TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
July 21, 2025
Cat's Paw Nebula from Webb Space Telescope
Nebulas are perhaps as famous for being identified with familiar shapes as perhaps cats are for getting into trouble. Still, no known cat could have created the vast Cat's Paw Nebula visible toward the constellation of the Scorpion (Scorpius). At 5,700 light years distant, Cat's Paw is an emission nebula within a larger molecular cloud. Alternatively known as the Bear Claw Nebula and cataloged as NGC 6334, stars nearly ten times the mass of our Sun have been born there in only the past few million years. Pictured here is a recently released image of the Cat's Paw taken in infrared light by the James Webb Space Telescope. This newly detailed view into the nebula helps provide insight for how turbulent molecular clouds turn gas into stars.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
https://www.wionews.com/world/exclusive-nasa-isro-satellite-to-capture-4-300-gb-of-earth-imagery-daily-1753103696451
https://nisar.jpl.nasa.gov/
Exclusive: NASA-ISRO satellite to capture 4,300 GB of Earth imagery daily
Updated: Jul 21, 2025, 18:55 IST
The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, jointly built by the American and Indian space agencies, will be capturing an unprecedented amount of Earth-imaging data as it circles 747 kms above the Earth’s surface.
“NISAR would be capturing 4.37 Terabytes (over 4,300 GB) of data per day,” Dr. Sanghamitra Dutta, NISAR Program Executive, NASA Headquarters, told WION’s Sidharth M.P.
For context, an average consumer laptop comes with 512 GB of storage space. Therefore, NISAR would capture enough imagery to fill up at least eight laptops in a single day.
Weighing nearly 2,400 kg, NISAR is meant to carry out high-resolution Earth imaging for at least three years.
NISAR would generate a whopping 1569 Terabytes (over 1.5 million GB) of imaging data, considering its minimal operational life of three years. Over this period of three years, NISAR would generate enough data to fill up at least 2,900 laptops.
The first-ever satellite to be built jointly by space agencies of India and the US, NISAR is meant to monitor Earth’s vital signs and help understand the impact of climate change and natural disasters, among others.
If everything goes according to plan, the GLSV-F16 rocket carrying the NISAR satellite will lift off from the Indian Spaceport Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, at around 5:40 pm Indian time, on 30th July, Wednesday.
ISRO has officially announced the launch date and time for the mission.
24/7 Earth-monitoring for several years
Typically, an Earth-imaging satellite would have to only capture images when passing over its area of interest or region of study. When not flying over the area of interest, the imaging equipment can be turned off and put to rest.
That’s where NISAR stands out—its job is to capture earth imaging data round-the-clock over its operational life of more than three years.
NASA says NISAR will be capable of mapping the Earth’s land and ice-covered surface twice in a period of twelve days.
While NISAR is expected to have a minimum mission life of three years, it is likely to perform its duties for five years or longer.
Satellite life depends on how much fuel it carries on board, the design life of its electronic components, and other technical parameters.
NISAR is the first satellite mission to collect radar data in two microwave bandwidth regions, called the L-band and the S-band, to measure changes of our planet’s surface, including movements as small as a centimetre.
This allows the mission to observe a wide range of Earth processes, from the flow rates of glaciers and ice sheets to the dynamics of earthquakes and volcanoes. NISAR will map the entire globe in 12 days.
How scientists would manage such vast amount of data from NISAR
Given how NISAR would generate over 4,300 GB of data daily, scientists face a major challenge in managing this vast trove of Earth-imaging information.
Like all our gadgets, the Solid State Data recorder on the NISAR satellite has a limited capacity, which is why NASA and ISRO are working on quick methods to downlink the data (send the data from the satellite to Earth) as frequently as possible.
Think of it like rapidly downloading all photos and videos from a camera’s memory card before deleting them to free up space for the next use.
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NASA’s Dr. Dutta says that NISAR could generate the highest-ever amount of data from a single-satellite mission.
“There has never been so much data coming from a mission on a daily basis, and we have prepared the downlink stations (Earth-based stations that receive data from satellites) for such high data rates.
This would also help NASA in getting ready for future missions, when there would be a much higher volume of data transfers.” Notably, all of NISAR’s data would be archived and shared with the science community.
How a radar-imaging satellite works
Conventional Earth-imaging satellites click detailed colour photos of Earth, very similar to what a high-end camera does.
In comparison, a radar-imaging satellite works in a totally different manner. Instead of giving an optics-based picture (like a photograph), radar satellites constantly beam radar waves onto the Earth.
The features on Earth’s surface (buildings, trees, mountains, water bodies, roads, and glaciers) reflect these radar waves back to the satellite.
By collecting and processing the reflected radar waves, radar-imaging satellites deliver imagery during day and night, during all weather conditions.
Typically, conventional satellites’ ability to deliver images is obstructed by clouds and weather-related phenomena.
While conventional optical satellite images are in colour, radar satellite images are inherently black-and-white.
However, these black-and-white radar satellite images can be processed to deliver false-colour images for analysis.
Is NISAR a spy satellite?
Synthetic Aperture Radar technology is widely used for military and strategic purposes, as it can delivery imagery during day and night conditions, even amid weather conditions that hinder traditional camera-based satellite imaging.
During his time at the helm of ISRO, when asked if NISAR was a spy satellite, Dr. S. Somanath categorically stated, “NISAR is not a spy satellite.”
He elaborated that the data generated by NISAR would be shared in a free and open manner with the entire scientific community.
He said that it was purely a science mission and aimed at studying the Earth in high detail, which would help draw better conclusions on various phenomena that are affecting our planet.
Dr. Datta from NASA highlighted that the first civilian SAR satellite in history, called SEASAT, was launched by NASA in 1978.
SEASAT led to a series of NASA space shuttle-based radar missions and inspired the development of spaceborne SAR systems worldwide. She added that Japan and Europe also have SAR satellites for Earth-imaging purposes.
All NISAR science data, L-band and S-band, will be freely available and open to the public, consistent with the long-standing NASA Earth Science open data policy.
NASA has chosen the Alaska Satellite Facility Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) to host the mission’s data and products, said the American space agency.
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Starlab Achieves Major Milestones in NASA-Backed Space Station Project
21 July 2025
NASA’s transition to a marketplace driven by commercial space stations has taken another step forward, with Starlab completing five major milestones in its design and development.
The commercial station, backed by NASA, is planned to launch its habitat and service module to orbit in a single flight.
These achievements fall under a Space Act Agreement signed in 2021, which lets NASA track Starlab’s progress while the company refines its systems.
The completed milestones included reviews of safety, spacecraft design, a high-fidelity mockup, and procurement plans.
NASA Praises Starlab’s Commitment
“As we work toward the future of low Earth orbit, these milestones demonstrate Starlab’s dedication to building a commercial space station that can support human life and advance scientific research,” said Angela Hart, programme manager for NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Programme at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
“Both the insight shared by Starlab and the expertise shared by NASA are critical to future mission success.”
Detailed Design and Hardware Development Next
Starlab has wrapped up a preliminary design and safety review of its systems and overall station architecture. The company is now moving into the detailed design phase, where hardware will be developed.
This will lead to a critical design review later in the year, a crucial checkpoint to confirm design maturity before building and assembling the station.
Full-Scale Station Mockup Under Construction
Work is also underway on a full-scale, high-fidelity mockup of Starlab. The model will be set up at NASA Johnson’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility, where human-in-the-loop testing will take place.
These tests will allow participants to perform day-to-day activities inside the station, helping refine interior layouts, training plans, procedures, and hardware checks.
Collaboration with Northrop Grumman Expands
Another milestone included reviews of the docking system for Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft, which will provide cargo delivery and engineering support for the station.
The assessments also covered updates to Starlab’s design, including solar arrays, crew quarters, and docking ports.
NASA’s Broader Commercial Strategy
NASA continues to support several companies working on commercial stations through a mix of funded and unfunded agreements.
Once the design and development phases are complete, the agency plans to purchase services from one or more providers, becoming a customer rather than an operator of low Earth orbit platforms.
https://orbitaltoday.com/2025/07/21/starlab-achieves-major-milestones-in-nasa-backed-space-station-project/
https://starlab-space.com/
Trump's effort to cancel Elon Musk's contracts fails as review shows NASA's dependence on SpaceX: Report
Updated: 01:06 PST, Jul 21, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump appears to have just realized that cutting ties with his former "first buddy" Elon Musk isn’t quite as easy as hitting unfollow on X (formerly Twitter).
The president’s purported push to cancel government contracts with the tech billionaire and his empire reportedly hit a brick wall after a formal review made it clear that the US government is practically glued to SpaceX if it wants to keep its superpower status in space.
It all began when Trump reportedly floated the idea of axing every government dollar heading Musk’s way. He has previously suggested such a move would force the world's richest man to “head back home to South Africa.”
Within days of the MAGA leader's outburst, a senior official at the General Services Administration ordered the Defense Department to cough up every SpaceX contract and transaction agreement they had.
According to a new report by The Wall Street Journal, the goal was to lay it all bare for the White House to decide the next move.
SpaceX is basically irreplaceable
Defense Department insiders told WSJ that the review only reinforced how vital SpaceX is, not just to the military, but to NASA’s entire space exploration program. It seems like the feds and Musk are practically codependent.
From rocket launches to low Earth orbit satellite services, Musk’s companies have a near-monopoly. The competition is floundering at best. Boeing, in particular, is still playing catch-up and tripping over technical issues while SpaceX keeps winning contracts.
Musk previously threatened to decommission Crew Dragon, the only US-certified ride to and from the International Space Station. That triggered alarms at NASA, especially after Crew Dragon was instrumental in a real-life rescue mission.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams were stranded on the ISS for 286 days after their Boeing Starliner broke down. What was supposed to be a week-long jaunt turned into an accidental sabbatical in Earth's orbit.
It was Musk’s Crew Dragon that eventually brought them back to Earth this March.
Contracts continue to roll in for SpaceX
Despite all the apparent friction, the contracts keep pouring in. SpaceX landed a $5.9 billion deal this year to conduct 28 national security flights.
Just in May, they launched a shiny new GPS satellite for the Space Force. NASA’s also counting down to the next SpaceX crew launch to the ISS within weeks.
Meanwhile, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell was spotted in hush-hush meetings with White House officials while the federal review unfolded. But it seems the animosity between Musk and Trump is alive and well.
They’re still bitterly divided over Trump’s infamous "big, beautiful bill," and Musk’s threat to launch his own political party in protest didn’t exactly smooth things over.
He called the bill a financial disaster, warning it could "bankrupt America" and add $3.3 to $4.5 billion to the national debt.
Trump fired back at the time. “Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.
No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE.
Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!” he posted on Truth Social in June.
The Jeffrey Epstein files only fanned the flames
If the spending bill drove a wedge between them, the Jeffrey Epstein files cracked it wide open.
Musk wasn't buying it after Trump suggested the infamous Epstein files were a "hoax" cooked up by Democrats.
“Wow I can’t believe Epstein killed himself before realizing it was all a hoax,” Musk snarked on X.
“He should just release the files and point out which part is the hoax," the billionaire responded to another post.
It was the cherry on top of Musk’s fallout with Trump and also struck a nerve with the MAGA base, who have been increasingly frustrated with the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files.
https://news.meaww.com/trumps-effort-to-cancel-elon-musks-contracts-fails-as-review-shows-nas-as-dependence-on-space-x-report
https://www.wsj.com/business/trump-aides-discussed-ending-some-spacex-contracts-but-found-most-were-vital-d1cf9ab5
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114776149269773065
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1945967524564369877
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1945544269894193509
Disturbing Eyesight Problem Affects 70% of Astronauts on Long Missions
21 July 2025
When astronauts return from the International Space Station, many have noticed an unexpected side effect of their mission, their eyesight has changed.
This phenomenon, affecting about 70% of astronauts on long duration missions, has NASA scientists working to understand why weightlessness affects how we see.
Dr. Sarah Johnson noticed it first during her six month stay aboard the ISS. She reported that text that was crystal clear before launch became blurry.
Johnson isn't alone though, astronauts frequently report difficulty reading, blurred distance vision, and other visual changes that can persist for years after returning to Earth.
The condition is now known as Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome or SANS for short, and it's become one of the most pressing health concerns for long-duration space missions.
Unlike motion sickness or muscle weakness which resolve quickly back on Earth, the vision changes can be permanent.
The culprit appears to be microgravity itself. On Earth, gravity constantly pulls fluids downward through our bodies. In space, these fluids redistribute, causing facial puffiness and increased pressure inside the skull.
This elevated pressure can flatten the back of the eyeball and cause swelling of the optic nerve. These findings have major implications for Mars missions, which could last 2-3 years.
"We need to understand whether these changes stabilise or continue worsening over time. An astronaut with severely compromised vision could jeopardise an entire Mars mission." - Dr. Michael Roberts, NASA's vision research lead.
Roberts and his team at NASA are developing several countermeasures, including special contact lenses, medications to reduce fluid pressure, and exercise protocols that might help maintain normal circulation.
They're also testing a device called the Visual Impairment Intracranial Pressure (VIIP) chamber that could simulate Earth-like pressure conditions for the eyes.
While concerning, this research benefits everyone on Earth too. Scientists are gaining new insights into how pressure affects vision, potentially helping treat conditions like glaucoma and intracranial hypertension.
Understanding how our bodies adapt to space remains crucial. As we test the limits of our bodies more and more through longer duration space flight, alas we uncover more and more challenges.
The research into solutions will continue at NASA and on board the ISS so that hopefully, when we finally do reach out on a human trip to Mars, we can at least see clearly what we have accomplished!
https://www.sciencealert.com/disturbing-eyesight-problem-affects-70-of-astronauts-on-long-missions
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/iss-research/vision-changes-on-space-station/
NASA Scientists Stand Up for Agency Mission with 'Voyager Declaration'
Jul 21, 2025, 8:22 AM ET
On July 21, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) employees addressed a “Voyager Declaration” to NASA Interim Director Sean Duffy warning that proposed budget cuts and policies will permanently compromise the United States' advances on Earth and in space.
The Declaration lists "seven dissents" identifying the NASA administration budget cuts and management decisions that interfere with the agency's mission.
Since 1958, Congress has mandated NASA to “explore the unknown in air and space, innovate for the benefit of humanity, and inspire the world through discovery.”
For decades, NASA's mission has captivated Americans, reflecting the nation's drive for innovation and spirit of exploration.
Today, on the 56th anniversary of humanity's first step on the Moon, NASA staff have taken a crucial step to safeguard vital contributions to American innovation and exploration.
The NASA signatories of the Voyager Declaration warn that changing the agency's Technical Authority capacities in the interest of budget cuts will come at the expense of safety, the underlying guiding principle of the Agency's work.
The Declaration also points to cuts jeopardizing ongoing and Congressionally-funded one-of-a-kind missions (e.g. New Horizons, Chandra, Maven).
Scientists are dissenting policies that could benefit Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and former head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), who directed the cuts and whose businesses stand to gain lucrative government contracts as NASA's functions are shuttered.
With the Voyager Declaration, NASA employees join their federal colleagues at the National Institutes of Health (the Bethesda Declaration) and Environmental Protection Agency (the EPA Declaration of Dissent) in directly challenging Trump-appointed administrators to uphold their agency's mission, restore science's foundational role in policy, and cease the systematic dismantling of federal scientific agencies.
In taking a public stance in defense of their work, government employees assume a significant personal and professional risk.
In apparent retaliation for their role in the EPA Declaration of Dissent, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin put "The EPA 139" on an extended administrative leave.
Despite fears of retaliation, NASA employees are standing up for their agency's mission and for their oath, stating their solidarity with other brave federal employees who stand up for science.
"NASA is a tangible product of the greatest expression of the American Dream. All of humanity has mused of reaching into the stars.
Through decades of unified support by presidents, congress, and the American public, we have done it. America put the first human on the moon, we showed the world Pluto, we brought photos of the farthest corners of the universe home.
Dismantling this American institution is a travesty. No one voted for this. No one voted to willfully give our global dominance in science to other nations in exchange for tax cuts for the ultra wealthy," says Colette Delawalla, founder and Executive Director of Stand Up for Science.
The non-profit organization Stand Up For Science is hosting the Voyager Declaration and collecting signatures from the public in support. Current supporters include Nobel Laureates, prominent scientists, politicians, activists, patients, and more.
In solidarity with the Voyager Declaration of Dissent, Stand Up for Science urges Congress to maintain its bipartisan support for NASA in the 2026 budget, recognizing the agency's critical leadership in American and global science.
There are four current NASA employees who are willing to go on record (and additional ones who are willing to speak on conditions of anonymity), available for interview.
For security reasons, we have not listed them in this release, but welcome interested parties to contact media@standupforscience.net.
Colette Delawalla (Stand Up for Science Founder and Executive Director) is available to discuss the impact of this action on the broader effort to save science, call the public to action, and encourage other federal agency employees to do the same.
https://www.wsav.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/832559778/nasa-scientists-stand-up-for-agency-mission-with-voyager-declaration/
https://www.standupforscience.net/nasa-voyager-declaration
https://www.standupforscience.net/voyager-declaration-statement-support
What are these strange swirls around an infant star? 'We may be watching a planet come into existence in real time'
July 21, 2025
Astronomers have seen what appears to be a forming planet carving out a complex pattern in a disk of gas and dust around a young star.
The discovery of this spiral architect could help us better understand how planetary systems like the solar system came to be.
The infant extrasolar planet, or "exoplanet," is creating a spiral arm pattern in the planet-forming protoplanetary disk of the 10 million-year-old star HD 135344B, also known as SAO 206462, located in the Scorpius OB2-3 star-forming region.
If 10 million years old doesn't seem particularly young, remember the sun is considered middle-aged — and its around 4.6 billion years old.
The discovery of the potential planetary culprit for this swirling spiral pattern was made using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and its Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph ERIS) instrument.
It may represent the first time astronomers have witnessed a planet actively forming within a protoplanetary disk.
"We will never witness the formation of Earth, but here, around a young star 440 light-years away, we may be watching a planet come into existence in real time," Francesco Maio, study team leader and a researcher at the University of Florence, said in a statement.
Maio and colleagues estimate this budding planet is around twice as large as Jupiter. It orbits HD 135344B at a similar distance to Neptune's orbit around the sun.
That's about 30 times the distance between Earth and the sun. And as this potential planet seems to carve channels into the protoplanetary disk of HD 135344B, it is gathering material to further facilitate its growth.
Baby exoplanet sweeps up stellar leftovers
Stars form from overly dense cool patches in vast clouds of interstellar gas and dust, which collapse under their own gravity.
As these stars continue to grow, swirling clouds of gas and dust called protoplanetary disks settle around them. It is within this disk that planets will be born.
Astronomers predict that when this happens, these infant worlds sweep up material to build their own masses, creating intricate structures like rings and channels similar to the grooves in a record, and spirals resembling the spiral arms of the Milky Way.
However, catching these exoplanet sculptors has been challenging.
Exemplifying this is the fact that astronomers had previously detected the spiral structure of HD 135344B's protoplanetary disk, using the VLT Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research (SPHERE) instrument — but had missed evidence of a planet causing it.
However, ERIS allowed the VLT and its operators to dive deeper into this protoplanetary disk, revealing a prime suspect for its shape: a hidden exoplanet sculptor.
This potential baby planet lurks at the base of one of the disk's spiral arms. That is exactly where scientists have predicted such a spiral-sculpting infant planet should dwell.
"What makes this detection potentially a turning point is that, unlike many previous observations, we are able to directly detect the signal of the protoplanet, which is still highly embedded in the disk,” Maio explained.
"This gives us a much higher level of confidence in the planet’s existence, as we’re observing the planet's own light."
https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/what-are-these-strange-swirls-around-an-infant-star-we-may-be-watching-a-planet-come-into-existence-in-real-time
https://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso2513/eso2513a.pdf
Earth will spin faster on July 22 to create 2nd-shortest day in history
July 21, 2025
Earth will complete a full rotation in slightly less time than usual on Tuesday, July 22, making it one of the shortest days ever recorded.
The difference will be just 1.34 milliseconds less than the standard 24 hours — not something you'll notice — but it's part of a puzzling trend in Earth's rotational behavior that has been unfolding in recent years.
If it continues, a second may need to be subtracted from atomic clocks around 2029 — a so-called negative leap second, which has never been done before.
The speed of Earth's rotation isn't fixed. Long ago, a day was much shorter than the 24 hours — or 86,400 seconds — we're now accustomed to.
According to a 2023 study, a day on Earth was approximately 19 hours for a significant part of Earth's early history, due to a balance between solar atmospheric tides and lunar ocean tides.
However, over deep time, a day on Earth has become consistently longer. The primary culprit has been tidal friction from the moon, which has caused it to gradually move farther away from Earth.
As it moves away, the moon saps Earth's rotational energy, causing Earth's rotation to slow and days to lengthen.
So why the sudden reverse?
From when records began (with the invention of the atomic clock) in 1973 until 2020, the shortest day ever recorded was 1.05 milliseconds less than 24 hours, according to Timeanddate.com.
But since 2020, Earth has repeatedly broken its own speed records. The shortest day ever measured occurred on July 5, 2024, when Earth's rotation was completed 1.66 milliseconds faster than usual.
Looking ahead to 2025, scientists predicted that July 9, July 22, and Aug. 5 could be the shortest days of the year.
However, new data suggests that July 10 took the lead as the shortest day so far in 2025, clocking in at 1.36 milliseconds less than 24 hours.
On July 22, Earth is expected to complete its spin 1.34 milliseconds early, making it a close runner-up.
If current predictions hold, Aug. 5 will be about 1.25 milliseconds shorter than usual, leaving July 22 as the second-shortest day of the year.
There are signs the acceleration may be easing. The rate of decrease in day length appears to be slowing, but the underlying cause of the recent rotational changes remains elusive.
One 2024 study suggested that the melting polar ice and rising sea levels may be influencing Earth's spin. However, rather than driving the acceleration, this redistribution of mass might be moderating it.
A more likely culprit is deep below our feet — the slowing of Earth's liquid core, which could be redistributing angular momentum in a way that makes the mantle and crust spin slightly faster.
"The cause of this acceleration is not explained," Leonid Zotov, a leading authority on Earth rotation at Moscow State University, told Timeanddate.com.
"Most scientists believe it is something inside the Earth. Ocean and atmospheric models don't explain this huge acceleration." Zotov predicts Earth’s rotation may soon decelerate once again.
If he’s right, this sudden speeding-up could prove to be just a temporary anomaly in the planet’s long-term trend toward slower rotation and longer days.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/earth-will-spin-faster-on-july-22-to-create-2nd-shortest-day-in-history
‘Ammonite’: A Mysterious Deep Space Fossil That Could Rewrite Solar System History
July 20, 2025
A mysterious icy object discovered far beyond Pluto is rewriting what we thought we knew about the Solar System’s past.
Nicknamed “Ammonite,” this ancient world has an orbit unlike any other, placing it in the ultra-rare class of “sednoids.”
Its discovery, made by the Subaru Telescope and confirmed through years of orbital data, challenges theories about Planet Nine and hints at a possible planetary shakeup billions of years ago.
With a stable orbit lasting over 4 billion years, Ammonite may be a cosmic fossil—a remnant of a chaotic era when invisible forces or even lost planets shaped the outskirts of our solar neighborhood.
Discovery of a Distant Object Beyond Pluto
Astronomers using the Subaru Telescope have identified a small, distant object located beyond Pluto that could offer important insights into how the outer Solar System formed, evolved, and came to exist in its current state.
The object, nicknamed “Ammonite” by the research team, was discovered through the FOSSIL project (Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy), which leverages the Subaru Telescope’s wide field of view.
Observations made in March, May, and August 2023 led to the initial detection of the object, now officially designated 2023 KQ14.
A more traditional name will eventually be given by the International Astronomical Union.
Later, in July 2024, researchers used the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope for follow-up observations and also identified older, previously overlooked sightings of the object in archival data from other observatories.
This enabled them to track the object’s path across nearly two decades. Because of its highly unusual and distant orbit, 2023 KQ14 has been classified as a “sednoid,” a very rare category with only three other known members.
Long-Term Orbit and Ancient Stability
Computer simulations run by the FOSSIL team, including those using resources from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, suggest that 2023 KQ14 has followed a stable orbit for roughly 4.5 billion years.
While its current trajectory does not match those of the other known sednoids, the models show that their orbits were surprisingly similar around 4.2 billion years ago.
The fact that 2023 KQ14 now follows an orbit different from the other sednoids indicates that the outer Solar System is more diverse and complex than previously thought.
This discovery also places new constraints on the hypothetical Planet Nine. If Planet Nine exists, its orbit must lie farther out than typically predicted.
Challenging the Planet Nine Hypothesis
Dr. Yukun Huang of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, who conducted simulations of the orbit, comments, “The fact that 2023 KQ14’s current orbit does not align with those of the other three sednoids lowers the likelihood of the Planet Nine hypothesis.
It is possible that a planet once existed in the Solar System but was later ejected, causing the unusual orbits we see today.”
Clues to the Ancient Solar System
Regarding the significance of this discovery, Dr. Fumi Yoshida states, “2023 KQ14 was found in a region far away where Neptune’s gravity has little influence.
The presence of objects with elongated orbits and large perihelion distances in this area implies that something extraordinary occurred during the ancient era when 2023 KQ14 formed.
“Understanding the orbital evolution and physical properties of these unique, distant objects is crucial for comprehending the full history of the Solar System.
At present, the Subaru Telescope is among the few telescopes on Earth capable of making such discoveries.
I would be happy if the FOSSIL team could make many more discoveries like this one and help draw a complete picture of the history of the Solar System.”
https://scitechdaily.com/ammonite-a-mysterious-deep-space-fossil-that-could-rewrite-solar-system-history/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02595-7
Tell the el-ites to divvy it up so the rest of us can play.
O3b mPOWER Mission
July 21, 2025
SpaceX is targeting Monday, July 21 for a Falcon 9 launch of the SES O3b mPOWER mission to medium Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The two-hour launch window opens at 5:12 p.m. ET. If needed, a backup opportunity is available Tuesday, July 22 with the same window.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.
This will be the sixth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously supported O3b mPOWER-E, Crew-10, Bandwagon-3, and two Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=mpower-d
Russian MOD confirms hypersonic strikes on Ukraine’s defense industrial base
21 Jul, 2025 09:39
Russian forces have carried out a coordinated overnight strike on Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and airfield infrastructure, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.
In a statement on Monday, the ministry reported that a group strike used long-range air-, sea-, and surface-launched precision weapons.
It also included Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles and attack drones, officials added.
“The goal of the strike has been achieved. All designated targets have been hit,” the ministry stated.
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky confirmed the strikes, reporting damage in Kiev and its surroundings, as well as in Kharkov and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.
He also claimed that Ukrainian air defenses had downed drones in Sumy, Khmelnitsky, Kirovograd, Nikolayev, and Poltava regions, and in the Kiev-occupied part of Kherson Region.
According to Zelensky, the attack lasted all night and involved more than 420 drones and more than 20 missiles, resulting in two people dead and 15 injured.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian media and officials reported damage to non-residential facilities in Kiev, as well as a supermarket, a warehouse, and an uninhabited cottage complex in an undisclosed location.
Russian officials maintain the attacks are aimed solely at military-related facilities and never target civilians.
Moscow has also said the strikes are retaliation for Kiev’s attacks deep into Russia, which often target residential buildings and critical infrastructure.
https://www.rt.com/russia/621755-russia-strikes-ukraines-defense-base/
Russian media shows ‘largest drone assembly plant in the world’
21 Jul, 2025 10:18
Russian TV channel Zvezda has offered a rare peek into what it describes as the “largest drone assembly plant in the world” in the central part of the country, which produces thousands of drones to be used in the Ukraine conflict.
The report which aired on Sunday shows a vast drone manufacturing facility in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan Region, more than 1,200km from the front line.
The plant focuses on producing Geran drones, described by Zvezda as “simple, cheap, and… mass-produced,” and highly accurate.
Footage from the facility shows long rows of Geran airframes slightly taller than the height of an average person.
Timur Shagivaleev, the general director of Alabuga, said the current output has far exceeded initial expectations.
“At one time there was a plan to produce several thousand Gerans. Right now, we are producing nine times more than the original plan,” he stated, without specifying the timeframe.
The Geran is a long-range loitering munition with a delta-wing design and rear-mounted pusher propeller.
It can carry an explosive payload of 40-50kg, has a cruising speed of around 180kph, and can travel over 1,000km on a single mission.
Most of the workforce at the plant are young people, many of whom come from a nearby college, which was set up by those who organized the Geran production, according to the report.
Zvezda said the plant was built from the ground up within the Alabuga economic zone. Before the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, it focused on attracting international technology and building import-substitution capabilities.
The report also featured a facility that assembles lighter reconnaissance and strike UAVs. Many of these drones are equipped with fiber-optic cables to withstand electronic jamming.
Russia has used mass-produced drones extensively in Ukraine to target expensive Western-supplied armored vehicles, troop concentrations, and military-related facilities, with Ukrainian officials saying recent strikes involved hundreds of drones.
Moscow maintains that it never targets civilians and that the drone strikes are a response to Kiev’s attacks on residential areas and critical infrastructure in Russia.
https://www.rt.com/russia/621753-russia-largest-drone-plant-in-world/
Russia and Ukraine exchange series of major strikes
21 Jul, 2025 00:49
Moscow faced a Ukrainian drone attack for the fifth night in a row, the city's mayor has said, as Russia launched yet another bombardment on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Video shared on social media showed chaos at Moscow's airports after the Ukrainian drone threat disrupted flight paths.
Meanwhile, at least one person was killed and several were injured in Ukraine's capital Kyiv following Moscow's latest bombardment.
Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian and Russian defense ministries for comment.
Why It Matters
Russia is showing no sign of letting up in its drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, despite President Volodymyr Zelensky's invitation to hold peace talks with Moscow in Turkey later this week.
Kyiv's use of drones on Russia follows a warning in May by Serhii Bratchuk, from the Ukrainian Defense Army's Southern Division, about Ukraine's plans to disrupt aviation to make the Russian population pay for Vladimir Putin's aggression.
What To Know
Russia repeated its mass drone and missile attacks on Kyiv overnight Sunday in strikes which local authorities said killed at least one person and injured six.
Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 450 drones and missiles targeting Kyiv, the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk and Kharkiv.
Explosions rocked Kyiv in the early hours of Sunday, with outdoor kiosks burning and smoke pouring from the entrance of the damaged Lukianivska subway station.
In Ivano-Frankivsk, air defenses were deployed during what the city's mayor Ruslan Martsinkiv described as the largest attack on the western region since the start of the war.
Meanwhile, more than 230 Ukrainian drones had been shot down downed over Russia since Saturday morning, including 27 over the capital, according to Russia's defence ministry.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said the Russian capital faced a fifth night of Ukrainian drone attacks, but that the devices had been shot down by air defenses.
Footage on social media showed debris hitting residential areas where several explosions were recorded.
Damage to a railway station in Kamenolomni, in the Rostov region further south caused by falling drone debris was also reported, causing hours-long train delays.
The threats posed by drones prompted restrictions to be imposed on flights from Moscow's Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports, according to Russia's state aviation agency Rosaviatsia.
Two other major airports in Moscow were also temporarily closed and at least 140 flights were cancelled as images on social media showed disgruntled passengers trapped at the crowded airports for up to 12 hours.
Open source intelligence X channel Visoner said Ukrainian forces had been launching waves of drones at various regions of Russia, including Moscow, with the aim of overloading Russian air defense systems.
What People Are Saying
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said: "Russian strikes are always an assault on humanity."
Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin: "Two drones attacking Moscow were shot down. Emergency service specialists are working at the crash site."
What Happens Next
After months of facing increased attacks by Russia on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Ukraine's military appears to have intensified efforts in targeting Russia's capital.
Meanwhile, despite Zelensky's offer for talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "the main thing for us is to achieve our goals".
These include Ukraine withdrawing from Russia-annexed regions and abandoning its aspirations to join Nato – terms that Kyiv and its Western allies have rejected.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russia-and-ukraine-exchange-series-of-major-strikes/ar-AA1IZH6w
https://www.rt.com/russia/621743-ukrainian-drones-moscow-rostov/
https://twitter.com/CNBCTV18News/status/1947197339535618401
https://twitter.com/visionergeo/status/1947151886605340885
Ukrainian agent caught in Russia – FSB
21 Jul, 2025 12:08
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has announced the detention of a Ukrainian intelligence recruit accused of spying in the western Ryazan Region.
In a statement on Monday, the agency said the man, a Moldovan national residing in Russia, had maintained contact with a representative of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence since 2024 via Telegram.
Acting on his handler’s instructions, he allegedly gathered and relayed information about a Russian Armed Forces unit and a military-industrial facility in the region.
According to the FSB, in return for his cooperation, the suspect was promised assistance in fleeing to France, after which he planned to travel to Ukraine and join one of its armed formations to fight against Russia.
The FSB’s investigative department in Ryazan Region has opened a criminal case for ‘state treason in the form of espionage’. A court has ordered that the suspect be held in custody.
The agency warned that Ukrainian intelligence actively recruits through the internet, social media, and messenger apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp to involve Russian citizens in sabotage and acts of terrorism.
It added that anyone assisting the Kiev regime will be prosecuted.
The FSB regularly reports on foiled terrorist plots and sabotage attempts on behalf of Kiev.
Last week, a Russian national suspected of planning a bomb attack and attempting to flee to Ukraine was killed in a shootout with law enforcement in Western Siberia.
A week earlier, the agency thwarted a Ukrainian plot to blow up a railway bridge in Saratov Region, killing a Russian suspect after he opened fire on officers.
https://www.rt.com/russia/621757-fsb-ukrainian-agent-detained/
https://www.sciencealert.com/its-official-betelgeuse-has-a-binary-twin-and-its-already-doomed
https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adeaaf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94tZmhbhiyE
It's Official: Betelgeuse Has a Binary 'Twin', And It's Already Doomed
22 July 2025
At least one mystery surrounding the red giant Betelgeuse can now be put to bed. Astronomers have finally laid eyes on a small, dim binary companion whipping around the massive sun.
The observations of this smaller, fainter star perfectly match predictions of its properties based on Betelgeuse's behavior.
Given that the name Betelgeuse means 'Hand of the Giantess' in Arabic, a team of researchers proposes that the companion, circling this 'hand', be named Siwarha – 'Her Bracelet'.
It's a detection that astronomers thought might not be possible at all, making it a spectacular achievement.
"This detection was at the very extremes of what can be accomplished with Gemini in terms of high-angular resolution imaging, and it worked," says Steve Howell, an astrophysicist at NASA Ames Research Center.
"This now opens the door for other observational pursuits of a similar nature."
Located at an uncertain but near distance of around 548 light-years away in the constellation of Orion, Betelgeuse is one of the biggest and brightest stars in Earth's sky.
It's a bloated beast at the end of its lifespan, clocking in at a mass somewhere between 16.5 and 19 times our own Sun's mass yet a radius of around 764 times our own star's.
At a mere 10 million years old, the giant might seem quite young for a senior, especially given that there are stars out there nearly as old as the 13.8 billion-year age of the Universe.
That's because Betelgeuse is massive. More massive stars burn much hotter, brighter, and faster than the smaller ones, ending their lives in spectacular supernova fireworks and the formation of a neutron star or black hole.
Betelgeuse, therefore, represents a rare jewel in the sparkling cosmos: a short-lived star in the fleeting last stage of its lifespan, close enough to Earth to observe in detail. Those observations have certainly ponied up the goods, too: Betelgeuse is pretty weird.
There was the mysterious great dimming, in which the star's luminosity dropped by a whopping 35 percent; an observation that was later traced to a huge ejection of dust that obscured the star's light as it cooled.
Betelgeuse's light fluctuates in other ways, too. It has two dominant periods of fluctuating brightness – one every 400 days, the other about six years.
The 400-day period is its main one, caused by internal pulsations within the star itself.
The secondary, six-year period has been a little more difficult to resolve since it didn't fit internal activity.
The resulting detection only has a confidence level of 1.5 sigma, but it ticks all the boxes: a binary companion, right where astronomers thought it would be, at the time it should appear.
1/2
It's around 1.6 times the mass of the Sun, Howell and his colleagues believe, at an orbital separation of 4 astronomical units – about four times the distance between Earth and the Sun.
That puts Siwarha closer to Betelgeuse than Jupiter is to the Sun, and results in an orbital period of 5.94 years.
"The results presented here are not definitive, as the detection is at the limit of the instrument capabilities," the researchers write in their paper.
Several recent papers, however, proposed that a small, close binary companion between around one and two times the mass of the Sun might be responsible, predicting that the best time to observe this object would be in December 2024.
This is where things get tricky. Because Betelgeuse is so large and bright, finding a smaller, dimmer object right next to it is not easy. H
owell and his colleagues turned to a technique called speckle imaging: using very short bursts of exposure times to correct for the distortion effects of Earth's atmosphere.
"However, the results do present the most direct and substantive evidence for the existence of a stellar companion to Betelgeuse, as well as the properties of that companion."
Boom. Mic drop.
The observations suggest that Siwarha is an F-type star that has not quite yet made it to the main sequence – it's not advanced enough yet for hydrogen fusion to ignite in its core.
Remember how more massive stars have shorter lifespans? Smaller ones take a little longer to get going. So, while Betelgeuse and Siwarha were probably born together, at the same time, the former's life is nearly over, while the latter's is yet to really start.
It probably won't ever start, actually. Astronomers predict that Betelgeuse is going to go supernova sometime within the next 100,000 years, likely leaving behind a neutron star. When it does so, Siwarha is right in the firing line.
The next opportunity to observe Siwarha will come around in November 2027. Astronomers have just two short years to hone their observation techniques to catch a better glimpse of this elusive, doomed star.
2/2
Ukraine likely underreporting military deaths – Le Monde
21 Jul, 2025 11:09
Ukraine’s official military casualty figures in the conflict with Russia may be vastly understated, according to a report published by the French newspaper Le Monde on Monday.
Neither Kiev nor Moscow publishes regular updates on military deaths, and both sides routinely accuse each other of inflating their opponent’s battlefield losses.
In February, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky told CBS News that since the escalation of the conflict in 2022, 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed, with another 380,000 wounded.
However, Ukraine is likely vastly underreporting military deaths, according to Le Monde.
“The real death toll is likely much higher,” the French newspaper reported in a feature examining Ukraine’s increasing efforts to build military cemeteries.
The story highlighted a national military memorial project underway near Kiev and a case in Lviv, where a graveyard for fallen soldiers was nearing capacity.
“Construction projects rising across Ukraine say more about the scale of the slaughter than statistics ever could,” the newspaper wrote.
In a separate statement in February 2024, Zelensky put Ukraine’s military fatalities at 31,000.
At the time, the Washington Post cited an unnamed source who said the government appeared to be minimizing the numbers to avoid jeopardizing continued military support from Western nations.
Last year, Ukraine reformed its military service regulations to streamline enforcement of obligatory conscription among men of fighting age.
Despite the changes, the government has faced mounting resistance, with reports of men hiding or attempting to flee Ukraine illegally – sometimes with fatal consequences – to avoid service.
Multiple videos circulating online show Ukrainian conscription officers allegedly using aggressive tactics to meet enlistment quotas.
Earlier this month, the Council of Europe expressed concern over “allegations of torture and death during military recruitment” in Ukraine.
The Russian military claims Ukrainian losses have surged following Kiev’s unsuccessful counteroffensive in 2023.
As of February, more than 1.08 million Ukrainian troops had been killed or wounded, according to Moscow’s estimates.
https://www.rt.com/russia/621758-ukrainian-military-casualties-monde/
Rebels in Colombia attack a military patrol with a drone, killing 3 soldiers
July 21, 2025 14:25
BOGOTA, Colombia: Rebels in northeastern Colombia used a drone to attack a military patrol in a rural area, killing three soldiers and injuring eight, the military said.
The army blamed the attack on the National Liberation Army, or ELN, a group of approximately six thousand fighters that has been fighting the Colombian government since the 1960s.
The attack took place Sunday outside the town of El Carmen in the Catatumbo region, the military said in a statement.
Rebel groups in Colombia are increasingly using drones to attack the military and to attack each other as they fight for control of rural areas.
They mostly use commercial photography drones with explosives strapped to them, flying them straight into their targets.
Colombia’s Defense Ministry says that rebel groups launched 115 drone attacks last year. Sunday’s drone attack is the one of the deadliest on record.
Colombia’s government has struggled to contain violence in rural areas that were formerly under the control of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, the guerrilla group that made peace with the government in 2016.
Several smaller rebel groups and drug gangs are now fighting over the control of areas abandoned by the FARC, where illicit activities like drug trafficking and illegal mining are common.
In January, Colombia’s government suspended peace talks with the National Liberation Army, following a spate of attacks in the Catatumbo region, in which at least 80 people were killed and 50,000 were forced to flee their homes.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2608911/world
Yemen launches drone attack on Israel
Jul 21, 2025, 6:31 PM
A drone attack was launched from Yemen on the occupied territories, Israeli media reported.
The Israeli military radio reported that a drone was fired from the Yemeni territory towards the occupied territories.
The attack was carried out while none of the sirens in the occupied territories were activated.
The Israeli military officials have expressed concern that the warning system is not working.
The Israeli regime has been repeatedly targeted by missile and drone attacks by the Yemeni armed forces in recent months.
The attacks by Yemen's Ansarullah have intensified, especially after the start of the Gaza war, and have also targeted areas such as the port of Eilat.
https://en.irna.ir/news/85894073/Yemen-launches-drone-attack-on-Israel
Ukraine seeks $6 billion to close weapons production gap, prioritising drone interceptors
July 21, 2025 6:51 pm
Ukraine needs $6 billion to bridge its weapons production shortfall in 2025, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal told allies during a virtual Ramstein format meeting on July 21, as cited by Radio Svoboda.
Ukraine is determined to constantly increase its homegrown drone capabilities, with recent plans focusing on developing interceptor drones designed to counter Russia's frequent Shahed-type drone attacks on Ukrainian cities.
"This would allow us to produce more FPV (first-person view) drones, more interceptor drones to repel Shahed attacks, and additional long-range weapons so that the war also continues on Russian territory," Shmyhal said during the meeting, Radio Svoboda reported.
The 29th Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, known as the Ramstein format, brought together representatives from 52 countries under German and British leadership.
The regular gatherings of top defense and military officials coordinate weapons deliveries and other military support for Ukraine's war effort.
The U.S. was represented by its ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker rather than Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, despite earlier announcements by the British NATO mission.
During the meeting, the newly-appionted Shmyhal also urged partners to earmark Ukraine funding in their 2026 budgets.
On June 24, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during the NATO summit that Ukraine has the capacity to produce over 8 million drones of various types each year, but lacks the financial backing to reach that potential.
Zelensky urged allies to scale up investments in joint weapons production, including drone technologies, artillery, and interceptors.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has rapidly developed domestic military capabilities, with particular success in groundbreaking drone technology.
According to Zelensky, overall, domestically-produced weapons account for more than 40% of the arms used in Ukraine's defense against Russia's war.
https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-seeks-6-billion-to-close-the-weapons-production-gap-prioritising-drone-interceptors/
Police release drone photo of deadly plane crash scene in Lancaster County
Updated: 10:56 AM EDT Jul 21, 2025
LITITZ, Pa. — Police released a drone photo, showing the impact site near Lancaster Airport where a plane went down in a cornfield Sunday morning, killing the pilot.
The crash happened around 8 a.m., seconds after takeoff, about half a mile north of the airport.
The Lancaster County Coroner's Office identified the pilot as Musaddiq Nazeeri, 58, of Lebanon.
Nazeeri was the only person on board the single-engine Piper PA-46. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash.
Monday morning, the Lancaster Civil Air Patrol Squadron was securing the scene for investigators.
COMING UP | The NTSB is scheduled to hold a news conference at 3 p.m. Monday. WGAL will livestream that on this page when it happens.
'Horrific thing to witness'
David Welden was reading the paper on his porch when he heard something.
"I did hear an engine. And I looked up from the paper, and then it was just a cloud of black smoke," David Welden said. "I immediately went in and said to my wife, Jan, 'Call 911.'"
Welden jumped in his car and drove to the crash site. He and some Amish neighbors followed a trail of debris to the crashed plane.
"There are pieces of the plane, backpacks, shoes, so on and so forth up to where it stopped," Welden said.
And then they found the pilot.
"It’s a horrific thing to witness," he said. "It’s hard seeing stuff like that, and my appreciation for the personnel that witnessed these things and go to emergency scenes, my heart really swells with pride for these people that do this, unfortunately, on a daily basis throughout their life."
'He just started nosing down'
Bob Eby, who is a pilot, also witnessed the deadly crash. He said everything looked OK when the plane initially took off.
"Everything looked normal, normal angle. And, the speed was up, the gear was up, and all of a sudden, for whatever reason, he just started nosing down about 10 to 15 degrees, and he flew it right into the cornfield," Eby said.
Eby and his wife Lucy immediately called 911 and rushed to the scene to try and help.
"It was emotional. I am a pilot, so I know what flying a plane is. And, it was really a mangled mess," Bob said.
https://www.wgal.com/article/pennsylvania-lancaster-airport-drone-photo-deadly-plane-crash-musaddiq-nazeeri/65462728
IDF launches wave of air strikes, moves armored units ahead of central Gaza offensive
July 21, 2025 03:03
The IDF launched a second wave of aerial strikes on the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah on Monday after warning civilians to move away from the area to the safety of humanitarian zones to the south.
On Sunday, the Arabic Language military spokesperson issued a warning for civilians in the city to leave immediately ahead of attacks.
"The IDF continues to operate with great force to destroy enemy and terrorist infrastructure," the spokesperson said in a post instructing Gazans to move toward the humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi.
Eyewitnesses told the BBC that tanks and heavy armored vehicles were seen entering the city from the north-east under the cover of artillery fire and airstrikes.
Social media posts showed explosions and intense gunfire, prompting many residents to leave.
Deir al-Balah in central Gaza includes the refugee camp where many Gazans have sought refuge during the war because the IDF has not operated on the ground there.
It includes the Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital, where many of the displaced have settled.
The BBC claimed in its reporting that residents of the city were concerned that the Israeli attacks were part of a plan to create a corridor that would cut the city off from the rest of the Strip, limiting the options to escape the area.
The families of hostages expressed outrage and fear that the latest offensive move would pose further risk to the lives of the hostages held by Hamas.
On Monday, far-right Settlement and National Missions Minister Orit Strock said that the IDF should launch a “decisive battle” in areas of the Gaza Strip that the military has largely avoided due to the presence of hostages.
“There is an entire area — around 25% of the territory, as the chief of staff defined it — that has been designated ‘do not touch’ because of the hostages,” Strock said. “But you can’t win a war that way. It’s not logical and not acceptable.”
When asked if she was not concerned that hostages may be killed, she said the military should try hard to avoid harming the captives, "but it could happen. Yes, it could happen,” causing further outrage among the families of the hostages.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hyqjftiulx
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/2025-07-21/live-updates-861693#google_vignette
South Korea landslide: Drone footage shows destruction after torrential rain
21 Jul 2025 18:31:PM
A devastating landslide in South Korea has left a trail of destruction in its wake.
Triggered by torrential rainfall, the landslide buried homes and farms under thick mud, according to drone footage released.
The footage shows the extent of the damage, with entire structures uprooted and once-green landscapes now covered in mud.
Satellite imagery and metadata verify the authenticity of the video.
The scale of the disaster is immense, with many residents displaced and emergency teams working tirelessly on rescue and relief efforts.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of communities to extreme weather events.
Authorities warned on Saturday that an additional 250 mm (9.8 inches) of rain could fall throughout the day, raising concerns about potential damage and casualties, according to the country’s official Yonhap news agency.
Rain is expected to continue in some areas until Monday, prompting weather officials to urge extreme caution due to the risks of landslides and flooding.
Warnings have been issued for most of South Korea.
The Ministry of Interior reported that more than 2,800 people are still unable to return to their homes, out of over 7,000 individuals evacuated in recent days.
https://www.news9live.com/videos/world-videos/south-korea-landslide-drone-footage-shows-destruction-after-torrential-rain-2879025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiVq-HcmMcQ
sounds serious