example, the report lays out 11 science objectives that such a campaign should pursue, with the search for signs of life (as well as indications of "indigenous prebiotic chemistry" and a broad assessment of habitability) at the top of the list.

The other 10 objectives, listed in order of descending priority, are:

"A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars" also proposes four possible three-mission campaigns, the top-ranked of which could achieve all 11 of the above objectives.

That campaign would send all three missions to "a low- to mid-latitude site with near-surface glacier ice and diverse geology," the report states. "The search for prebiotic chemistry and life would focus on near-surface niche environments, such as geologically recent transiently habitable zones, and/or ice, including layered ice."

Another possible campaign would target the deep subsurface, establishing a powerful drilling operation that could get 1.2 to 3 miles (2 to 5 kilometers) beneath the red dirt, where pockets of liquid water are thought to exist.

Both of those proposed campaigns would feature an initial 30-sol crewed surface mission, an uncrewed cargo delivery flight and then a 300-sol astronaut mission on the surface. (One sol, or Martian day, is slightly longer than an Earth day — about 24 hours and 40 minutes.) So would a third proposed campaign, though a fourth would launch three crewed 30-sol missions to three different sites on the Red Planet.

There is some commonality across all the proposed campaigns. For example, according to the report, no matter how NASA's crewed Mars plans take shape, the agency should aim to build a science lab on the Red Planet's surface, haul Mars samples home from every astronaut mission and set up a recurring "Mars Human-Agent Teaming Summit" to maximize and coordinate the efforts of robotic missions, astronauts and artificial intelligence.

In addition, the report notes, a concerted search for Mars life will be constrained by current "planetary protection" guidelines, which aim to minimize the chances that our exploration efforts contaminate other worlds with Earth microbes or bring alien life to our shores.

Therefore, the document states, "NASA should continue to collaborate on the evolution of planetary protection guidelines, with the goal of enabling human explorers to perform research in regions that could possibly support, or even harbor, life."

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/1st-human-missions-to-mars-should-hunt-for-signs-of-life-report-says + <![CDATA[ Best space stocking stuffers: Budget friendly Christmas gifts for stargazers and astrophotographers ]]> + Shopping for space enthusiasts isn't easy, especially if they've already got a solid stargazing setup. Maybe they've spent thousands of dollars on one of the best telescopes or best cameras for astrophotography, ready to snap Sirius this December 25. Meanwhile, you're scratching your head, wondering what stocking stuffers you can buy them. That's where we can help.

We've rounded up a host of Christmas gift ideas that are bound to put a smile on any skywatcher or astrophotographer's face. These stocking stuffers, from binoculars to SD cards and equipment chargers, will boost their stargazing experience, and at $100 or under, won't break the bank.

Both Walmart and Amazon offer expedited shipping options in some areas, so you can, in theory, order these items as late as December 23, for delivery and/or pickup on Christmas Eve. But bear in mind, deliveries can be unexpectedly delayed, so it's wise to shop as early as you can.

Compact binoculars

Compact binoculars are a boon for any stargazer. The models we've chosen are powerful enough and allow in enough light to make surveying the night sky a breeze. Thanks to their size, they slip easily into any pocket, and they're light enough that children can use them, if you're buying for a younger space fan.

Simply take them out for a closer look at something, the moon for example, without needing to unpack a telescope. And if that object does prove of sufficient interest, you can then use a camera to capture it or a telescope to get even closer.

Occer 12x25 compact binoculars on a white backgroundBest for travel
Occer
12x25

We rank these as the best compact binoculars for travel. They offer bright, sharp views and their size makes them especially ideal for children.

Celestron UpClose G2 10x25_Best compact binocularsBest budget option
Celestron
UpClose G2 10 x 25

These 10x binos' 15.8 twilight factor means they perform well in low light conditions, and at under $30 they're the best budget compact binoculars you can buy.

Stock image of the Nikon Aculon binoculars on a white backgroundBest for portability
Nikon
Aculon T02 8x21

Available in a range of stylish colors, these are our best binoculars for portability. They boast excellent views and a super-accurate focuser.

Headlamps

The best flashlights are all well and good, but when you're setting up a telescope or carrying your camera equipment to one of the best locations for astrophotography and skywatching, you'll want your hands free.

That's where headlamps come in. They'll light the way to your destination, illuminate your skywatching spot and if you do drop something, a quick glance down will let you find it, all without having to fumble around for a flashlight.

Stock photo of theBest for brightness
Nitecore
NU31 550 Lumen

The NU31 isn't just our best headlamp for brightness, it's stylish and seriously durable too. Plus, its USB-C port means you can recharge it with your phone charger.

A OLIGHT Perun 2 Mini headlamp.

Olight
Perun 2 Mini 1100 Lumens

Like its big brother, which we think is the best multi-purpose headlamp, the Perun 2 Mini isn't just a handy headlamp, you can detach the lamp part and use it as a handheld flashlight.

Stock photo of theBest for astro
BioLite
HeadLamp 425

We awarded this fantastic headlamp five stars in our Biolite HeadLamp 425 review, praising its astro-friendly features, comfort factor and overall ease of use.

Power banks and 3-in-1s

What if you find yourself in the field, ready to observe or capture a stunning stellar event, and your battery indicator flashes low, whether that's a camera or one of the best smart telescopes? That's where power banks come in; slip one in your pocket and, if the worst happens, you can charge your device on the go.

We've picked out several power banks, including two 3-in-1s. These not only provide power, they also act as a flashlight and hand warmer. That last function may sound like a luxury but, believe us, when you're standing around in the middle of nowhere, waiting for the clouds to clear, you'll be eternally grateful to whoever gave you that particular gift.

Biolite Charge 80 PD power banks on a white background.Best for portability
BioLite
Charge 80 PD

A single-function device, we think the BioLite Charge 80 PD is the best powerbank for portability. It's rugged, durable and reliable, with a huge 20,000mAH capacity.

Review photo of theBest for in the car
UGREEN
Nexode Power Bank 25000mAh

The best powerbank for in your car, this sleek and stylish charging pack has serious business written all over it. It can charge three devices at once and is FAA carry-on compliant to boot.

An orange and black Muddy Hand Warmer.

Muddy
3-in-1 electronic rechargeable hand warmer

A real space-saver, this Muddy powerbank doesn't just charge your equipment, it has a built-in flashlight, and it's a hand warmer, so it can keep you toasty as you wait for that perfect shot.

A Zippo HeatBank 6 Pro rechargeable hand warmer, a grey and black object, against a white background.

Zippo
HeatBank 6 Pro rechargeable hand warmer

Available in several colors, this sleek but rugged powerbank is a flashlight, hand warmer and charger in one. It has three heat settings and will keep you warm for up to six hours.

SD cards

SD cards are an often overlooked piece of astrophotography equipment, but they're crucial for storing the images you capture. You can never have too many, and not just because some of the best astrophotography cameras have two SD slots. The more cards you have and the larger they are (especially if you're shooting in RAW), the longer you can shoot for.

We've picked out three quality SD cards, from trusted manufacturers. They're all sold and shipped by reputable companies so you don't need to worry about getting a counterfeit, which is a risk with some shadier sellers. Whichever one of these cards you buy, your gift is sure to be appreciated.

A 128GB Extreme PRO UHS-I SDXC Memory Card on a white background.

SanDisk
128GB Extreme PRO UHS-I SDXC Memory Card

One of the most trusted brands in memory storage, SanDisk's products are seriously reliable, and this Extreme PRO UHS-I SDXC comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

A Lexar 128GB Professional SILVER PRO SD Card on a white background.

Lexar
128GB Professional SILVER PRO SD Card

This card's 280 MB/s read speed means you won't have to hang around waiting to transfer your photographs to PC for editing.

A Lexar 256GB Professional Silver SD Card on a whit
Lexar
256GB Professional Silver SD Card

With a 140MB/s write speed, this Lexar 256GB Professional Silver SD Card is capable of capturing burst shots and 4K 60FPS UHD video, camera permitting.

]]> + https://www.space.com/stargazing/skywatching-kit/best-space-stocking-stuffers-budget-friendly-christmas-gifts-for-stargazers-and-astrophotographers - + - uKVWudyxn4zy3MAFJN4kzK - - Tue, 09 Dec 2025 16:01:00 +0000 - - - - - - + sQMkMtV5gFnyoV4vY2NK7V + + Tue, 16 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:21:39 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ From Bezos to beyond: Blue Origin quiz ]]> - Blue Origin has become one of the most talked-about names in the modern space age.

Founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos in 2000, the company has steadily built a reputation for innovation, ambition, and a bold vision of humanity's future beyond Earth. From reusable rockets to lunar landers, Blue Origin is shaping the next chapter of space exploration.

This quiz dives into the company's origins, its technological breakthroughs, and the missions that have captured global attention.

Whether you're prepping for a trivia night or just want to flex your spaceflight smarts, this quiz will take you on a journey through the stars.

See how well you score below!

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/from-bezos-to-beyond-blue-origin-quiz + <![CDATA[ Could the Star of Bethlehem have actually been a comet? ]]> + Could the Star of Bethlehem, which guided the 'three wise men' to the infant Jesus in the Christian Bible, have been a comet that came as close to the Earth as the moon?

That's the remarkable hypothesis from Mark Matney, a planetary scientist in NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office by day and a self-declared Christmas junkie. "I love Christmas," Matney told Space.com. "I love Christmas music, I love Christmas decorations — I love the whole thing!"

It was this love of Christmas, expressed in a festive show at the planetarium that Matney worked at when he was in college, that inspired his interest in the Star of Bethlehem. A passage in the Bible's Book of Matthew describes how the star went before the wise men — known as 'magi', who were probably astrologers looking for signs in the sky — and stood over Bethlehem. The planetarium show suggested that no known astronomical event behaves in this bizarre way, but rather than accept that, Matney saw it as a challenge. "I remember sitting there and thinking, I can think of one thing that can behave that way," he recalled.

For Matney, there are three ways to look at the story of the Star of Bethlehem. One, which is how those of a religious leaning might see it, is as a miraculous, divine event, the archangel Gabriel shining the way towards the baby Jesus.

Another, more cynical, view is to believe the whole story to be a myth, at best perhaps a misrepresentation or embellishment. If the Star of Bethlehem was either of these two things, then there's no point in looking for a scientific explanation.

On the other hand, the third way of looking at it is as a real astronomical event. Over the years, astronomers have suggested everything from a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn to a supernova and, yes, a comet.

The problem with all previous astronomical explanations, says Matney, is that "objects in the sky, whether it be the sun, moon, planets, ordinary stars or normal comets, rise in the east and set in the west, they don't go before you and hover over a location."

However, Matney realized that if an object came close enough, at just the right time, moving in just the right direction at just the right speed through the sky, then it could appear to do these things.

"I came up with the idea of temporary geosynchronous motion," said Matney. "It has to be just right, but in principle it can happen."

The Chinese comet of 5 BCE

Matney filed his idea away in the back of his brain, until later when he learned that Chinese astrologers (astronomers and astrologers back then were synonymous) had seen a bright comet in 5 BCE, which is believed to be the year that Jesus was born.

The recorded observations of the comet are not sufficient to chart its exact orbit, but instead its measured positions in the sky could belong to a range of possible orbits. By running numerical simulations describing all these possible orbits, Matney found a subset of orbits that would have brought the comet close to Earth, and one possible orbit where it would have been close as Earth's moon.

Matney isn't saying that the comet definitely came that close — it's just one of a number of possible orbits the comet could have had. Had it done so, however, it could be a tantalizing explanation for the Star of Bethlehem, explaining a great many things.

The Christmas festivities tell us that Jesus was born on Dec. 25, but theologians and historians aren't actually sure of his birth date. However, the Chinese comet was discovered in mid-March, 5 BCE and, in the possible orbit flagged as being of interest to the Star of Bethlehem story, it would have reached its closest point to Earth on June 8 that year.

This doesn't necessarily mean that Jesus was born in June either; it's also not clear how long after Jesus' birth the magi were said to have visited him. We do know that when Herod later learned of Jesus' birth, he ordered all infant boys under the age of two to be killed, adding more uncertainty to when Jesus was born.

Unusual behavior at the comet's closest approach

Regardless, the comet would have continued along its orbit unperturbed by what was happening on Earth. In the possible orbit of interest discovered by Matney, the comet's closest approach to Earth would have been at a distance of 241,685 miles (388,954 kilometers). This would have been closer to Earth than any other comet in recorded history, so close that Earth itself would have been encased in the comet's coma, its expansive halo of dust around its icy nucleus.

As the comet neared its closest approach, its direction of origin would have meant that its motion in the sky began to accelerate eastwards, not westwards, fast enough to begin to counter Earth's rotation in the opposite direction. Between 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on the morning of June 8, as seen from the Jerusalem/Bethlehem area, this motion would have given the comet the illusion of remaining still in the daytime sky, as bright as the full moon and appearing to be above Bethlehem from the point of view of the magi.

Afterwards, the comet would have resumed westward motion on an orbit that would have seen it skim the sun's corona. We call such comets 'sungrazers' and the close encounter with the sun would have probably resulted in the comet breaking up and being destroyed.

That the comet would have been visible during the daytime, in its guise as the Star of Bethlehem, even solves a minor mystery of the Christmas story, according to Matney.

"All the Christmas cards have the magi on camels at night, but during those times people typically did not travel at night," he said, citing hazards such as unlit paths and the danger from robbers. "So the fact that this comet would have been visible in broad daylight makes sense to me, as they were more likely to have travelled during the day."

Comets, omens and history

If Matney is right, why doesn't the Book of Matthew refer to a comet rather than a star? To the ancients, everything in the celestial sky barring the sun and the moon was a star. Planets were 'wandering stars', while comets were 'hairy stars' or 'broom stars' to the Chinese. And while comets are often seen as portents of doom, Matney explains that it's not as simple as that.

"Comet omens of that period are nuanced, but they were often omens of great change," said Matney. Often, it really depended on your point of view. Herod was very interested in the duration that the star was in the sky, and he would of course have seen the comet as a bad omen.

It seems that the Chinese were also influenced by the comet's presence in the sky. Although there's no record in their annals of the comet growing so bright as to rival the moon in the daytime sky, the comet seems to have affected the astrological reckoning surrounding the emperor of that time, Emperor Ai of the Han dynasty.

"The Chinese had periods in the Emperor's reign, and I'm not 100% sure of this, but according to my Chinese colleague, the Chinese temporarily changed the dating of these periods in part because of the comet," said Matney. "So it was enough that it got their attention."

Even so, it does seem like it would require a remarkable set of coincidences for the comet to have been the Star of Bethlehem, by being in the right direction, at the right time, moving at the right speed and at the right distance — a Goldilocks comet, if you will.

"It is a very unusual set of parameters," conceded Matney. "It had to come at the right time so that the right longitude could see it. Twelve hours sooner and it would have been on the other side of the world. But even though it is a highly unlikely set of circumstances, it's not out of the question. After all, every comet's orbit is a unique set of parameters."

Despite how rare it is for comets to come as close to the Earth as our moon — if Matney is right, this is the only comet in the past 2030 years — we have seen in the past decade that it is possible for a comet to sail close to a planet. In 2014, comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) passed within 140,000 kilometers (87,000 miles) of Mars.

Searching for more evidence

Such a close approach could have physically left its mark on Earth. As the comet's dusty coma would have swept across our planet, there would have been one heck of a meteor shower with its radiant in the constellation of Capricornus, the Sea Goat, and some of that cometary dust would have drifted through the atmosphere and settled onto Earth, finding its way into sediment, just waiting to be found as a thin geological layer.

"There might be something in the ice cores, a sudden jump in cometary or meteoritic dust," said Matney. "I did look for something like that but didn't find anything obvious. Maybe someone who studies ice cores for a living can take a better look."

Another problem with Matney's hypothesis is that other than the short section in the Book of Matthew, which is believed to have been written after 70 AD, the only other source of information regarding the comet and its possible link with the Star of Bethlehem is the Chinese observations of the comet. If anyone else did see the star, they didn't leave any records — or at least, no records that have survived across the millennia since. Still, Matney is hopeful that something else might yet turn up.

"The weakest link in my story is that we don't have other records, which is why I'm still on the lookout for some untapped historical or archaeological source that might provide more clues," he said.

Matney is not claiming his hypothesis to be the final solution to the mystery of the Star of Bethlehem. "I have no proof that the comet came that close, I just show that it could have," he said. "Unless we can turn over more records from the first century AD that can help us pinpoint the comet's orbit, it will stay in the realm of speculation."

We might never know what the Star of Bethlehem was, or even if there was a star at all. Matney's motivation was just to show that no matter how rare it might be, there is an astronomical event that in principle could behave like the Star of Bethlehem is reported to have behaved.

It's ironic; were a comet to come that close today, there'd probably be panic about it possibly crashing into Earth, but a little over 2,000 years ago, it might have been seen as the rise of a new king, the birth of a savior and the dawn of a new religion.

Matney's research into the Star of Bethlehem and the comet hypothesis was published on Dec. 3 in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association.

]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/the-comet-of-bethlehem-why-we-may-need-to-rethink-a-popular-christmas-story - + - ihMiX24fzgoSpQygvodEmf - - Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + QV8v2mrZKNMakqhdgaDnFd + + Tue, 16 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000 Mon, 15 Dec 2025 23:37:22 +0000 + + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ ISS astronauts watch Earth's atmosphere glow green | Space photo of the day for Dec. 8, 2025 ]]> - Some of the best views of Earth come from beyond our home planet, as recently captured by astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). In late October, astronauts saw Earth covered in a green sheen, a phenomenon called airglow.

What is it?

Airglow is a faint light emitted by Earth's upper atmosphere, produced when molecules emit energy after being excited by cosmic rays or ultraviolet solar radiation. Although far dimmer than auroras, airglow forms a continuous global layer and is always present, both day and night, though it's best visible from space.

Where is it?

This image was taken from low Earth orbit as the ISS flew 260 miles (418 kilometers) above Texas.

Airglow comes from particles in Earth's atmosphere. (Image credit: NASA)

Why is it amazing?

Airglow is more than just visually stunning; it can also be used as a diagnostic tool for understanding the structure and dynamics of Earth's upper atmosphere. Airglow can help shed light on atmospheric disturbances, as well as the impacts of space weather coming from solar radiation.

The different colors of airglow are caused by various chemicals found in the atmosphere, so understanding what chemicals are present can help researchers refine atmospheric models used in climate science to get a more accurate picture of how our planet's atmosphere changes over time.

Want to learn more?

You can learn more about the International Space Station and airglow.

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/iss-astronauts-watch-earths-atmosphere-glow-green-space-photo-of-the-day-for-dec-8-2025 + <![CDATA[ Satellite watches volcano spew ash over Middle East | Space photo of the day for Dec. 16, 2025 ]]> + In late November, Hayli Gubbi erupted explosively, sending a towering plume of ash and volcanic gases high into the atmosphere. The MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite captured the dramatic scene just four hours after the eruption began. The plume reached roughly 9 miles (15 kilometers) above sea level, drifting northeast across multiple countries and eventually disrupting flights as far away as India.

What is it?

Northern Ethiopia's Danakil (Afar) Depression, near where the Hayli Gubbi volcano is located, is considered one of the most volcanically active and geologically dynamic places on Earth. Here, the African and Arabian tectonic plates are slowly pulling apart, thinning Earth's crust and allowing magma to rise close to the surface. The region hosts a chain of shield volcanoes, broad mountains built by fluid magma, which includes Hayli Gubbi.

Because of its remoteness, volcanic activity in the Danakil region often goes undocumented. Estimates suggest its last major activity could have occurred thousands of years ago — or perhaps only centuries, a sign of how little this environment has been studied directly.

Where is it?

This image was taken in low Earth orbit above the Danakil region of Ethiopia.

Image 1 of 3

An image of Ethiopia from space.

A before picture of the Danakil region (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview, and Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. )
Image 2 of 3

An image of Earth from space, showing Ethiopia and the Middle East covered with brown and gray streaks of ash

The after picture of the Hayli Gubbi ash plume (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview, and Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. )
Image 3 of 3

An image of Ethiopia from space, showing a growing brown ash plume over the landscape

Another image of the Hayli Gubbi eruption and corresponding ash cloud (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview, and Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. )

Why is it amazing?

Because of its understudied status, Hayli Gubbi has no recorded eruptive history in the modern era. NASA's new satellite imagery now provides the first observational record of its activity, establishing a baseline for future monitoring and scientific analysis. Given the tectonic activity of the area, scientists can use Earth-observing satellites like Aqua to further study how plate tectonics affects Earth's volcanic activity, providing insights about these hard-to-reach areas.

The image shows the difference in temperature between the top of a hurricane and the bottom.

The images reveal the storm's incredible power and offer vital insights into how such hurricanes form.

A powerful geomagnetic storm created a series of brilliant auroras recently for observers across North America.

Want to learn more?

You can learn more about satellites and volcanoes.

]]> + https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/satellite-watches-volcano-spew-ash-over-middle-east-space-photo-of-the-day-for-dec-16-2025 - + - uwz4V3rrFEr9KLqoW9jYKc - - Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000 + otDFvbwr2fnxybeHkVDNAZ + + Tue, 16 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000 Mon, 15 Dec 2025 20:19:24 +0000 + - - - - - + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ This supermassive black hole flung out matter at 134 million mph: 'On a scale almost too big to imagine' ]]> - Supermassive black holes are notoriously messy eaters, but the behemoth at the heart of spiral galaxy NGC 3783 really takes the cake — and then flings it out into space at a fifth the speed of light.

Astronomers recently spotted a gale of hot, charged particles erupting from this black hole in the aftermath of a powerful X-ray flare that occurred just a few hours earlier. As one of the study's co-authors, Matteo Guainazzi,described it in a statement, picture a cosmic storm "similar to the flares that erupt from the sun, but on a scale almost too big to imagine." Guainazzi is a project scientist on the European Space Agency's XRISM X-ray telescope, which led to these results.

And the breathtaking sight could help astrophysicists better understand how supermassive black holes shape the fate of their host galaxies.

Unleashing a Cosmic Storm

Astronomers using XRISM first spotted a brief but intense burst of X-ray radiation erupting from the area around the black hole. A few hours later, XRISM picked up the blast of wind unleashed from the same area racing outward at 134 million miles (216 million kilometers) per hour. XRISM's instruments measured the speed and structure of the wind and pinpointed its source, while instruments on the XMM-Newton X-ray telescope helped measure the extent of the cosmic storm. Space Research Organization Netherlands astrophysicist Liyi Gu, who is another author of the study, and colleagues say the process that spawned the storm is not much different from the process that causes solar flares and coronal mass ejections from our own sun — just on a gargantuan scale.

"The winds around this black hole seem to have been created as the active galactic nucleus’s tangled magnetic field suddenly 'untwisted,'" said Guainazzi.

The magnetic field around our sun is a restless thing. It's constantly in motion, and sometimes its magnetic field lines snap and then reconnect. That violent severing and rejoining kicks off a solar flare, a short burst of radiation from the sun's surface. The same process often flings a massive glob of plasma (electrically-charged gas particles) out into space.

But the supermassive black hole lurking at the core of NGC 3783 is 30 million times the mass of our humble sun, and the magnetic field writhing around is millions of times stronger, so when its lines snap and reconnect, the resulting flare is an eruption of almost unfathomable power.

And, while a typical coronal mass ejection erupts from our sun at more than 3 million miles (4.8 million kilometers) per hour, remember how the blast of wind from NGC 3783's supermassive black hole clocked in at more than 134 million miles per hour. That's about 0.2C, or 20% of the speed of light (just barely fast enough to be considered relativistic, if you're counting).

Supermassive temper tantrums and the fate of galaxies

Supermassive black holes (at least, the ones actively drawing in material from their host galaxies) are known for producing relativistic jets: streams of plasma that blast out in opposite directions from their magnetic poles. Some pairs of relativistic jets can stretch out over more than a million light years, wider than the arms of their host galaxies. These jets can reach speeds much closer to the speed of light and last much longer than this recent one-off burst, but they're powered (in part) by processes similar to what happens in the magnetic field around a supermassive black hole.

Relativistic jets, and just-barely-relativistic flares like this one, aren't the only processes happening around the edges of supermassive black holes. The area of space near a black hole, called the accretion disk, is a region where powerful magnetic field lines dance and where matter gets accelerated to truly ludicrous speeds as it falls inward toward the black hole — and where that speed, and occasional bursts of energy, can fling that matter into space and sometimes out of its host galaxy altogether.

This recently-observed burst of cosmic wind gives astrophysicists a glimpse into the mechanical details of at least one of these processes, and that could help unravel some of the ways in which a supermassive black hole's voracious but often messy eating habits shape the future of its galaxy.

If a black hole pulls in too much material too fast, or if it tosses too much material out of its host galaxy, it can cut off its own food supply and grind star formation in the galaxy to a grinding halt. On the other hand, pushing bursts of plasma back into the galaxy can trigger new waves of star formation. It's a complicated feedback loop, and it’s one physicists want to understand in more detail.

"Windy active galactic nuclei also play a big role in how their host galaxies evolve over time and how they form new stars,” said ESA research fellow Camille Diez, a coauthor of the study, in a recent press release. "Because they’re so influential, knowing more about the magnetism of active galactic nuclei, and how they whip up winds such as these, is key to understanding the history of galaxies throughout the universe."

A paper about this work was published on Dec. 9 in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/this-supermassive-black-hole-flung-out-matter-at-134-million-mph-on-a-scale-almost-too-big-to-imagine + <![CDATA[ 'Fallout' Season 2 review: A stark warning against letting tech billionaires decide humanity's fate ]]> + After a shorter-than-expected wait, Fallout is back on Prime Video for a second season that's hitting the road and rushing to New Vegas, the iconic location from hit 2010 entry, Fallout: New Vegas. Thankfully, Season 2 has much more to offer than video game references and fun tonal swings. In fact, it might be one of the most relevant shows of 2025.

Fallout Season 2 is led by the same characters that made us fall in love with the first set of episodes last year. Ella Purnell (Lucy), Walton Goggins (Cooper Howard, aka The Ghoul), and Aaron Moten (Maximus) all guide with strength and resolve. But it also places more narrative weight than we expected going in on the antagonists, with an obvious focus on what happens when the wrong folks are entrusted with our future.

The first season pointed fingers at Vault-Tec as the entity behind the nuclear apocalypse that ended the Great War of 2077 and the world, but the truth is more complex...

Screenshot from Fallout Season 2

(Image credit: Amazon)

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After a twisty Season 1 finale, Kyle MacLachlan's Hank MacLean is on the run, looking to restart his work in the Mojave Desert. Lucy (his daughter) and The Ghoul (an old pal with a score to settle) are hot on his trail. Elsewhere, Maximus has to deal with newfound responsibility and the ambitions of his Brotherhood of Steel chapter. Meanwhile, in the past, Robert House (Justin Theroux) is the mystery to solve.

Since the entire show has been built as a canon continuation of the events in all the games released so far, fans know Mr. House survives the nuclear apocalypse, but what's happened in the 15 years since Fallout: New Vegas' events? Which of its endings does the show go with? And who was he before the bombs fell?

Those are answers I won't give here, but rest assured, the showrunners and writers' room found smart ways to tie everything together while charting a new future for the Mojave and its inhabitants. References, winks, and even fan-pleasing cameos abound, but unlike in many big-budget IP adaptations, all of them make sense for the story being told and don't take attention away from the main players. Robert House's shadow covers the entire season (he even gets the first scene), yet it's less about making the gamers celebrate his digital persona and more about unveiling more about the man he was and what his ultimate goals were.

Screenshot from Fallout Season 2

(Image credit: Amazon)

Theroux — unsurprisingly — had a lot of relaxed fun with the character, who's portrayed in an even more unpredictable manner than in the 2010 game. Neither Vault-Tec nor the billionaire at the top of RobCo Industries are clean, and all signs point to them being behind the end (and new beginning) of the world. All for what? Too boost profits? To create a new society ruled by those deemed worthy of calling the shots?

As real-life billionaires rush to build doomsday bunkers and run headfirst into AI that's far from ready to do anything meaningful (but primed to dissolve who we are), Season 2 might feel too on the nose to some, but the time for subtleties is over.

One way or another, the ruling class won back in 2077... even if many of them are dead. The table was cleared, yet war never changes. Before Vault-Tec's plans – seemingly led by Hank MacLean's own agenda – could take shape, however, what remained of North America was filled with more factions with vastly different political views than you can think of. And then you have the scavengers and mutant horrors, of course.

Screenshot from Fallout Season 2

(Image credit: Amazon)

If Fallout: New Vegas was all about the clash of different groups and cultures away from the more barren Capital Wasteland of Washington DC, then Season 2 dutifully picks up its baton, using the fragmented setting to reflect on human nature and how history seems doomed to repeat itself.

The righteous Brotherhood of Steel is also in danger of breaking apart in this season. As teased previously, there's a thin line between fighting for the greater good and religious fanaticism in the name of peace. With many chapters of the Brotherhood spread across the United States, it was only a matter of time before inside factions started to appear.

There's a depressingly familiar lack of empathy and mutual understanding out there, yet even the more well-intentioned groups can't see they're repeating past mistakes. It underlines not just the season's central themes, but what Fallout has always been about. In this scenario full of shifting alliances, Maximus remains a player character-like guy, following his heart to navigate difficult situations inside and outside the Brotherhood.

Screenshot from Fallout Season 2

(Image credit: Amazon)

Even back in Lucy's home of Vault 33 and its sister, Vault 32, conflict is brewing, demolishing Hank MacLean's views of a world in need of saving by Vault-Tec. His initiatives are also far more sinister than previously teased, and before long, you wonder whether Robert House is the lesser evil.

Regardless, they're two men who had far too much power and money at a time when the United States needed more humanity to avoid a total catastrophe. Fallout Season 2 isn't shy about its politics, also making the instrumentalization of the working class by the wealthy a centerpiece of its narrative.

With the gun-toting and tormented Ghoul and the still idealistic Lucy roaming the desert in search of very different kinds of justice, Fallout Season 2 gets to explore whether the (admittedly primitive) Wasteland needs to be saved by people who'd only save part of humanity and fear free will. The actor-turned-cowboy at one point states that maybe things die for a reason and thus should stay dead. As we learn more of the pre-War world and its remnants, he might have a point... even if he's looking for a few lost pieces himself.

Screenshot from Fallout Season 2

(Image credit: Amazon)

Fallout Season 2 is a more focused and clearly defined season of television that delivers an all-you-can-eat buffet of video game references and perfectly recreated locations and characters. But more than that, it's an uncomfortable examination of what the time before total disaster looks like and how that cycle is bound to happen again unless we fix our hearts.

Fallout Season 2 will premiere on Tuesday, December 16, at 9 pm ET on Amazon Prime Video with a single episode. The eight-chapter season will debut new episodes every Wednesday after the premiere (starting on December 24) at 3 am ET.

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]]> + https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/fallout-season-2-review - + - JBpUkXhtXBYRSPuAg4Mw2B - - Tue, 09 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + FkBMobFSSCfTZ6ziDPQ9kK + + Tue, 16 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:52:19 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Startup announces 'Galactic Brain' project to put AI data centers in orbit ]]> - Aetherflux, a space-based solar technology company hoping to beam power down to Earth, is now throwing its hat into the orbital data center ring.

The company's new "Galactic Brain" project aims to speed up artificial intelligence data center production processes that are hampered on Earth by energy requirements and construction timelines by launching a constellation of solar-powered satellites capable of the same computing power without the bulky infrastructure.

"The race for artificial general intelligence is fundamentally a race for compute capacity, and by extension, energy," Aetherflux founder and CEO Baiju Bhatt, who also co-founded the financial services company Robinhood, said in a press release today (Dec. 9). The company hopes to launch the first node of its Galactic Brain constellation sometime in the first quarter of 2027.

photo of a scientific laboratory, with equipment in a glass case in the center of the frame and a technician wearing a white coat and white hat on the right-hand side

A photo of Aetherflux's facility in California's Bay Area. (Image credit: Aetherflux)

The announcement comes as AI computing power needs are rapidly increasing and major companies with skin already in the game such as OpenAI, Google and Amazon have begun seriously considering orbital solutions for their own computing needs.

"Satellites with localized AI compute, where just the results are beamed back from low-latency, sun-synchronous orbit, will be the lowest cost way to generate AI bitstreams in <3 years," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said about the topic in a Dec. 7 post on X.

Since its founding in 2024, California-based Aetherflux has focused its efforts on space-based solar power, with the goal of "building an American power grid in space," and the company's new Galactic Brain initiative fits neatly into that vision.

"Continuous solar power and advanced thermal systems remove the limits faced by Earth-based data centers," the Aetherflux release said, describing the company's planned power-beaming capabilities as "foundational" to its orbital data center initiative, "enabling energy collected in space to support not only compute in orbit but also power delivery on Earth."

According to Aetherflux's design, many small satellites will transmit energy through infrared lasers to ground stations, where the power and data can be subsequently distributed. "We anticipate powerbeaming to be dramatically more reliable than current solar power generation on the ground," the release said.

The company hopes to launch its first power-beaming demonstration satellite to low Earth orbit sometime in 2026.

]]> - https://www.space.com/technology/startup-announces-galactic-brain-project-to-put-ai-data-centers-in-orbit + <![CDATA[ Strange structures of space: a weird quiz ]]> + Space is full of wonders, but some celestial structures defy explanation. From vast rings that encircle stars to mysterious voids that seem to swallow light, the cosmos is a playground for the bizarre.

Scientists have spotted formations that challenge our understanding of physics, and theorists have dreamed up megastructures that could power entire civilizations.

This crossword quiz explores the weirdest of the weird, real astronomical anomalies, speculative alien engineering, and everything in between.

Whether it's a hexagon on Saturn or a star that dims like clockwork, each clue will test your knowledge of the universe's strangest sights.

Try it out below and see how well you score!

]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/strange-structures-of-space-a-weird-quiz - + - Cck2ALxXpwcUhpfnup2BaH - - Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:01:00 +0000 - - - - + vejJ8qdecQvM5nfdc9fy7K + + Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000 Mon, 15 Dec 2025 20:19:03 +0000 + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ SpaceX launches mysterious NROL-77 mission for the US military (video) ]]> -

SpaceX just launched a secret payload for the U.S. military.

A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off into cloudy skies from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station today (Dec. 9) at 2:16 p.m. EDT (1916 GMT) on a mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) called NROL-77.

The NRO, which is part of the Department of Defense, operates the United States' fleet of spy satellites.

a mission patch showing an illustration of a flying squirrel in mid-glide

The patch for the National Reconnaissance Office's NROL-77 mission. (Image credit: NRO)

Those spacecraft and their missions tend to be classified, and NROL-77 is no exception. The NRO's press kit, which you can find here, says the mission "carries a national security payload designed, built and operated by NRO."

There are no details, though the kit does reveal that the mission patch features a flying squirrel, along with the words "Another One Gone — Today, Tomorrow and Beyond'."

"The flying squirrel is a symbol of hard work and endurance — always active gathering foundational knowledge from the space domain for the nation and its allies," NRO officials wrote in the press kit. "Every mission counts, every decision matters, and every advancement propels us further. 'Another One Gone — Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond' embodies the relentless pursuit of excellence."

Previous Booster 1096 missions

KF-01 | IMAP | 1 Starlink mission

closeup photo of a black and white rocket descending through earth's atmosphere with fire spewing from several of its engines

The Falcon 9's first stage comes down for a landing at Cape Canaveral on Dec. 9, 2025. (Image credit: SpaceX)

NROL-77 was the third mission that SpaceX has launched this year for the NRO and U.S. Space Systems Command, according to the company. However, it was the seventh Falcon 9 flight of 2025 carrying the "NROL-" prefix. The others — NROL-153, NROL-57, NROL-69, NROL-192, NROL-145 and NROL-48 — launched between January and September.

The Falcon 9's first stage successfully landed back at Cape Canaveral 8.5 minutes after launch today as planned. It was the fourth mission for this particular booster, which is designated 1096.

We don't know when and where the Falcon 9's upper stage will deploy the NROL-77 payload. SpaceX's mission description doesn't provide that information, and the company cut its webcast off shortly after booster landing at the request of the NRO.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:28 p.m. ET on Dec. 9 with news of successful launch and booster landing.

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launch-spy-satellite-mission-nrol-77-nro + <![CDATA[ James Webb Space Telescope could illuminate dark matter in a way scientists didn't realize ]]> + Since it began operations in 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has allowed scientists to make incredible strides in our understanding of the cosmos  — especially its early epoch. However, one lingering cosmological mystery that the JWST hasn't had a major impact on is the nature of dark matter. Now, new research suggests that this is something that may soon change.

While dark matter is estimated to account for 85% of the matter in the universe, it is difficult to investigate because it doesn't interact with electromagnetic radiation (light) or it interacts so weakly that we can't directly detect it. As well as making dark matter effectively invisible, this lack of interaction with light tells scientists that the particles making up dark matter aren't the protons, neutrons, and electrons that comprise the everyday stuff we see around us on a day-to-day basis, ranging from the most massive stars to the viruses that make our lives miserable every winter. The search for a potential dark matter particle has delivered many suspects, but they've all remained frustratingly hypothetical.

Thus, the only way scientists can infer the presence of dark matter is by looking at the gravitational influence it has on the fabric of space and how this then impacts ordinary matter and light. This new research, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, suggests that the gravitational influence of dark matter may be the cause of strange young galaxies with unexpectedly elongated shapes. And investigating these shapes could reveal which of these hypothetical particles is the best recipe for dark matter.

Studying these elongated galaxies with the JWST might help reveal the presence of dark matter, scientists say. "In the expanding universe defined by Einstein’s theory of general relativity, galaxies grow over time from small clumps of dark matter that form the first star clusters and assemble into larger galaxies via their collective gravity," team member Rogier Windhorst, of Arizona State University, said in a statement.

"But now the JWST suggests that the earliest galaxies may be embedded in marked filamentary structures, which — unlike cold, dark matter — smoothly join the star-forming regions together, more akin to what is expected if dark matter is an ultralight particle that also shows quantum behavior."

Understanding dark matter is a stretch

When using simulations to recreate how the first galaxies formed in the early universe, allowing cool gas to gather along the threads in a web of dark matter is able to quite nicely recreate the mostly spheroid galaxies we see in the modern universe.

However, as the JWST has been allowing astronomers to look back at galaxies that existed in the very early stages of the universe, they have increasingly been finding filamentary elongated galaxies that aren't as easily recreated in simulations that stick to the standard mechanism of gas gathering to birth stars and grow galaxies.

To investigate this, Windhorst and colleagues looked at simulations of the universe involving different types of dark matter other than that found in the most accepted model of cosmology, the Lambda Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) model; "cold" dark matter, which doesn't refer to temperature but instead to the speed at which particles move.

This revealed that the wave-like behavior of "fuzzy dark matter" or ultralight axion particles could account for the elongated morphology of early galaxies seen by the JWST.

"If ultralight axion particles make up the dark matter, their quantum wave-like behavior would prevent physical scales smaller than a few light-years from forming for a while, contributing to the smooth filamentary behavior that JWST now sees at very large distances," team leader Álvaro Pozo of the Donostia International Physics Center said.

The team's modelling also indicated that faster-moving "warm dark matter" particles, like sterile neutrinos, could also give rise to early filamentary galaxies. In both the wave dark matter and warm dark matter scenarios, this is because these particles give rise to smoother filaments than cold dark matter. As gas and stars slowly flow down these filaments, elongated galaxies begin to form.

The JWST will continue to investigate oddly shaped galaxies in the early universe, while researchers here on Earth continue to evolve simulations of the early universe. Bringing these together could eventually help solve the mystery of dark matter.

The team's research was published on Dec. 8 in the journal Nature Astronomy.

]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/dark-universe/james-webb-space-telescope-could-illuminate-dark-matter-in-a-way-scientists-didnt-realize - + - ZJtgGS9q2wDmoiijGXwSDD - - Tue, 09 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + y2Pvx3KQ6Xf2JWWNXgtPXj + + Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:10:47 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Russian Soyuz capsule lands on Earth to return crew of 3 home after months on International Space Station (video) ]]> -

Two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut are safely back on Earth after spending eight months aboard the International Space Station.

Soyuz MS-27 crewmates Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky of the Russian federal space corporation Roscosmos, along with Jonny Kim of NASA, landed on the cold, snow-flurry-covered steppe of Kazakhstan on Tuesday (Dec. 9). The spacecraft, descending under a parachute and cushioned by braking thrusters, met the ground at 12:03 a.m. EST (0503 GMT or 10:03 a.m. local time).

A Roscosmos recovery team, together with representatives from NASA, were quickly on site to assist the three Soyuz MS-27 crew members out of the capsule and into chairs for brief medical checks.

A man in a pressure suit and wool cap uses a piece of chalk to sign his name and the date on the outside of a space capsule

Following tradition, Soyuz MS-27 commander Sergey Ryzhikov of the Russian federal space corporation Roscosmos signs his name and the date on the outside of his ride back to Earth, the charred descent module, on the steppe of Kazakhstan, on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Image credit: NASA)

Ryzhikov and Kim looked to be in fine condition and in good spirits. Zubritsky was taken directly from the Soyuz to an inflatable medical tent.

"Congratulations on one more end of a Soyuz vehicle trip. Expedition 73, all tasks complete," said Ryzhikov after the landing. "The crew are feeling great."

The cosmonauts and astronaut will next be flown by helicopter to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, where the recovery teams are based. Kim will then board a NASA aircraft and be transported to Houston, while Ryzhikov and Zubritsky will depart for the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.

Ryzhikov, Zubritsky and Kim's journey back to Earth began on Monday (Dec. 8), as they boarded and undocked their Soyuz from the station's Prichal module. Their departure at 8:41 p.m. EST (0141 GMT Tuesday) marked the formal end of Expedition 73 and the beginning of Expedition 74.

"What I think I'm going to remember most is the bond that we shared together, and after having spent eight months in space, I firmly believe that the greatest quality of an astronaut and a human is not technical competence or loyalty or any of the myriad of the things that we like to ascribe to astronauts, it's love," said Kim during a brief change-of-command ceremony on Sunday (Dec. 7). "I firmly believe that love is the greatest thing an astronaut can have for each other and for the people that they work with and for our lovely planet."

"I think that's what we accomplished here — we always gave each other grace and had so much love for each other and for the ground, for everyone that supports us, and I think that is what makes space exploration possible and human," said Kim.

a spacecraft separates from its docking port at a space station backdropped by the blue and white of the Earth below.

Russia's Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft, with Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky of the Russian federal space corporation Roscosmos and Jonny Kim of NASA aboard, undocks from the International Space Station's Prichal module to return to Earth on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (Image credit: NASA)

Still aboard the space station as the newly formed Expedition 74 crew are commander Mike Fincke and fellow NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Chris Williams, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Platonov, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev.

Kud-Sverchkov, Mikaev and Williams arrived in late November, on a Soyuz launch that left Russia's only launch pad capable of supporting flights to the station significantly damaged.

Ryzhikov, Zubritsky and Kim, during their 245 days in low Earth orbit, conducted hundreds of science investigations and technology demonstrations, as well as contributed to the upkeep of the station and oversaw the arrival and departure of uncrewed cargo ships, including the first upgraded spacecraft from Northrop Grumman (Cygnus XL) and JAXA (HTV-X).

Ryzhikov and Zubritsky also conducted two spacewalks to install scientific experiments and relocate a controller for the European Robotic Arm on the exterior of the Russian segment of the station.

a crowd gathers around a recently landed space capsule on a snow-dusted desert landscape

Recovery team members surround the recently landed Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft on the snow-dusted steppe of Kazakhstan on Tuesday, Dec. 9. 2025. (Image credit: NASA)

Ryzhikov, 51, was the only veteran on the Soyuz MS-27 crew and has now reached a total time in space that only 12 other people in history have exceeded.

"Now [that] I'm commander, my first thing to do is to celebrate something," said Fincke on Sunday (Dec. 7). "Today is the 60th anniversary of Gemini 7, and that was a big deal for the American space program. They were going to go on a really long-duration mission of 14 days. And amongst us here, we have a man who's flown for 600 days in space."

Ryzhikov, who is a colonel in the Russian Air Force, previously served on the Expedition 50 and Expedition 64 crews in 2017 and 2021, respectively.

Zubritsky, 33, was the 630th person to fly into Earth orbit, according to the Registry of Space Travelers maintained by the Association of Space Explorers. Kim, 41, who inspired memes given his prior careers as a U.S. Navy SEAL and medical doctor, was the 631st person to orbit Earth. (Ryzhikov became number 548 when he launched on his first flight in 2016.)

Soyuz MS-27 was Russia's 73rd spacecraft in its class to launch for the station since 2000 and the 156th Soyuz to fly since 1967.

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/astronaut-and-cosmonauts-land-on-russian-soyuz-after-8-months-aboard-international-space-station + <![CDATA[ Private satellites pinpoint methane emissions from oil, gas and coal facilities worldwide ]]> + When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, carbon dioxide gets the lion's share of global attention.

But methane is the second-largest contributor to human-caused global warming. A high proportion of methane emissions comes from the energy sector, often from concentrated "point sources" such as flare stacks, coal vents and open-pit mines. To help reduce those emissions, we must first identify the major culprits — and new satellite data is helping us do just that.

Using high-resolution observations from the GHGSat satellite constellation, researchers have produced a global, facility-level view of methane emissions, identifying thousands of individual oil, gas and coal sites that are releasing the greenhouse gas into Earth's atmosphere.

"This is the first global gridded estimate of annual methane emissions from facility-scale measurements, an advancement in measurement-based accounting that is due to the comprehensive scale of GHGSat's satellite constellation to measure methane worldwide," said Dylan Jervis of GHGSat Inc., lead author of a new study on the findings published Dec. 11 in the journal Science.

"This information will be useful to improve understanding and predictions of methane emissions, and, therefore, provide information that is useful to direct mitigation efforts," Jervis told Space.com.

Traditionally, scientists have measured methane emissions with a mix of bottom-up inventories, which estimate emissions based on industry activity but can miss short-term fluctuations like leaks, and top-down atmospheric measurements, which detect methane concentrations directly but lack the resolution to pinpoint specific sources. Neither can paint a very precise picture of global methane emissions from the energy sector. But the GHGSat constellation, run by the Canadian company GHGSat, bridges that gap by combining meter-scale spatial resolution with global coverage.

Analyzing GHGSat observations of methane plumes collected in 2023, the team estimated annual methane emissions from 3,114 oil, gas and coal facilities worldwide that totaled about 9 million tons (8.3 million metric tons) per year.

Example GHGSat methane plumes, detected from a coal vent, oil & gas flare stack, and open-pit coal mine. (Image credit: GHGSat)

Geographically, the biggest emitters stood out clearly in the satellite data. "The countries where we measure the largest oil and gas methane emissions are Turkmenistan, the U.S., Russia, Mexico and Kazakhstan," said Jervis. "The countries where we measure the large coal emissions are China and Russia."

While bottom-up inventories are fairly good at estimating methane emissions on such large scales as countries, they aren't nearly as precise when you zoom in. "We found moderate agreement between GHGSat-measured emission estimates and bottom-up inventory predictions at the country level, but very little agreement at 0.2 degree x 0.2 degree [about 20 by 20 kilometers] spatial resolution," Jervis said. Thus, effective change may need to happen at the facility level, not at the country level.

The researchers tracked how often individual facilities emitted detectable methane plumes, a metric they call persistence.

"Persistence of emissions depends more on sector than region," said Jervis. For coal facilities, methane plumes were detected about half the time on average. Oil and gas sites, by contrast, were far more intermittent, emitting detectable methane in only about 16% of satellite observations on average. That variability makes oil and gas emissions especially difficult to capture with infrequent monitoring.

For the most accurate and actionable methane estimates, detailed surveys like the ones provided by GHGSat are crucial — which is why GHGSat is growing its constellation. Two new satellites were launched in June, and two more in November, bringing the company's total to 14 satellites. "This will enable better coverage, both spatially and temporally, allowing us to detect more emissions and monitor them more frequently," said Jervis.

]]> + https://www.space.com/science/climate-change/private-satellites-pinpoint-methane-emissions-from-oil-gas-and-coal-facilities-worldwide - + - TvrdTzRUrN7DinvMWH7gDV - - Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:05:31 +0000 - - - - - - + mTwQhjMzfszMKZypTcA72i + + Mon, 15 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0000 Mon, 15 Dec 2025 20:02:38 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ The Subaru Telescope just made its 1st discoveries: a 'failed star' and an exoplanet ]]> - While our ability to view distant worlds with advanced telescopes has come a long way in a short time, we can still only photograph a tiny fraction of the planets throughout our cosmos with the technology we have today.

However, astronomers in Hawaii just spotted a pair of exciting discoveries — a huge exoplanet and a brown dwarf — using Japan’s Subaru Telescope, which sits atop Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.

These new celestial discoveries represent the first findings from OASIS (Observing Accelerators with SCExAO Imaging Survey), a program that relies on the Subaru Telescope, as well as data from other sources.

"The program uses measurements from two European Space Agency missions — Hipparcos and Gaia — to identify stars being tugged by the gravity of unseen companions," a spokesperson from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) wrote in a statement.

The exoplanet that the astronomers found is called HIP 54515 b. It's 271 light-years away from Earth and orbits a star in the Leo constellation. NAOJ says the planet is almost 18 times the mass of Jupiter and that it orbits its star from a vantage point that’s roughly the same as Neptune's distance from the sun.

This gif shows the exoplanet the Subaru Telescope found. (Image credit: T. Currie/Subaru Telescope, UTSA)

The brown dwarf, called HIP 71618 B, is 169 light-years away in the Bootes constellation. The term "brown dwarf" refers to a curious celestial object that has a mass somewhere between a planet and a star. Scientists often call brown dwarfs "failed stars," because these objects form in a similar way to stars but never accumulate quite enough mass to make the cut.

The discovery of the brown dwarf is especially exciting, because it has the right properties to test out NASA's new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will launch in 2026 or 2027.

To test the Roman Space Telescope, NASA needs an object with pretty tight specifications. NAOJ says this brown dwarf checks all the boxes. "Roman will carry out a technology demonstration to test coronagraph systems that future telescopes will need to photograph Earth-like planets around other stars — planets that are ten billion times fainter than their host stars," NAOJ wrote.

A large round metal building sits atop a cliffside with clouds in the distance

The Subaru Telescope is located in Mauna Kea Hawaii. (Image credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA)

So, with this new discovery, NAOJ says, Roman will have the right candidate for a technology demonstration.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/the-subaru-telescope-just-made-its-1st-discoveries-a-failed-star-and-an-exoplanet + <![CDATA[ Ghosts, sharks and Norse mythology: US Space Force unveils new names for satellites and space weapons ]]> + The U.S. Space Force is turning to some unlikely sources of inspiration for naming its spacecraft and space weaponry.

At the 3rd Annual Spacepower Conference, held in Orlando, Florida from Dec. 10 to Dec. 12, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman told attendees that Space Force is adopting new naming schemes for each of its different mission areas that will "cement the identities of space weapon systems" much like the names of iconic aircraft, such as the A-10 Thunderbolt II or F-22 Raptor, have done for the U.S. Air Force.

But while symbols for some of Space Force's mission areas will be similarly borrowed from real-life animals, others are more mythological in nature, Saltzman said. "These include Norse Pantheon, representing the power and dominance of orbital warfare; mythological creatures, conjuring the cunning and adaptability of cyber warfare systems; constellations, reflecting the reach and enduring connection of satellite communications; and ghosts, evoking the silent presence of space domain awareness, just to name a few," Saltzman said at the conference.

Seven different naming categories were chosen, one for each of Space Force's mission areas:

After announcing the new naming scheme, Saltzman explained two specific names that had been chosen for specific spacecraft. The first, a communications satellite in geostationary orbit previously known as the Ultra-High Frequency Follow-On system, will now be known as as Ursa Major.

"The Big Dipper — as you all know, part of the Ursa Major constellation — famously points to Polaris, our north star, always linking us to our most important missions," Saltzman said.

an illustration of of an upside-down V-shaped triangle of stars on a starry background

An illustration of a constellation in the shape of the Space Force Delta, the official logo of the U.S. Space Force. (Image credit: US Space Force/Airman 1st Class Chauncey Glenn)

Another spacecraft operated by Space Force's 1st Space Operations Squadron (1 SOPS) used to track satellites in high orbits will now be taking a name from Norse mythology: Bifrost.

"Bifrost is a bridge between Earth and the realm of the gods," Saltzman explained, "just as the Bifrost system in low Earth orbit bridges the divide between the Earth and the higher geostationary orbit of the other 1 SOPS systems."

an illustration of a winged woman in metal armor carrying two swords, flying above earth

An illustration of a Valkyrie, a powerful being in Norse mythology that guides the souls of slain warriors to Valhalla. The U.S. Space Force will now use the names of figures from Norse myths for its orbital warfare platforms. (Image credit: US Space Force/Airman 1st Class Charlotte Taylor)

Saltzman stressed that the new naming scheme will help the newest branch of the U.S. military establish its own identity. "These symbols conjure the character of the systems, the importance of their mission, and the identity of the Guardians who employ them," Saltzman said. The new names will serve as "a way to own the identity of our space systems as they enter the joint fight," he added.

Unlike the U.S. Air Force's iconic aircraft or the U.S. Army's ground vehicles such as tanks, the public rarely gets a glimpse at Space Force's assets in orbit. This is partly by design; many of Space Force's spacecraft are highly classified, which can make it difficult for the service to communicate its missions and capabilities both to the public and throughout the U.S. armed services.

]]> + https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/ghosts-sharks-and-norse-mythology-us-space-force-unveils-new-names-for-satellites-and-space-weapons - + - eZHwB22AHyNTV5y8YTY3Uo - - Mon, 08 Dec 2025 23:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + 6LjS9ThaQK629Jev2MGYt8 + + Mon, 15 Dec 2025 20:00:00 +0000 Mon, 15 Dec 2025 19:51:24 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ SpaceX launches Starlink satellites on record 32nd flight of Falcon 9 rocket (video) ]]> -

The first stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket just set a new record for a "flight-proven" booster, landing for the 32nd time after helping loft Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.

The company's Booster 1067 lifted off on Monday (Dec. 8), accelerating an upper stage and 29 broadband internet satellites skyward. The 5:26 p.m. EST (2226 GMT Dec. 8) launch from Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida proceeded as planned after a one-day stand down due to poor weather conditions.

Previous Booster 1067 missions

CRS-22 | Crew-3 | Turksat 5B | Crew-4 | CRS-25 | Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G | O3B mPOWER | PSN SATRIA | Telkomsat Marah Putih 2 | Galileo L13 | Koreasat-6A | 19 Starlink missions

The first stage climbed towards space for about two and a half minutes before separating from the upper stage and then making a propulsive return to Earth. It landed on the autonomous droneship "Just Read the Instructions," which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

The 32nd use is another step toward SpaceX's goal of flying its Falcon 9 first stages 40 times.

the first stage of an orbital rocket caked in black soot stands on its four landing legs atop an ocean-based droneship after a sunset propulsive landing from space

The first stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands on the ocean-based droneship "Just Read the Instructions" after performing its record 32nd propulsive landing on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (Image credit: SpaceX)

The Falcon 9 upper stage, meanwhile continued on its climb and, after a coast and a second firing of its Merlin engine, was expected to deploy the Starlink satellites (Group 6-92) about an hour after leaving the ground.

There are now more than 9,100 operational relay units in the Starlink network, which provide access to broadband internet to regions around the world that do not have other means of connecting. The service also supports WiFi connectively on commercial airliners and cell-to-satellite service on select carriers.

Monday's launch from Florida was SpaceX's 158th Falcon 9 launch of the year and 510th reflight of a first stage since 2017. The company launched another set of 29 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Sunday (Dec. 7).

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-6-92-b1067-ksc-jrti + <![CDATA[ Fallout games ranked, worst to best ]]> + Fallout Season 2 is almost here, so now is the perfect time to start a little online nuclear war of our own by ranking all the Fallout games from worst to best. Not even Vault-Tec can save you from this one.

Sure, you could just — and maybe should just — play through all the Fallout games in order, but that's a tall order given that your average Fallout game takes around 30 hours minimum, and closer to 100 hours if you want to complete everything. So, we're here to help you prioritize, while also throwing some of our spicy opinions out into the wasteland.

In truth, each Fallout game offers something different, and different players will vibe with different titles, whether that's the older isometric RPGs, the newer first-person titles, or even some of the spinoffs. Just don't set a deathclaw on us if you don't agree with our top choice.

Some admin from the overseer before we get started: we're not counting most of the weird spin-offs. Fallout Pinball might be the pinnacle of pinball technology, but it's not really a Fallout game in our eyes. Likewise, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel isn't on the list because it's non-canon (and awful). You can just assume it came in last place.

Those looking for more sci-fi gaming recommendations should also check out our takes on the entire Doom, Half-Life, Halo, and Metroid series... as long as you're in the mood for more first-person action.

8. Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel

Screenshot from the video game Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Release date: March 15, 2001 | Platforms: PC | Developer: Micro Forté, 14 Degrees East

As the name implies, Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel was a tactical combat game that played more like X-COM than the other Fallout games. While we appreciate them trying something new, developers Micro Forté didn't quite stick the landing.

Don't get us wrong, it's a solid game that reviewed well at the time, but the linearity of the experience and the attempts to mimic the classic Fallout experience with RPG-lite elements left it feeling odd. Honestly, it felt more like a mod for Fallout 2 than a bold new strategy game.

Neither the strategy nor the RPG systems were meaty enough to leave a lasting impression. Add a razor-thin Brotherhood of Steel-centric narrative (that has since been contradicted by mainline entries), and you're left with a curiosity that only the most eager of diehard Fallout fans should unearth.

7. Fallout Shelter

Screenshot from the video game Fallout Shelter

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Release date: June 14, 2015 | Platforms: PC, iOS, Android, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

It might look like another mobile gaming money-grabber — and that's not entirely wrong — but Fallout Shelter is also far better than it has any right to be.

Mobile spin-offs of massive console/PC video games are often terrible, but Fallout Shelter gets the satisfying strategy and management sim gameplay loop right from the get-go. Moreover, it never feels overly impaired by the progression limits and microtransactions. It's not even tied to mobile platforms either, as you can also play it on consoles and PC too.

At first, you’re limited to your underground shelter, but the game soon expands and takes your dwellers topside, shaking things up with tense encounters and shiny loot, slowly turning your naïve vault dwellers into hardened survivors.

Back home, things are cozy most of the time, but keeping everyone in check is harder than it looks, especially when mutant horrors and other menaces come knocking on the door. Even in its more relaxed and bite-sized form, the Fallout universe is rough and unpredictable.

6. Fallout 76

Screenshot from the video game Fallout 76

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Release date: November 14, 2018 | Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One | Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

After an admittedly weak launch in 2018, it's hard to stay mad at Bethesda Game Studios for Fallout 76, considering how much the game has improved. How did they fix it? By dropping most of its 'survival-crafting online game' pretense and embracing the 'Fallout online' angle fans wanted in the first place.

Nowadays, Fallout 76 is still trucking along as a radically different online experience. It's still an MMO, sure, but it's casual and even solo-friendly, all while packing a whole lot of endgame content and seasonal challenges for those looking to really get into it.

After a bleak early life devoid of interactable non-player characters, Bethesda added a proper main quest and plenty of side missions built around settlers, bandits, and colorful groups that have been expanded with each content update. Still, Fallout 76's cracks show the more time you spend with it; the central narrative and traditional RPG systems feel a bit tacked-on (because they were), and the Creation Engine clearly wasn't built for an ambitious MMO-ish world.

It's a solid game, but it could have been so much more.

5. Fallout 4

Screenshot from the video game Fallout 4

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Release date: November 10, 2015 | Platforms: PC, PS4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S | Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

The most recent mainline Fallout game, Fallout 4, was a big hit when it dropped in 2015, and it's still receiving support from the devs — and modders — to this day. It also marked Bethesda's first move towards putting user-friendly creative tools into its games. When we think about Fallout 4, our mind instantly goes to all the NPC-filled settlements you can build and develop into flourishing communities.

But what about the main questline, secondary quests, factions, and the Commonwealth as another giant map to explore and conquer? Well... It's alright.

Bethesda Game Studios catches some deserved flak for narrative shortcomings of Fallout 4, which really wants its central narrative (Find and save your son!) to be urgent, but that clashes with almost everything else in the game.

In a toybox full of diversions and engaging side systems, the main quest largely falls flat, and the payoffs don't really live up to all the early promise. The Mass Effect-like wheel for dialogue and RPG choices also felt like a step down, taking away much of the nuance and fun found in earlier games. Fallout 4 is a fine game we love to return to, but it's a shallow RPG experience overall.

4. Fallout 2

Screenshot from the video game Fallout 2

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Release date: September 30, 1998 | Platforms: PC, macOS | Developer: Black Isle Studios

OK, things are going to get tense from here on in. Any of our top four Fallout games could top this list — it largely depends on your preference for the new or older style — but we're putting Fallout 2 at the bottom of the unqualified "good" Fallout games.

There are plenty of reasons to choose 2 over 1; we'll admit that. It's bigger and far more refined as an isometric RPG, and the jump in the timeline allowed it to establish a legacy built on top of the first game's story.

At the same time, it often loses the plot and, even if you stick to the main questline, runs in circles. Since the second game also kicked things off with urgency (like 1 and 4), the loose structure and overcrowded plot end up ruining the pacing for us, which brings the final result down a notch.

3. Fallout

Screenshot from the video game Fallout

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Release date: October 10, 1997 | Platforms: PC, MS-DOS, macOS | Developer: Interplay Productions

The original Fallout made waves when it launched, and even after 28 years, you can see why: Its post-apocalyptic world felt unlike anything else in the market, and it offered innovative character creation and skill systems that weren't too interested in paying homage to previous RPG classics. Instead, Tim Cain and the Interplay team focused on their own ideas to create a gritty and nuanced world that still had a satirical sense of humor.

What sets it apart from the sequel — and gives it a small advantage in our eyes — is how welcoming to newcomers the setup and narrative hook are. An underground nuclear shelter in the far future is running out of drinkable water, and you're tasked with finding the part that can fix the water supply system. No more knowledge of the world is needed, and even as the plot develops, Fallout stays on target, while offering side possibilities that don't take away from the core experience.

Sure, it's an old ass game, and admittedly obtuse in ways that follow-up fixed, but there's a magic to Fallout that few other games can match. It's unforgiving until you do all of your homework, but it's well worth the effort.

2. Fallout: New Vegas

Screenshot from the video game Fallout: New Vegas

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Release date: October 19, 2010 | Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Developer: Obsidian Entertainment

On paper, Fallout: New Vegas has it all. New Vegas itself is the series' most iconic setting (so much so that Fallout Season 2 is going to be set there), it offers tons of freedom to the player, and the actual roleplaying and factions are the best-written in the entire series. So, why isn't it at the top of our list?

Well, for starters, it was a buggy, unfinished mess when it launched, and even the modern, fully patched-up version of the game shows signs of a game rushed over the finish line. Despite all its strengths, we can't shake the feeling that New Vegas is an excellent 80% of a game.

A lot of the appeal of the Fallout games is the open world, where you're free to go anywhere and do anything. While Obsidian made New Vegas, it was built with Fallout 3's structural bones and technology, and that structure was all about exploring and player freedom. New Vegas still follows that ethos on paper, but stray away from its excellent scripted content, and the open world it presents feels a little lacking compared to our top pick. It's still an all-timer and one of the best RPGs ever made, but there's one more game that we prefer (just a little bit).

1. Fallout 3

Screenshot from the video game Fallout 3

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Release date: November 14, 2018 | Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One | Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

It might not have been for diehard fans of the first two games, but in our humble opinion, Fallout 3 was a masterpiece. It was a near-perfect entry point into the franchise, while also respecting and expanding upon the already-established world. Bethesda could have easily rebooted everything when they took the reins, but instead, they chose to bridge the gap, and it paid off big time.

Built on the technological and game design foundations of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fallout 3's shift to first-person and streamlined mechanics opened the series up to a mainstream crowd, while keeping most of the core RPG elements that the original games were known for. Was it as deep and layered as Fallout 1 or 2? No, but that didn't matter because of how memorable and fun the Capital Wasteland was — and still is — to explore.

From its irradiated shores to hidden valleys to many underground labyrinths, Fallout 3 showed us how a dense but believable post-apocalyptic open world could be as exciting as Tamriel's fantasy lands. Sure, the main quest was short, and most role-played choices were too morally black-and-white, but it was a rip-roaring adventure that blasted the Fallout series into the mainstream.

]]> + https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-games/fallout-games-ranked-worst-to-best - + - 92T4Vt3wrMt6jXyhwxfSX3 - - Mon, 08 Dec 2025 22:37:56 +0000 - - - - - + 64aTdLC9f2QdPyZgAedpFC + + Mon, 15 Dec 2025 19:00:00 +0000 Mon, 15 Dec 2025 13:05:55 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ One of the most promising Earth-like worlds may not have an atmosphere after all ]]> - New observations of one of the famous TRAPPIST-1 planets are once again teasing scientists with tantalizing clues about a world that may — or may not — harbor an atmosphere capable of sustaining life-friendly liquid water.

TRAPPIST-1e is one of seven Earth-size exoplanets tightly packed around a cool red dwarf star smaller and dimmer than our sun that's about 40 light-years away. It orbits in the system's "habitable zone," where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist — but that's only if the planet has an atmosphere. Early James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations even hinted at a possible atmosphere, revealing faint signatures of methane, which, on Earth, results from living organisms and is tied to complex chemistry on Saturn's haze-shrouded moon Titan.

But those first glimmers, scientists now say, were likely misleading.

"Based on our most recent work, we suggest that the previously reported tentative hint of an atmosphere is more likely to be 'noise' from the host star," Sukrit Ranjan, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, said in a statement. "However, this does not mean that TRAPPIST-1e does not have an atmosphere — we just need more data."

The new paper uses detailed computer simulations to test whether TRAPPIST-1e could realistically maintain a methane-rich, Titan-like atmosphere. The results suggest methane on a world orbiting a small, active red dwarf star like TRAPPIST-1 would be destroyed much faster than on Titan — too quickly for any plausible geological process to replenish it.

The latest findings build on two papers published in September that analyzed the JWST's 2023 observations of TRAPPIST-1e. During four separate transits when the planet crossed the face of its star, the JWST's Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument recorded subtle changes in starlight that could, in principle, reveal atmospheric chemicals. The data were consistent with an atmosphere dominated by nitrogen and methane and lacking carbon dioxide, effectively ruling out a Venus- or Mars-like atmosphere.

But the signals varied significantly from transit to transit, hinting that the measurements were being contaminated by the star itself. TRAPPIST-1 is smaller, cooler and far dimmer than our sun, cool enough that gas molecules, including methane, can form in the star's own atmosphere.

"We reported hints of methane, but the question is, 'is the methane attributable to molecules in the atmosphere of the planet or in the host star?'" Ranjan said in the statement.

In the paper, Ranjan and his team modeled how long methane could realistically survive in TRAPPIST-1e's environment. They found that while Titan's methane can persist for 10 million to 100 million years, methane on TRAPPIST-1e would last only about 200,000 years. The planet receives far more ultraviolet radiation than Titan, causing methane to be broken apart thousands of times faster, the study notes.

That makes it extraordinarily unlikely that scientists would catch the planet during a methane-rich phase unless methane were being replenished at extreme, continuous rates, the researchers say. Maintaining Titan-like levels would require TRAPPIST-1e to outproduce Titan in methane generation, an implausible scenario that would demand nonstop global volcanism, catastrophic methane release from an icy interior, or constant planetary resurfacing. Even under generous assumptions, these processes cannot fully account for the required methane supply, the study notes.

As a result, the team concludes that more rigorous analysis and additional observations are needed to determine whether TRAPPIST-1e has any atmosphere at all, and whether the JWST's tentative methane hints originate from the planet or are simply artifacts of the star.

"The basic thesis for TRAPPIST-1e is this: If it has an atmosphere, it's habitable," Ranjan said in the statement. "But right now, the first-order question must be, 'Does an atmosphere even exist?'"

Despite the challenges, TRAPPIST-1e remains one of the most promising potentially habitable worlds beyond our solar system. However, JWST, designed before the first exoplanet was discovered, is operating at the limits of its sensitivity when probing the atmospheres of Earth-sized planets.

Future instruments may help disentangle the confusing signals. NASA's upcoming Pandora mission, scheduled for launch in 2026, will observe stars and planets simultaneously to better separate stellar and atmospheric features.

The researchers are also planning a rare dual-transit observation in which TRAPPIST-1e and the innermost planet TRAPPIST-1b cross the star together. TRAPPIST-1b is known to lack an atmosphere, so comparing its "clean" signal to TRAPPIST-1e's could reveal which features belong to the star and which — if any — arise from TRAPPIST-1e's atmosphere, scientists say.

"These observations will allow us to separate what the star is doing from what is going on in the planet's atmosphere — should it have one," said Ranjan.

The paper about these results was published on Nov. 3 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/one-of-the-most-promising-earth-like-worlds-may-not-have-an-atmosphere-after-all + <![CDATA[ Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS makes its closest approach to Earth tonight: Here's what you need to know ]]> + Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to Earth on Friday, Dec. 19, marking a key moment in the journey of one of the rarest visitors ever observed in our solar system.

Discovered on July 1 by the NASA-funded ATLAS telescopes in Chile, 3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed interstellar object known to have passed through our cosmic neighborhood, following 1I/'Oumuamua in 2017 and comet 2I/Borisov in 2019. Its trajectory shows that it originated from beyond our solar system and will eventually travel back into interstellar space.

During its closest approach, the comet will come no nearer than about 1.8 astronomical units from Earth — roughly 168 million miles (270 million kilometers) — nearly twice the average Earth-sun distance, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). Comet 3I/ATLAS poses no danger to Earth or any other planets as it passes through the inner solar system.

While the comet will keep a safe distance from Earth, the flyby still holds significance for researchers. By observing 3I/ATLAS near its closest approach, astronomers will have an opportunity to study the dust and gases released from its icy nucleus as the comet is warmed by the sun, offering a rare insight into how comets and planetary material form around other stars.

In recent months, multiple space agencies and observatories have turned their attention to this interstellar visitor. Just last week, new images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope and JUICE Jupiter probe were released, showing the fleeting traveller racing through the inner solar system.

Follow along online

You can also follow the close approach of 3I/ATLAS online in a free livestream hosted by Gianluca Masi at the Virtual Telescope Project. The livestream will begin at 11 p.m. EST on Dec. 18 (0400 GMT on Dec. 19), weather permitting.

Follow along with the latest 3I/ATLAS news with our live blog!

]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-makes-its-closest-approach-to-earth-on-dec-19-heres-what-you-need-to-know - + - KP3VAADjBYTjxUMvrdCZok - - Mon, 08 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0000 + oydCqbFxwujeRcfDmTpfvJ + + Mon, 15 Dec 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:59:29 +0000 + - - - - + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ 5 Terminator games that are actually good ]]> - Considering the Terminator movies are about time-traveling killer robots and a scrappy human Resistance battling against a rogue AI in a nuclear post-apocalypse, you'd think making a great Terminator video game would be a slam dunk.

It's about as video-gamey a premise as you could ask for, and yet most of the cybernetic organism's gaming exploits have been disgraceful. Fortunately, not all of them are a disaster, and to prove it, we've put together a list of five Terminator games that are actually good.

Maybe it shouldn't be a huge surprise that most Terminator games suck, given that — if we're honest — most of the Terminator movies suck these days too. But plenty of movie franchises have nose-dived into mediocrity while still kicking out great games. If Star Wars can give us The Rise of Skywalker and Jedi: Fallen Order in the same year, the T-800 should be able to manage to replicate that success.

After Netflix's Terminator Zero anime series, however, we're feeling more hopeful about the franchise's capacity to evolve... under the right creative vision. Could that translate to video games? Perhaps. Terminator 2D: NO FATE is just around the corner (Dec 12), and we're tentatively excited for the retro-styled arcade action it's offering.

In the meantime, there have been some gaming wins in the distant and recent past. So, come with us if you want to… learn more about them as we look at five Terminator games that are actually good

5. RoboCop vs. The Terminator

Screenshot from the 1993 video game

(Image credit: Virgin Interactive Entertainment)

Release date: December 12, 1993 | Platforms: SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis/Game Gear/Master System, Super NES, Game Boy | Developer: Virgin Games USA, Interplay Team Rivet

RoboCop vs. The Terminator was no Contra, but as far as early 1990s run-and-gun games for home consoles went, it was a pleasant surprise.

More than 30 years later, we'd still recommend Terminator fans play through it at least once, assuming you have the retro hardware to play it on. Compared to most movie tie-in games of the era, it's shockingly well-made, offering stylish visuals and slick gameplay. It's also a breezy affair that should only keep veteran gamers occupied for a couple of hours.

Though Virgin Games originally planned to adapt the comic book series of the same name, they weren't allowed to use its specific plot elements. Regardless, the premise — which serves as the excuse to pit RoboCop against hordes of Terminators — is more complex than you'd expect. No spoilers, but that final stretch is quite creative and sets a different stage for the final confrontation between Detroit's finest and Skynet's legions.

There are actually quite a few differences between the SNES and Sega Genesis* versions of the game, but we're big fans of the latter, which is generally considered to be the better gameplay experience.

*thankfully not spelled weirdly here, take notes, Terminator Genisys.

4. SkyNET

Screenshot from the 1996 video game

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Release date: November 16, 1996 | Platforms: MS-DOS | Developer: Bethesda Softworks, MediaTech West

Yeah, you read that right; Bethesda Softworks. The developer behind The Elder Scrolls and the modern Fallout games actually worked on several Terminator adaptations back in the day, with The Terminator: Future Shock becoming the first 3D PC game to use the 'mouse look' interface that later became a standard for first-person shooters.

The follow-up game, SkyNET (The Terminator: Skynet in Europe), took things to the next level with advanced 3D graphics – some of the most striking at the time – and a multiplayer mode.

Not heard of this one? We don't blame you; it's practically buried media these days. Still, if you can find it, it's a blast to play through. As a sequel to Future Shock, it transports players to the series' desolate future, tasking you with infiltrating Skynet bases and taking the fight to the machines before humanity is gone forever.

It's far more complex than most popular shooters of the era, and it even has some decent vehicle sections. Round that out with FMV cutscenes for some extra production value, and it's easy to see why we keep coming back to this one.

3. Terminator 3: The Redemption

Screenshot from the 2004 video game

(Image credit: Atari)

Release date: September 9, 2004 | Platforms: PS2, Xbox, GameCube | Developer: Paradigm Entertainment

Despite its fantastic ending twist, it's fair to say that Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines was a disappointment, and the lackluster tie-in game was playing from the same call sheet. But, just one year later, a second game — again loosely based on the third Terminator movie — descended in 2004.

The name might be a bit on the nose, but Terminator 3: The Redemption was certainly the better game, playing to the franchise's bombastic strengths with linear, action-heavy gameplay. Like the other tie-in game, it bounced between the dark future and the movie's present-day events, though it's overall a shorter, more focused title.

In the end, 'Redemption' did indeed redeem Terminator 3 video game adaptations, and many fans would argue it's the best thing to come out of that movie. The action is explosive, punchy, and never slows down; the plot is kept to a bare minimum, giving it a retro feel; and the targeting system perfectly suits a gamepad for some casual bot-blasting action.

It's tough, but the difficulty never feels unfair. Instead, it pushes players to memorize its busy levels and fast chase sequences. Plus, the Terminator taking visible damage throughout missions was a rad thing to see back in the day.

2. Terminator: Resistance

Screenshot from the 2019 video game

(Image credit: Reef Entertainment)

Release date: November 15, 2019 | Platforms: PC (Windows), PS4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S | Developer: Teyon

After a truly dreadful Rambo game and several low-profile releases, most fans weren't too excited about Teyon getting to make a Terminator game, but first-person shooter Terminator: Resistance had us lining up to formally apologize.

Better than any other adaptation, Terminator: Resistance nailed the atmosphere and the marked feeling of despair from the original movies' future war sections. It might've lacked the polish and AAA budget needed to make the most of its larger levels, but it got the essentials spot on.

Despite middling critical reviews at the time, diehard Terminator fans rapidly flocked to the game, often calling it "the Terminator franchise's Rogue One". It offers classic FPS action, a gritty aesthetic that nails the assignment, and a surprisingly good story with some twists and turns. We had more fun with this than with most recent big-budget AAA shooters, and the also-excellent RoboCop video game Teyon cracked right after this proved it wasn't a fluke.

1. Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance

Screenshot from the 2024 video game

(Image credit: Slitherine)

Release date: February 21, 2024 | Platforms: PC (Windows) | Developer: Slitherine

Slitherine's take on the Terminator franchise was tied into the Terminator: Dark Fate timeline, which means out with Skynet, and in with the alternate-timeline Legion AI threat. A turn off for OG movie fans, to be sure, but don't let that put you off.

The future war presented in Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance is every bit as moody and brutal as the one seen in the pre-Dark Fate installments. Large armies of humanoid robots and giant AI-driven vehicles roam the wasteland, and it's up to brave resistance fighters to ensure humanity's survival… but not as you might expect. In a hall-of-fame-worthy plot twist, the best Terminator game isn't a shooter or an arcade side-scroller; it's a traditional real-time strategy game.

Ever dreamed of a large-scale Terminator RTS with deep tactical options and a meaty story campaign? No? Us neither, but it's here, and it kinda rules.

The Dark Fate timeline means no Skynet or classic T-800s in this one, but crucially, it nails the vibes, with plenty of plasma weaponry and vehicles for each of the three playable factions (two for the human survivors). Moreover, it supports both offline skirmishes and competitive online multiplayer, and continues to receive additional content and substantial patches to this day, too.

Terminator 2D: NO FATE will be released on December 12, 2025, for PC (Steam).

]]> - https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-games/5-terminator-games-that-are-actually-good + <![CDATA[ These Canon 18x50 image-stabilized binoculars are my top choice for up-close stargazing — even cheaper than Black Friday ]]> + I've tested a bunch of image-stabilized binoculars and the Canon 18x50 IS all-weather binoculars not only have super-high 18x magnification, but have huge 50mm objective lenses for letting in plenty of light. This is a huge plus while stargazing as it improves the brightness of dim night sky objects like galaxies and nebulas. These are now at their cheapest price and even cheaper than their Black Friday deal, a huge 30% off the retail price.

You can get the Canon 18x50 IS all-weather binoculars on sale for $1155 from Amazon.

I gave them a huge four stars in my Canon 18x50 IS binoculars review, dubbing them 'stargazing ready' due to the 18x magnification and bright views from 50mm objectives. I really think that the premium features included in these binoculars are worth the price and now they are even cheaper.

Save a huge $494 on the Canon 18x50 IS binoculars, offering 18x magnification, 50mm objective lenses and bright views of night sky objects. View Deal

Image 1 of 6

A male using the Canon 18x50 IS binoculars, facing the camera with the sea behind them.

The Canon 18x50 IS binoculars don't need a tripod for stargazing thanks to the image stabilization. (Image credit: Jase Parnell-Brookes)
Image 2 of 6

A close up of a person holding the Canon 18x50 IS binoculars close to their chest, showing the top of the binos.

Whilst quite big, the Canon 18x50 IS binoculars are packed full of great premium features like 18x magnification, 50mm objective lenses and of course the image-stabilization. (Image credit: Jase Parnell-Brookes)
Image 3 of 6

A male by the sea holding the Canon 18x50 IS binoculars, adjusting the eyecups.

They have a nice wide field of view so you can capture a spacious view. (Image credit: Jase Parnell-Brookes)
Image 4 of 6

A close up of someone demonstrating the eyecup positions on the Canon 18x50 IS binoculars.

The eyecups are rubber and can be flipped up or down depending on whether you want any eye-relief. (Image credit: Jase Parnell-Brookes)
Image 5 of 6

A close up of the eyecups being adjusted to the flap up position on the Canon 18x50 IS binoculars.

They feature a generous 15mm of eye relief. (Image credit: Jase Parnell-Brookes)
Image 6 of 6

A close up of the back of the Canon 18x50 IS binoculars, showing the strap holders.

I loved the design and performance of the Canon 18x50 IS binoculars. (Image credit: Jase Parnell-Brookes)

There are plenty of image-stabilized (IS) binoculars out there to choose from, so why might you buy the Canon 18x50 IS binoculars while they are on sale? You might want to get really up close with deep space objects or stars in the sky, but every time you have tried, shakes from your hand have made observing any detail impossible. The image stabilization on board these binoculars makes for steady viewing of any subject you are looking at, hence negating the need for a binocular tripod and giving you high-powered 18x magnification at your fingertips.

While some IS binoculars offered powerful image-stabilization or prioritise a lightweight approach, the Canon 18x50 IS binoculars don't skimp out on the necessary optical quality needed to achieve bright and clear images of the night sky. 18x magnification gets you up close to stars and deep-space objects, while the 50mm objective lenses make sure that a great deal of light can reach your eye. This is especially helpful when observing dim objects like galaxies and nebulas, where every bit of light helps. They even have ultra-low dispersion lens elements to maximum sharpness and to prevent chromatic aberration in your observations.

I gave them four stars in my full Canon 18x50 IS binoculars review for their great value and premium features, which enabled a relaxing and powerful stargazing experience. With a strong grip, they are sturdy to hold in challenging conditions but do note that while they are water resistant to a degree, they are not fully waterproof. With this huge Cyber Monday deal, they have dropped a huge 28% from their retail price and any stargazer would be delighted with these in their arsenal. They are also perfect for wildlife watchers, where tracking moving subjects with precision is essential.

Key features: 18x magnification, 50mm objective lens diameter, 3.7-degree field of view, 15mm eye relief, 41.6 oz (1.2 kg).

Price history: The Canon 18x50 IS binoculars have a retail price of $1649 but often go on sale for $1549. This Cyber Monday deal from Amazon brings them down to $1155.

Price comparison: Amazon: $1181 | BHPhotoVideo: $1274 | Adorama: $1549

Reviews consensus: In our Canon 18x50 IS binoculars review, we praised their premium features that delivered bright views of the night sky with strong image stabilization for steady views.

Space: ★★★★

✅ Buy it if: You want a powerful pair of image-stabilized binoculars that are primed for stargazing with 18x magnification and bright 50mm objective lenses.

❌ Don't buy it if: You don't need image stabilization for observation but still want a bright view with high magnification, try the Celestron Skymaster 20x80 binoculars, which are also on offer for Cyber Monday.

Check out our other guides to the best telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, lego and much more.

]]> + https://www.space.com/stargazing/skywatching-kit/these-canon-18x50-image-stabilized-binoculars-are-my-top-choice-for-up-close-stargazing-even-cheaper-than-black-friday - + - EaK6xD3LE8Es7yee9aGQPm - - Mon, 08 Dec 2025 21:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + GXGbQqSBDX5CZi5Q3Y4sFX + + Mon, 15 Dec 2025 17:23:06 +0000 Mon, 15 Dec 2025 17:23:06 +0000 + + + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Scientists discover cosmic 'scar' in interstellar clouds left by a close shave between our sun and 2 intruder stars ]]> - Astronomers have discovered that the sun had a close encounter with two blazingly hot massive stars around 4.4 million years ago. The discovery was made thanks to a "scar" left by the event in swirling clouds of gas and dust just beyond the solar system. Not only does this research reveal more about the solar system's immediate celestial environment, but it could also shed light on how surrounding features in that environment played a role in the evolution of life on Earth.

To make this discovery, the team of astronomers had to take into account the motions of these "local interstellar clouds," which stretch out for around 30 light-years, the sun, and the intruder stars, which now dwell 400 light-years from Earth in the front and rear "legs" of the constellation Canis Major (the Great Dog). That's tricky because the sun alone is rocketing through space at 58,000 miles per hour (93,000 km/h), or about 75 times as fast as the speed of sound at sea level here on Earth.

"It's kind of a jigsaw puzzle where all the different pieces are moving," team leader Michael Shull of the University of Colorado Boulder said in a statement. "The sun is moving. Stars are racing away from us. The clouds are drifting away."

Beyond the local interstellar clouds and their wispy clumps of hydrogen and helium atoms in the form of gas and dust, the solar system sits within a region of the Milky Way that is relatively devoid of such matter, called the "local hot bubble."

Understanding these regions could be important in comprehending how life was afforded the conditions it needed to prosper on Earth.

"The fact that the sun is inside this set of clouds that can shield us from that ionizing radiation may be an important piece of what makes Earth habitable today," Shull explained.

To investigate this influence, Shull and colleagues set about modelling the forces that have shaped our region of the Milky Way. This involved looking closely at two stars in Canis Major known as Epsilon Canis Majoris, or Adhara, and Beta Canis Majoris, or Mirzam. The team found that it is likely these two stars would have raced past the sun roughly 4.4 million years ago, coming as close as 30 light-years to our star. While that is a tremendous distance in terrestrial terms, equivalent to around 175 trillion miles (281 trillion km), it is a close passage in cosmic terms and in a galaxy that is 105,700 light-years wide.

Such a close pass would have made these stars quite visible from Earth, scientists say. "If you think back 4.4 million years, these two stars would have been anywhere from four to six times brighter than Sirius is today, far and away the brightest stars in the sky," Shull said.

These stars are each much larger than the sun, about 13 times as massive as our star. They are also far hotter than the sun, with temperatures up to 45,000 degrees Fahrenheit (25,000 degrees Celsius), making the 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,500 degrees Celsius) temperature of the sun look relatively balmy. When these massive, powerful, but short-lived stars passed through our cosmic backyard, they emitted powerful ultraviolet radiation that ripped away electrons from atoms in the local interstellar clouds, a process called "ionization." The removal of negatively charged electrons left these hydrogen and helium atoms with a positive charge  — the "scar" that the team was able to detect.

The team's research solves a long-standing mystery about the local interstellar clouds, which emerged when astronomers previously found that 20% of the hydrogen atoms and 40% of the helium atoms in these clumps of gas and dust had been ionized, an unusually high level of ionization, especially for helium.

The local hot bubble a void of gas and dust in the Milky Way in which the sun sits (Image credit: CfA, Leah Hustak (STScI))

The team theorizes that these stars had assistance in the ionization of these clouds from at least four other sources of ultraviolet radiation. These include three white dwarf stars, the type of stellar remnant left over when stars around the size of the sun die, and the local hot bubble itself.

That is because this underdense region of gas and dust is believed to have been cleared by the explosive supernova deaths of between 10 and 20 stars. Those supernovas heated the gas, causing the local hot bubble to emit ionizing radiation in the form of X-rays and ultraviolet radiation, roasting the local interstellar clouds around the solar system.

The ionization of these clouds won't last forever, fading as the hydrogen and helium atoms regain their neutral electrical charge by picking up loose electrons. This process could take around a few million years.

Epsilon and Beta Canis Majoris are also living on borrowed time. While the 4.6 billion-year-old sun will live around another 5 billion years before sputtering out as a white dwarf, massive stars like these burn through their fuel for nuclear fusion much faster. It is likely that both Epsilon and Beta Canis Majoris will go supernova in the next few million years.

While they are too distant to pose any risk to Earth, the explosive deaths of these stars could provide a spectacular show for any lifeforms still left on Earth. "A supernova blowing up that close will light up the sky," Shull said. "It'll be very, very bright but far enough away that it won’t be lethal."

The team's research was published at the end of November in The Astrophysical Journal.

]]> - https://www.space.com/astronomy/stars/scientists-discover-cosmic-scar-in-interstellar-clouds-left-by-a-close-shave-between-our-sun-and-2-intruder-stars + <![CDATA[ James Webb Space Telescope finds 1st evidence of 'dinosaur-like' stars in the early universe ]]> + Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers may have discovered the first evidence of dinosaur-like monster stars that existed shortly after the Big Bang. These prehistoric stellar titans are theorized to have had masses as great as 10,000 times that of the sun.

Like the dinosaurs, these monster stars aren't around anymore, but like Earth's geology is populated by fossils of dinosaurs, the universe is filled with the "cosmic fossils" left behind by these earliest stars: black holes. In fact, confirming these stars existed at such tremendous masses in the early universe could help explain how supermassive black holes grew to masses equivalent to that of millions of suns before the cosmos was even 1 billion years old.

The James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) tantalizing first evidence of these titanic stars was delivered when a team of astronomers set about investigating the chemical makeup of a galaxy called GS 3073, which is located around 12.7 billion light-years away and is seen as it was just 1.1 billion years after the Big Bang. The "smoking gun" in this case was an imbalance of nitrogen to oxygen in GS 3073 that can't be accounted for by any known type of star.

"Our latest discovery helps solve a 20-year cosmic mystery. With GS 3073, we have the first observational evidence that these monster stars existed," team member Daniel Whalen of the University of Portsmouth in the U.K., said in a statement. "These cosmic giants would have burned brilliantly for a brief time before collapsing into massive black holes, leaving behind the chemical signatures we can detect billions of years later. A bit like dinosaurs on Earth — they were enormous and primitive. And they had short lives, living for just a quarter of a million years — a cosmic blink of an eye."

A galaxy with strange chemistry

The "smoking gun" in this case was an imbalance of nitrogen to oxygen in GS 3073 that can't be accounted for by any known type of star. The galaxy has a nitrogen-to-oxygen ratio of 0.46, which is much greater than can be explained by any known type of star or stellar explosion.

"Chemical abundances act like a cosmic fingerprint, and the pattern in GS3073 is unlike anything ordinary stars can produce. Its extreme nitrogen matches only one kind of source we know of — primordial stars thousands of times more massive than our sun," team member Devesh Nandal from the Center for Astrophysics (CfA), Harvard and Smithsonian, said in the statement. "This tells us the first generation of stars included truly supermassive objects that helped shape the early galaxies and may have seeded today's supermassive black holes."

The team took this information and modeled the evolution of stars with masses ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 times the mass of the sun to determine what elements the stars would forge and then seed through their galactic homes following their supernova deaths. This revealed a specific mechanism that could create a massive amount of nitrogen.

A diagram showing how the first stars enriched the chemistry of their galaxies (Image credit: University of Portsmouth)

These monster stars burn helium in their cores to create carbon, which then "leaks" into an outer shell of the star where hydrogen is burning. The fusion of carbon and hydrogen then creates nitrogen, which is disturbed through the star via convection. Following this, nitrogen-rich matter escapes into space, enriching the surrounding gaseous material.

The fact that this process continued for millions of years can account for the nitrogen abundance in GS3073. Stars with masses less than 1,000 solar masses, or greater than 10,000 solar masses, don't produce the same chemical enrichment.

The team's research also predicts what would happen when these dinosaur stars reach the ends of their lives, suggesting that they directly collapse into black holes. The absence of a supernova blast means these black holes can still have masses thousands of times that of the sun, which would give them a major head start in supermassive black hole growth.

Indeed, there is a feeding supermassive black hole at the heart of GS 3073 that could be the "daughter" of mergers between the black holes created by these monstrous stars.The team will now hunt for other early nitrogen-rich galaxies in the early universe, which will add strength to the existence of these monster stars.

The team's research was published in November in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/james-webb-space-telescope-finds-1st-evidence-of-dinosaur-like-stars-in-the-early-universe - + - J56QTzZR9m4SXmK3d4vviB - - Mon, 08 Dec 2025 20:00:00 +0000 + fAUE7fMsQKTUaanzaiBcu4 + + Mon, 15 Dec 2025 17:04:25 +0000 Mon, 15 Dec 2025 20:04:46 +0000 + - - - - + + + + - + - <![CDATA[ Which exoplanet in the TRAPPIST-1 system could be habitable? Scientists are modeling the star to find out ]]> - Frequent flares from the nearby star TRAPPIST-1 could offer new clues in the search for habitable planets beyond Earth.

TRAPPIST-1 is an ultracool red dwarf, located about 40 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius. It hosts seven Earth-size planets, three of which orbit in the so-called "habitable zone" where liquid water might exist. However, the small star is notoriously active, erupting with energy bursts roughly six times per day, which can threaten planetary atmospheres within the system and obstruct observations, according to a statement from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers tracked six flares observed in 2022 and 2023. These flares appear as a big flash detectable by the JWST's infrared sensors, revealing how much heat the star releases during an outburst. By combining these observations with computer simulations, the team reconstructed the physical processes driving each flare, allowing them to estimate the properties of the electron beams that trigger these stellar tantrums.

"If we can simulate these events using a computer model, we can reverse engineer how a flare might influence the radiation environment around each of these planets," Ward Howard, lead author of the study, said in the statement. This, in turn, can help determine which worlds might retain atmospheres capable of supporting life.

Surprisingly, the electron beams powering these flares appear about ten times weaker than those seen in similar stars. That doesn't mean they're harmless — each flare emits radiation across the spectrum, from visible light to ultraviolet radiation and powerful X-rays, all of which can erode or alter planetary atmospheres over time.

As a result, the researchers suggested that the innermost TRAPPIST-1 planets may have lost their atmospheres, potentially leaving them as bare rocks, while one planet in the habitable zone, TRAPPIST-1e, could still retain a thin, Earth-like atmosphere — a tentative sign that it might support conditions favorable to life.

By decoding TRAPPIST-1's flare behavior, scientists can refine predictions about which planetary atmospheres might survive its constant outbursts. Rather than mere observational nuisances or purely destructive forces, these eruptions can be read as messages from the star, offering key insights into the potential habitability of its planets and informing the broader search for life beyond Earth.

Their findings were published Nov. 20 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

]]> - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/search-for-life/trappist-1-frequent-flares-may-reveal-clues-to-habitable-planets-beyond-earth + <![CDATA[ Finding the point of no return: Sun's shifting, spiky atmospheric boundary mapped in detail for 1st time ]]> + Scientists have created the first detailed maps of the outer edge of the sun's atmosphere, a shifting boundary where solar material breaks free of the sun's magnetic grip and streams out into space.

The new maps, built using close-up measurements from NASA's Parker Solar Probe along with data from more distant spacecraft, show that this boundary grows larger, rougher and more jagged as the sun becomes more active, periods in its cycle that are marked by increased sunspots and solar flares.

The new findings, published Dec. 11 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, could help improve space weather models of how solar activity affects Earth and sharpen predictions of atmospheric behavior around other stars, scientists say.

"Before, we could only estimate the sun's boundary from far away without a way to test if we got the right answer," study lead author Sam Badman, an astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) in Massachusetts, said in a statement. "But now we have an accurate map that we can use to navigate it as we study it."

"And, importantly, we also are able to watch it as it changes and match those changes with close-up data," he added. "That gives us a much clearer idea of what's really happening around the sun."

The boundary, known as the Alfvén surface, marks the point where the outward flow of the solar wind becomes faster than magnetic waves that would otherwise carry material back toward the sun. Beyond this "point of no return," solar particles can no longer fall back and instead stream permanently into interplanetary space.

Scientists knew that this boundary shifts with the sun's roughly 11-year activity cycle — expanding and becoming more complex during solar maximum, and shrinking during quieter solar minimum periods. Until now, however, they lacked direct confirmation of what those changes actually looked like.

"That's actually what we predicted in the past, but now we can confirm it directly," Badman said in the statement.

To build the new maps, the researchers combined close-up measurements from the Parker Solar Probe, which repeatedly plunged through the sun's outer atmosphere during record-breaking close passes as the solar cycle ramped up toward its peak, with data from the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter and NASA's Wind mission, both of which reside about 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth.

Using an instrument onboard Parker called the Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons (SWEAP), the team directly sampled the region beneath the Alfvén surface, confirming that the maps correctly show where the sun's magnetic influence fades and the solar wind escapes, according to the statement.

"This work shows without a doubt that Parker Solar Probe is diving deep with every orbit into the region where the solar wind is born," study co-author Michael Stevens, an astronomer at the CfA and the principal investigator of the SWEAP instrument, said in the statement.

An artist's impression of the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft facing and in close proximity to the sun. The disk of the star almost fills the frame, with swirling, fiery features and darker mottled spots present on its surface.

An artist's illustration of NASA's Parker Solar Probe spacecraft during one of its close flybys of the sun. (Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben)

Pinpointing where and how the solar wind escapes the sun is essential to answering some of the biggest open questions in solar physics, including why the sun's corona gets hotter the farther it extends away from the solar surface.

Understanding exactly where this boundary lies is also critical for improving space weather forecasts, which help protect astronauts in space, and satellites and power grids on Earth from disruptive solar storms, scientists say.

During the next solar minimum, the Parker Solar Probe will again plunge deep into the sun's atmosphere, allowing scientists to watch how this boundary evolves over a complete solar cycle, according to the statement.

"There are still a number of fascinating physics questions about the sun's corona that we don't fully understand," said Stevens.

]]> + https://www.space.com/astronomy/sun/finding-the-point-of-no-return-suns-shifting-spiky-atmospheric-boundary-mapped-in-detail-for-1st-time - + - cKvKKTjZx7bYQExFUFjucQ - - Mon, 08 Dec 2025 19:00:00 +0000 - - - - - + X6LuZUGG8cjBPuuNFz6S89 + + Mon, 15 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000 Fri, 12 Dec 2025 20:56:29 +0000 + + + + + + + - + \ No newline at end of file