TYB
Alex Stein Investigates NASA's Johnson Space Center
October 5, 2025
The Pimp on a Blimp takes a closer look
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLuRu0R-1q8
Anna Paulina Luna
@realannapaulina
I spoke to Dr. Avi Loeb and he stated:
“This image is claimed to be from the Perseverance Rover on Mars. If real, the elongated cylinder could be caused by smearing due to a long exposure time of the camera as the source moves across the Martian sky. I will keep you posted if I learn more.”
Skywatch Signal
@UAPWatchers
🚨NASA Released Mars Perseverance Image Of 3I/ATLAS
NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Right Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover's mast and aids in driving.
This image was acquired on Oct. 4, 2025 (Sol 1643) at the local mean solar time of 21:33:39.
Source:
https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/multimedia/raw-images/NRF_1643_0812830488_112EBY_N0790870NCAM00234_09_0LLJ
11:57 AM · Oct 5, 2025
https://x.com/realannapaulina/status/1974911918130299350
https://x.com/UAPWatchers/status/1974894702965956679
Dahboo7 🎙
@dahboo7
What Is 3i/ATLAS? Wild New Images Show Strange Features 🌠 It Does NOT Look Like a 'Normal Comet'
11:41 AM · Oct 5, 2025
https://x.com/dahboo7/status/1974907756944785599
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaBSJ7R2c5w
Government Shutdown… or Cosmic Cover Up?
Oct 5, 2025
The truth is, when the lights go out on official communication, In many cases that’s when the most significant discoveries slip quietly past the public eye. So now we’re left to wonder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXUiXOA9dmc
Interpretation of the Stripe in the New Image of 3I/ATLAS from the Perseverance Rover Camera
October 4, 2025
On October 4, 2025 at the mean local solar time of 21:33:39 on Mars, the Right Navigation Camera (Navcam) onboard NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover took an image (posted online by NASA here and here) of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS in the Martian sky.
At that time, 3I/ATLAS was at a distance of about 38 million kilometers from Mars.
The image shows an elongated stripe which is about 4 times longer than it is wide. This stripe raised questions on social media as to whether 3I/ATLAS is a large cylindrical object.
I was asked for my opinion about this puzzling image by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and so I immediately worked out the following numbers.
The Navcam on the Perseverance rover has sensitivity to visible light with an angular resolution of 0.33 milli-radian (or equivalently 68 arcseconds) per pixel, as detailed here.
This translates to a spatial scale of about 12,500 kilometers at the distance of 3I/ATLAS from Mars when the image was taken. This scale sets the width of the elongated stripe in the Navcam image of 3I/ATLAS.
Thus, the projected length of the stripe is about 50,000 kilometers.
The upper bound on the diameter of 3I/ATLAS was derived by the SPHEREx space observatory (reported here) as 46 kilometers for an albedo of 4%.
The Navcam stripe is a thousand times longer than this upper limit and therefore must be an artifact of a long integration time given that the source moves across the Martian sky.
If 3I/ATLAS was a cylinder as long as 50,000 kilometers, then it would have occupied an angular size of 23 arcseconds in the Hubble Space Telescope image taken on July 21, 2025, when 3I/ATLAS was at a distance of 3 times the Earth-Sun separation from the Hubble camera. Instead, 3I/ATLAS appears smaller by at least an order of magnitude in the actual Hubble image (available here and here).
This suggests that the elongation of the stripe was generated by the integration time used to make the composite Navcam image, during which 3I/ATLAS moved across the Martian sky.
Mars orbits the Sun at a speed of 24 kilometers per second. 3I/ATLAS is traveling on a retrograde orbit in the opposite direction to Mars at a speed of about 67 kilometers per second relative to the Sun.
The speed of 3I/ATLAS relative to Mars translates to a path length of about 50,000 kilometers for an integration time of order 10 minutes.
In conclusion, the stripe in the Navcam image must have resulted from stacking hundreds of Navcam images over a total time interval of about 10 minutes.
3I/ATLAS would have looked like a circular spot for an individual snapshot, which has a maximum exposure time of 3.28 seconds for Navcam.
In a single frame, the motion of 3I/ATLAS on the Martian sky would have smeared its image by merely 300 kilometers, only ~3% of the much larger smearing by 12,500 kilometers associated with the limited angular resolution of Navcam.
The stacking of hundreds of images enhanced the apparent brightness of 3I/ATLAS in the final image.
The above analysis is based on the assumption that the Navcam images are of 3I/ATLAS. This was not specified explicitly on the NASA website.
If the Navcam images represent single snapshots with an exposure time below 3.28 seconds, then the brightness and angular length of the observed source imply that it is not 3I/ATLAS.
In that case, the source might be much closer to the camera — capable of being smeared into an elongated image with a smaller spatial size and a smaller speed.
In case the source is 3I/ATLAS, one way to think about the stripe is as a sequence of smeared snapshots, like a pod of green beans.
3I/ATLAS shared the experience of a movie star with lots of cameras from 7 Mars orbiters and a ground-based rover taking snapshots of it as it passed across the Martian sky.
The highest resolution image was taken by the HiRISE camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. HiRISE has an angular resolution that translated to 30 kilometers per pixel on October 3, 2025.
The brightest pixel in the HiRISE image will provide the best constraint yet on the area of 3I/ATLAS. We are all hoping that the HiRISE team will release their images as soon as possible.
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/interpretation-of-the-stripe-in-the-new-image-of-3i-atlas-from-the-perseverance-rover-camera-7c5332c60ff1
Ripple (XRP) Wins NASA Acknowledgment
October 6, 2025
Interest in blockchain technology reached a new audience when a NASA presentation referenced Ripple as part of its discussion on private blockchains.
The mention appeared in a slide titled “Private Blockchain (Ripple and others)” prepared by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The slide highlighted specific features of private blockchain systems, noting their efficiency and speed, among other advantages.
The post about this moment came from JackTheRippler (@RippleXrpie), a prominent crypto influencer, who shared the slide on X.
His post drew significant interest from the XRP community, given the significance of an institution like NASA recognizing Ripple in the context of advanced technology discussions.
Highlighting the XRP Ledger’s Capabilities
The NASA slide emphasized that private blockchains, such as the XRP Ledger, are “faster,” “more efficient with data storage,” and can be “augmented with commercial distributed databases to enhance performance.”
The XRP Ledger is one of the top blockchain networks in the crypto space, as it has been described as 120,000 times more energy-efficient than Bitcoin.
Some of the characteristics highlighted in the document align with Ripple’s long-standing value proposition of enabling efficient, secure, and rapid transactions in enterprise and institutional settings using XRP.
For XRP enthusiasts, this acknowledgment represents validation of the technology’s practical applications outside purely financial environments.
However, the NASA document also mentioned a “limited user base,” requiring permissions for access, and use of a “centralized verification system.”
None of these apply to XRP, as its ledger is permissionless and fully decentralized, with a large global community supporting it.
NASA’s decision to feature Ripple alongside other private blockchain solutions suggests that it sees the potential benefits of these systems in contexts where speed and efficiency are essential.
Recognition Beyond Financial Institutions
Ripple has historically been associated with the financial sector due to its solutions for cross-border payments and liquidity management.
However, JackTheRippler’s post highlights how its visibility extends beyond banks and payment processors to include organizations engaged in scientific research and advanced technological projects.
This growing acknowledgment supports the argument that XRP and Ripple’s technology have practical relevance in various sectors requiring streamlined data movement and secure record-keeping.
Institutions like NASA assessing these solutions signal confidence in their real-world use cases, reinforcing XRP’s positioning as a mature technology with applications that span far beyond cryptocurrency trading.
https://timestabloid.com/ripple-xrp-wins-nasa-acknowledgment/
https://twitter.com/RippleXrpie/status/1974965472568459444
Digits
The booms are booming
https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/nasa-and-georgia-tech-collaborate-on-electric-aircraft-to-revolutionize-traffic-free-travel-in-atlanta-all-you-need-to-know/
https://www.gatech.edu/news/2025/09/23/georgia-tech-opens-new-aircraft-prototyping-laboratory
NASA and Georgia Tech Collaborate on Electric Aircraft to Revolutionize Traffic-Free Travel in Atlanta
October 5, 2025
In a groundbreaking collaboration, NASA and Georgia Tech have joined forces to explore new transportation possibilities that could transform how residents and visitors travel in Atlanta.
Researchers at Georgia Tech are working alongside NASA to develop electric aircraft with the potential to alleviate the city’s notorious traffic congestion.
These electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft could one day serve as air taxis, offering a quiet, sustainable and efficient way to navigate the skies above the gridlocked roads of Atlanta.
The Vision for Electric Aircraft in Urban Travel
The partnership between Georgia Tech and NASA focuses on creating an innovative solution to the ongoing traffic challenges faced by Atlanta’s commuters.
The development of electric aircraft is seen as a promising answer to urban congestion. The new aircraft would function in a similar way to a helicopter, but with the added benefits of being electric and much quieter.
Researchers are particularly focused on making these aircraft practical for everyday urban travel, addressing the issue of noise that has long plagued helicopter use in crowded cityscapes.
At the core of this initiative is the RAVEN project, which stands for Research Aircraft for eVTOL Enabling Technologies.
RAVEN is a joint project between Georgia Tech and NASA that aims to design, build and test an electric aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing.
With a target weight class of around 1,000 pounds, the RAVEN aircraft will serve as a test platform for exploring electric propulsion systems, flight controls and noise reduction technologies.
These systems are essential for ensuring that the aircraft will be viable for daily use in urban areas like Atlanta.
A New Prototype Lab to Drive Innovation
To bring this project to fruition, Georgia Tech has opened a new prototyping lab where the development of these electric aircraft will take place.
The lab will serve as the central hub for testing and integrating key technologies required to make the electric aircraft a reality.
According to Brian German, an aerospace engineering professor at Georgia Tech, the lab will be instrumental in advancing the research and ensuring that the electric aircraft technology is both reliable and efficient.
The RAVEN project will test several crucial technologies, including propulsion systems, flight controls and noise reduction features.
The long-term goal is to develop a sustainable, electric aircraft that is quiet enough to operate in densely populated areas without disrupting the quality of life for residents.
Researchers hope that by solving the noise problem, electric aircraft could become an integral part of city-to-city travel, providing a zero-emissions alternative to traditional transportation options.
Electric Aircraft: A Sustainable Alternative to Traditional Travel
Electric aircraft, such as the ones being developed by Georgia Tech and NASA, are expected to play a significant role in the future of urban air mobility.
The aircraft’s electric propulsion system will provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional helicopters and other forms of transportation.
The development of electric aircraft is in line with the growing push for sustainable, low-emission technologies that can help reduce the environmental impact of transportation.
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The electric aircraft being developed by Georgia Tech and NASA could also serve as a model for future advancements in air travel.
As the technology matures, it is possible that electric aircraft could replace traditional business jets for short city-to-city trips, offering a cleaner and quieter option for travel.
This shift to zero-emission aircraft could help reduce the carbon footprint of air travel and contribute to broader efforts to combat climate change.
The Potential Impact on Atlanta’s Traffic Congestion
With nearly 2.5 million people driving through Atlanta daily, the need for alternative transportation solutions has never been more pressing.
The traffic gridlock in Atlanta is a major source of frustration for commuters and the electric aircraft project offers a potential way to bypass the city’s congested streets.
While it may still be some years before air taxis become a common mode of transportation, the partnership between NASA and Georgia Tech marks an important step toward making traffic-free travel in Atlanta a reality.
The new electric aircraft technology has the potential to transform not only how people get around within the city but also how they travel to and from key destinations like the airport.
If successful, these aircraft could offer a fast and efficient alternative to driving on highways like I-85, giving travelers the option to fly directly to their destination while avoiding traffic entirely.
Looking Toward the Future of Urban Air Mobility
While the current focus of the project is on developing the RAVEN aircraft, the long-term vision extends beyond the city of Atlanta.
If successful, this partnership between Georgia Tech and NASA could pave the way for similar projects in other major urban centers, where traffic congestion is a common issue.
The potential for electric aircraft to revolutionize travel in crowded cities worldwide is immense and the success of the RAVEN project will be closely watched by industry experts and policymakers alike.
The collaboration between NASA and Georgia Tech is not only a significant step in the development of electric aircraft but also a major milestone in the evolution of urban air mobility.
As cities continue to grow and traffic congestion becomes an ever-increasing problem, the development of sustainable, electric air taxis could be the key to unlocking a new era of traffic-free travel.
In conclusion, the partnership between NASA and Georgia Tech is set to redefine urban travel in Atlanta.
By developing electric aircraft that are both sustainable and efficient, this collaboration has the potential to change how people navigate the city, offering a quieter, more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional transportation methods.
With the continued progress of this groundbreaking research, the future of traffic-free travel in Atlanta—and beyond—looks brighter than ever.
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Probiotics in orbit: What spore survival means for Mars missions
October 6, 2025
Australian researchers from RMIT University have proven that bacteria beneficial to humans can survive the rigors of space travel: rocket launch, several minutes of microgravity, and harsh deceleration upon return.
During a suborbital flight on a two-stage SubOrbital Express 3 – M15 rocket, Bacillus subtilis spores were accelerated to ≈13g, endured ~6 minutes of microgravity at an altitude of about 257 km, and peak overloads during the return stage.
After their return, their viability and morphology did not differ from the control group, which indicates a high margin of safety for microbes in real flight conditions.
The team emphasizes that stable microbiological support for the crew’s bodies is critically important for long-term missions, from the Moon to Mars.
The result gives reason to believe that key probiotic organisms will withstand the most extreme stages of the journey — from takeoff to landing.
The study was conducted in collaboration with ResearchSat and Numedico, and detailed flight parameters (including an angular velocity of ~220°/s upon entry) and colony-forming unit counts (≈9.7×10⁷ versus 9.2×10⁷ in the control) are provided in the publication.
How does it work? The secret is simple: it is not delicate living bacteria that are sent into space, but their spores — a natural state of hibernation.
The spores are dried, consume almost nothing, and within them, the DNA is tightly packed with protective proteins and covered with a strong multilayered shell.
Therefore, it almost doesn’t care about vibrations, sudden overloads, and a few minutes of weightlessness during launch and return. In the laboratory, the spores are placed in small capsules with an inert carrier and secured in a container that partially absorbs shocks and temperature fluctuations.
After the flight, it’s simple: add a nutrient medium and heat, and the spore reabsorbs water, wakes up, and begins to grow as if nothing had happened.
In other words, the trick lies not in the heroic endurance of ordinary cells, but in the right form — spores, which nature created specifically to survive extreme conditions.
Why is this important? The health of the crew is the foundation of future space exploration.
If probiotic spores reliably withstand launch/return, this opens the way to simpler and more reliable life support systems: from stable probiotics in nutrition to closed-loop bioreactors.
For astrobiology, the result sets an important baseline: if Earth spores are so resilient, missions to search for life have to consider both their possible transportability and the risks of introducing contamination.
At the same time, information about the limits of microbial survival will help to more accurately calibrate instruments for detecting traces of life in harsh environments — from the surface of Mars to the subglacial oceans of moons.
Want to understand why the survival of Earth spores in flight strengthens hopes of finding microbial life on the Red Planet?
Which Martian shelters—dry deltas, salt deposits, subsurface ice—best preserve biosignatures, and how do rovers and orbital spectrometers search for them?
Read about the main arguments, search methods, and upcoming missions in the article “Why are we looking for life on Mars?”
https://universemagazine.com/en/probiotics-in-orbit-what-spore-survival-means-for-mars-missions/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41526-025-00526-4
ESA spots asteroid that made very close approach to Earth
06/10/2025
Asteroid 2025 TF flew over Antarctica at 00:47:26 UTC ± 18 s on 1 October, coming as close as 428 ± 7 km to Earth’s surface.
This is a similar altitude to the orbit of the International Space Station (approx. 370—460 km).
The asteroid is roughly 1 to 3 metres across and was first spotted by the Catalina Sky Survey a few hours after it had passed Earth. Objects of this size pose no significant danger.
They can produce fireballs if they strike Earth’s atmosphere, and may result in the discovery of small meteorites on the ground.
Astronomers in ESA’s Planetary Defence Office observed the object shortly after its discovery, using the Las Cumbres Observatory telescope in Siding Spring, Australia.
Tracking down a metre-scale object in the vast darkness of space at a time when its location is still uncertain is an impressive feat.
This observation helped astronomers determine the close approach distance and time given above to such high precision.
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/10/ESA_spots_asteroid_that_made_very_close_approach_to_Earth
https://catalina.lpl.arizona.edu/
Jane Goodall wanted to send Trump, Xi, other people she didn’t like into space
10/05/25 10:46 PM ET
British primatologist and scientist Jane Goodall, who died last week, she in one of her last interviews that she wanted to send President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, alongside others she didn’t like, into space.
“There are people I don’t like. And I would like to put them on one of [Elon] Musk’s spaceships and send them all off to the planet he’s sure he’s going to discover,” Goodall said on Netflix’s “Famous Last Words: Dr. Jane Goodall.”
The interview, which was recorded in earlier this year, was released upon her death at age 91.
“Would he be — would he be one of them?” host Brad Falchuk responded. “Oh, absolutely, he’d be the list. And you can imagine who I’d put on that spaceship,” she replied.
“Who?” Falchuk questioned.
“Along with Musk, would be Trump, and some of Trump’s real supporters.
And then I would put [Russian President Vladimir] Putin in there, and I would put President Xi. I’d certainly put [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu in there.”
Goodall has a history of criticizing Trump, saying in 2016 his approach to political debates was like chimpanzees performing dominance rituals.
“In many ways, the performances of Donald Trump remind me of male chimpanzees and their dominance rituals,” Goodall told The Atlantic at the time.
“In order to impress rivals, males seeking to rise in the dominance hierarchy perform spectacular displays: stamping, slapping the ground, dragging branches, throwing rocks.”
Goodall received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Biden earlier this year, shortly before he left office in late January.
In a post on the social platform X Wednesday, Biden said he and his wife, former first lady Jill Biden were “deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jane Goodall whose activism, vision, and message of hope mobilized a global movement to protect the planet.”
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5540067-jane-goodall-trump-xi-musk-space/
>>23700223
New 'Unfolding the Universe' exhibit celebrates the James Webb Space Telescope through stunning artwork
October 5, 2025
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) continues to deliver awe-inspiring views of the cosmos and the art world has taken notice.
Digital artist Ashley Zelinskie took that inspiration to the next level with the first of a three part exhibit in 2022, called "Unfolding the Universe: First Light" at Onassis ONX Studio in New York City.
The exhibit highlighted NASA's contributions to the next-generation space telescope, operated in conjunction with the European Space Agency (ESA) and Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Now, Zelinskie has unveiled the second part of the series.
The new exhibit, "Unfolding the Universe: Wandering Through Time and Space" opened at the Torch Gallery in Amsterdam on Sept. 6 and will run through Oct. 26.
It features many new pieces of art from Zelinskie, including Webb Telescope-inspired interpretations of the iconic Pillars of Creation, the Cat's Paw Nebula and an amazing take on gravitational lensing.
The exhibit also includes an ESA Webb VR experience and large-scale textiles created in collaboration with Out of Seam.
You can try "Unfolding the Universe: An ESA Webb VR Experience" on Desktop/VR Headset or Mobile.
Zelinskie, a space enthusiast, began working with scientists and astrophysicists from NASA in 2016 to develop new space- and science-themed artwork.
Since her 2022 exhibit, she has sculpted a piece representing the 4-dimensional fabric of space and time for the Yerkes Observatory in Wisconsin and created a virtual reality art piece, named Twin Quasars, that was inspired by the JWST for the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.
Her artwork is part of the "permanent collection of the U.S'' Department of State Art in Embassies Program, has been exhibited at Sotheby's New York, ArtScience Museum in Singapore," and more, according to Zelinksie's bio on the Whitney Museum website.
Space.com had a chance to chat with Zelinskie about her background, the new exhibit and the process she goes through to choose subjects for her work.
interview cont.
https://www.space.com/entertainment/new-unfolding-the-universe-exhibit-celebrates-the-james-webb-space-telescope-through-stunning-artwork-photos-video
https://whitney.org/exhibitions/twin-quasar
NASA's Juno probe orbiting Jupiter may have come to an end, but no one can confirm
October 6, 2025
NASA's spinning spacecraft studying the satellites of the solar system's largest celestial body (aside from the sun), may already be switched off, but the space agency won't say.
The Juno probe launched in 2011 and entered orbit around Jupiter in 2016, beginning what was originally planned as a 20-month mission.
Nearly a decade later, the spacecraft has delivered unprecedented research of the Jovian system, observing the gas giant, its many moons and faint ring system long past its intended lifespan.
NASA has extended Juno's mission multiple times, most recently in 2021, guaranteeing operations through Sept. 30, 2025.
That date has now passed, and with the U.S. government shut down, there is no word yet on whether Juno will come out alive on the other side.
Juno's latest extension broadened its mission from studying Jupiter's interior and magnetosphere to include the planet's rings and observations of its large moons.
"By extending the science goals of this important orbiting observatory, the Juno team will start tackling a breadth of science historically required of flagships," Lori Glaze, NASA's planetary science division director at the time, said in a statement. And Juno has done just that.
Over the past several years, the spacecraft has conducted close flybys of the moons Ganymede, Europa and Io, delivering data on their geology, environments and composition.
Juno has also investigated Jupiter's faint ring system, while continuing to map the planet's powerful magnetic and gravitational fields.
These results have contributed to preparations for upcoming missions like Europa Clipper, NASA's next major Jupiter spacecraft. Europa Clipper launched in Oct. 2024, and is scheduled to arrive at Jupiter in April 2030 to study the moon after which the spacecraft is named.
Ending Juno's mission before Europa Clipper's arrival would create a years-long gap in dedicated observations of that part of our solar system, leaving scientists without new data until the end of the decade.
In an email shared with Space.com, NASA Planetary Science Division Media Lead Molly Wasser referenced Juno's 2021 extension saying the "mission was extended to September of 2025. This is the most recent update. Regarding the future of the mission, NASA will abide by the law."
Due to the government shutdown, NASA is currently unable to say whether Juno is still operating or already powered down. At the time of publication, responses from agency officials state that "NASA is currently closed due to a lapse in government funding … Please reach back out after an appropriation or continuing resolution is approved."
Under shutdown rules, only missions that fall under "excepted activities" — those required to protect life, property, or national security — can continue operations or communications.
NASA's continuity plans also specify that carryover funding may only be applied to "presidential priorities," which limits what science programs can proceed during a lapse.
Juno does not fall into those protected categories, and was also zeroed-out on the President's fiscal year 2026 budget request — making the mission, presumably, not a priority. So, until normal government operations resume, the spacecraft's future is uncertain.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/nasas-juno-probe-orbiting-jupiter-may-have-come-to-an-end-but-no-one-can-confirm
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-juno-mission-expands-into-the-future/
The Harvest Moon rises tonight: See the 1st supermoon of 2025 brighten October's sky
October 5, 2025
October's full Harvest Moon looms large over the eastern horizon at sunset tonight! Here's what you need to know before the first supermoon of 2025 rises to dominate the night sky with a magnificent display of moonlight.
The full moon phase will occur at 11:48 p.m. EDT on Oct. 6 (0348 GMT Oct. 7), when the lunar disk will appear fully-lit opposite the sun in Earth's sky, shining next to the stars of the constellation Pisces with Saturn gleaming to its upper right.
This October's full moon is known as the Harvest Moon, owing to its proximity to the autumn equinox — when farmers would labor under the light of the moon to gather their crops long before artificial light was invented.
It also coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth in its 27-day orbit, giving rise to a spectacular supermoon, which will appear subtly larger and brighter than usual as it rises above the eastern horizon.
Look east at sunset on Oct. 6 to witness the lunar disk climbing through the dusk sky mere hours before it reaches its full moon phase, which will occur close to midnight for viewers in New York.
Stargazers will likely see the moon take on a yellow-orange hue during moonrise, as Earth's atmosphere scatters the shorter, bluer wavelengths of moonlight, while allowing the longer, redder wavelengths to journey through relatively unhindered.
Be sure to look out for the bright streaks of ejecta rays streaking outward from impact craters to mark the dark expanses of the lunar seas.
It's also a perfect time to take your telescope or a pair of binoculars to hunt down the six Apollo-era human landing sites scattered across the lunar surface using our handy spotting guide, though it'll be impossible to spot the actual lunar hardware from Earth.
Take a look at our tips on how to observe the moon to discover what other majestic features will be on show as Earth's natural satellite hits its full moon phase.
Astrophotographers hoping to capture an image of October's full Harvest Moon should also read our expert's guide detailing how to image a supermoon using a DSLR camera.
Those looking to upgrade their equipment should also check out our recommendations for the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography available in 2025.
Editor's Note: If you capture an image of the Harvest supermoon and want to share it with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, name and the location of your shoot to spacephotos@space.com.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/harvest-moon-rises-tonight-see-1st-supermoon-of-2025-brighten-october-sky
One of the 'Most Beautiful' Meteor Showers of 2025 Just Began, According to NASA—and It Can Be Seen Across the U.S.
Sun, October 5, 2025 at 8:27 AM PDT
An awe-inspiring celestial show is headed to Earth—and you can still get a front-row seat.
The Orionid meteor shower happens once a year when Earth travels through debris left behind by extraterrestrial icon Halley’s Comet when it soared through the sky in 1986.
According to NASA, Orionid’s shooting stars are particularly bright and fast, with glowing trails that can last from several seconds to minutes—and they're "considered to be one of the most beautiful showers of the year."
The enchanting spectacle peaks in late October, and thanks to the moon’s 2025 phases, this year’s climax is expected to be one of the most luminous on record.
Orionid meteors will have the spotlight to themselves as the moon darkens from Earth while entering a new phase on Oct. 21.
The autumnal shower gets its name from the constellation Orion. Meteors will appear to come from the shower's point of origin, or radiant, near Orion.
Viewers should look toward the southeastern horizon in the Northern Hemisphere and the northwest horizon in the Southern Hemisphere.
To see the longest glowing debris trains, set your gaze 40 degrees above the radiant after allowing your eyes to adjust to the dark for 30 minutes.
Since the radiant is near the celestial equator, it will be visible almost globally—but those in the Northern Hemisphere will likely get the most spectacular displays.
The hemisphere’s crisp fall air means more visibility than in other parts of the world and better conditions than those during summer events like the Perseid meteor shower.
Northerners will also be treated to longer viewing windows since the radiant's appearance will be higher in the sky and therefore longer lasting.
You’ll have a few chances to catch the fireballs: Halley’s luminescent remains are active from Oct. 2 to Nov. 12.
But the peak is predicted to take place between Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, when up to 20 to 30 shooting stars per hour will be visible in ideal dark sky conditions.
Optimal viewing in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres will be from midnight until dawn.
Although the showers will be visible from almost everywhere, head to a dark sky area for the best conditions.
The U.S. will have some of the most dazzling views in the world, with western national parks like Joshua Tree, North Cascades, and Crater Lake among the best locations for visibility.
Dry, clear weather and some of the world’s darkest skies in the Southwest also bode well for incredible viewing conditions. The Southeast will still get a show, but clouds and humidity may make it less intense.
The best locations for visibility on the East Coast include Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania, the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, and Maine’s Acadia National Park.
Midwesterners should likewise venture to parks away from city lights, especially international dark sky areas like Illinois’ Middle Fork River Forest Preserve, Michigan’s Headlands International Dark Sky Park, and Wisconsin’s Newport State Park.
While Orionid activity is peaking in late October, viewers may get a bonus sighting: Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon). Comet Lemmon, a green comet from outside of our galaxy, was discovered in January 2025.
It’s predicted to be closest to Earth between Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, and, once again, the Northern Hemisphere will have the best vantage points.
You'll want to snag this opportunity for a double feature since experts say Comet Lemmon won't be visible again until the year 3421.
If you care to spot Lemmon from the Northern Hemisphere, look towards the northwestern sky.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/one-most-beautiful-meteor-showers-152700763.html
https://www.travelandleisure.com/orionid-meteor-shower-2025-peak-visibility-11821869
https://www.playboyplus.com/en/update/Pop-Culture—The-Rael-World/136793
https://www.playboy.com/magazine/articles/2004/10/the-rael-world/
AI Sending Messages From Space
Oct 06, 2025, 02:00am EDT
For decades, satellites have circled Earth collecting images, but much of the data never reaches the ground or arrives too late to be useful.
Zaitra, a Czech startup based in Brno, is trying to change that. Its Skaisen AI model processes data in orbit and beams down concise, machine-readable alerts, cutting latency from hours or days to minutes.
Co-founder and CEO Marek Marusin calls this “selling insights, not images.” Traditional Earth-observation companies compete to deliver sharper or more frequent pictures. “We don’t send the picture,” Marusin says.
“We send what the AI sees in the picture.” The result is a near-real-time alert that might read: “there are three untracked vessels at these coordinates, heading north at this speed.”
That alert can cue follow-up satellites, trigger drone inspections, or simply send a message to an operator’s phone.
CTO Rado Pitonak explains the company builds its own computers based on FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) architecture. “Every ounce is critical,” he says.
“We had to build hardware that is light enough, power-efficient, and space-qualified, then run large models on it.” The result is Skaidock, a ruggedized processor that hosts Zaitra’s Skaisen software.
Together, they filter out unusable images, discard cloud-covered scenes, and transmit only structured text that other systems can read and act on.
Zaitra demonstrated its first prototype in space in July 2022 and has since integrated Skaisen on two commercial missions. The company has sold about a dozen Skaidock units this year.
Zaitra’s algorithm was tested on the Czech VZLUSAT-2 satellite, where it filtered out cloud-covered images and transmitted only useful data, proving its ability to save bandwidth and deliver cleaner information to users on the ground.
Its hardware and software also flew aboard Troll, the largest Czech satellite yet, where they successfully faced full operational trials. Zaitra recently presented its edge-processing approach at the SmallSat Expo in Utah, one of the industry’s leading gatherings.
Use cases go far beyond defense. Zaitra is working on methane-leak detection for pipeline operators, wildfire ignition point identification for emergency responders, and illegal fishing enforcement.
“Once you have near-real-time information, you can automate things,” Marusin says. “You can launch a drone, redirect a ship, or just show the data on a commander’s map. That was not possible before we started using AI on top of satellites.”
Like many space startups, Zaitra is pursuing a two-track strategy: selling its components to other satellite makers while building its own constellation.
The company closed a €1.7 million pre-seed round last year and is now opening a seed round to fund its first Zaitra-operated AI node and a U.S. expansion.
The team has grown from five to 25 in the past year and has signed roughly ten paying customers.
The story of how Zaitra began could have come from a movie. “We went to a hackathon for fun, food, and curiosity,” Marusin recalls. “We won, and the organizer liked the team so much he invested the first money into the company.”
They pivoted from agency work to building their own AI hardware and software stack, and Marusin landed on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list. The advisor is Petr Kapoun, who founded satellite system integrator company TRL Space.
He is a founding angel investor in Zaitra.
Marusin says Zaitra’s addressable market for components is roughly $1 billion, but the market for low-latency space data is far larger, and growing.
“The total market for space data is about $5.5 billion today,” Marusin says. “It can grow into the trillions as we find new applications.”
“Five years ago, we didn’t have the hardware or the AI to do this,” he says. “Now we can send a message from space in minutes.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/charliefink/2025/10/06/ai-sending-messages-from-space/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeV7gFNbw_A
321 Launch: Space news you may have missed over the past week (Oct. 6)
Oct 6, 2025 7:26 a.m. ET
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High-tech HH-60W Whiskey rescue helicopters replace aging Pave Hawks at Patrick Space Force Base
In May 2024, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Chadd Bloomstine flew an aging HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter more than 1,000 miles roundtrip to help rescue a boy who suffered a ruptured intestine on the Carnival Venezia cruise ship, far off the North Carolina coast.
Bloomstine recalled how he had to "hand-fly" his Pave Hawk — surrounded by dozens of old-fashioned analog dials, levers and gauges — for about 12 hours during that nerve-wracking rescue mission from Patrick Space Force Base.
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Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, Blue Origin, NASA launch schedule at Cape Canaveral
A new record approaches: By September's end, 83 orbital rockets lifted off from Florida's Space Coast thus far this year. For perspective's sake, that sum has already blown past the former annual record of 72 launches in 2023.
Looking ahead, will 2024's freshly established record sum of 93 launches fall by the wayside this month at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center?
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Blue Origin doubles down on Florida's Space Coast with Rocket Park | Space Beat
If you thought Blue Origin was a secondary player in the private space race, guess again — particularly on the Space Coast.
This week on our YouTube exclusive show Space Beat, host Rob Landers and space team reporter Rick Neale discuss the private space company's massive and still-growing presence in Brevard County.
The Blue Origin Rocket Park now employs 4,000 workers and Blue Origin is the only space agency or company building its rockets and moon landers on the Space Coast.
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Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex's Taste of Space to offer fall 'galaxy of flavors'
Attention fall foodies: get ready to snack on seasonal comfort dishes while exploring the cosmos. For the fifth year, Taste of Space: Fall Bites! will return to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Guests can experience a "galaxy of flavors" with fall comfort dishes landing on the menu from Oct. 3 to Nov. 16.
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As NASA's ISS celebrates 25 years of humans living in space, what's ahead for space stations
It's official. Not a single person under the age of 25 has lived a day where there has not been a human orbiting Earth — and that is likely to never change.
On Nov. 2, 2000, Expedition 1 arrived at the still-under-construction International Space Station. And since that day, this outpost that orbits 250 miles above the Earth has never been uninhabited even as its construction continued.
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The next SpaceX rocket launch in Florida is set for early Tuesday. Here's what to know.
It's been more than a week since the Space Coast has heard the rumble of a Falcon 9 rocket — but that is about to change.
The next launch, which is carrying the latest batch of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites to orbit, was delayed for a week while Tropical Storm Imelda passed by the Florida coast.
SpaceX did not release an official statement on the delay.
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2025/10/06/321-launch-space-news-you-may-have-missed-over-the-past-week-oct-6/86544911007/
SpaceX rocket launch in Cape Canaveral set for early Tuesday, during supermoon
Oct 6, 2025 10:41 a.m. ET
Get ready for that rumble again. The Space Coast is lining up to have its first rocket launch in more than a week early Tuesday – and as an added bouns, it comes during the Harvest supermoon peak.
Set for no earlier than 12:13 a.m. Oct. 7, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is set to lift off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
That launch is set to come right after the October Harvest supermoon reaches its fullest peak, which occurs at 11:48 p.m. This is when the moon makes its closest approach to Earth, making it appear much brighter than usual.
Of course, this is if weather does not spoil the launch and cover the supermoon. As of Monday morning, the Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predicted a 65% chance of favorable conditions for the liftoff time.
The mission is titled Starlink 10-59, and will be delivering a batch of the company's 28 Starlink internet satellites to orbit.
Depending on weather, those north of the Space Coast will get a good view of the rocket traveling across the night sky – as it is slated to fly north upon liftoff.
The launch was delayed for a week straight while Tropical Storm Imelda passed by the Florida coast. SpaceX did not release an official statement on the delay.
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/spacex/2025/10/06/what-to-know-spacex-falcon-rocket-launch-in-florida-cape-canaveral-set-for-supermoon-harvest-tuesday/86349404007/
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-10-59
Ukrainian strikes cause blackout in western Russia – governor
6 Oct, 2025 01:47
Ukrainian strikes have caused a massive blackout in Belgorod Region in western Russia, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
Nearly 40,000 residents were left without power as of Sunday evening, while hospitals switched to generators, the region’s governor wrote on Telegram.
He said earlier that at least three people, including a 10-year-old boy, had been injured in Ukrainian drone attacks over the past 24 hours.
Ukrainian officials reported blackouts in the city of Lviv, near the border with Poland, on Sunday, and said that four civilians were killed in Russian strikes.
The Russian Defense Ministry later released a statement saying that it had targeted weapons factories and “the energy infrastructure supporting their operations.” Moscow maintains that its forces do not target civilians.
Moscow began regularly striking Ukraine’s energy sites in the fall of 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the time that the army was targeting energy infrastructure after Kiev bombed the Crimean Bridge in October that year, killing four people.
https://www.rt.com/russia/625964-ukraine-causes-outage-russia/
Attacks on Russian synagogues thwarted – FSB
6 Oct, 2025 09:05
Two separate plots targeting synagogues in Russia have been foiled, according to law enforcement. The attacks were allegedly being planned by a foreign-based extremist organization seeking to incite religious hatred.
In a statement on Monday, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said two citizens of a Central Asian country were building an improvised explosive device intended for use against a synagogue in Krasnoyarsk when they were taken into custody.
In a separate case, authorities arrested a man in Pyatigorsk, Stavropol Region, who allegedly planned to attack a synagogue with firebombs. The FSB said investigators found messages from a foreign instigator on the suspect’s phone.
The agency alleged that the plots were meant to provoke unrest similar to an anti-Semitic riot in Dagestan in October 2023, when a mob stormed Makhachkala International Airport after a Telegram channel falsely claimed a flight from Tel Aviv was carrying large numbers of “Jewish refugees.”
More than 130 people were later charged in connection with the violence, and the first sentences were issued in August 2024.
The online channel that incited the riot was founded by Ilya Ponomarev, a former Russian MP who fled to Kiev in 2014 after being charged with embezzlement.
Ponomarev touts himself as the leader of a pro-Western resistance movement and has urged NATO members to conduct political assassinations in Russia in support of his cause.
https://www.rt.com/russia/625971-fsb-synagogue-attacks-thwarted/
West’s drone accusations baseless – Kremlin
6 Oct, 2025 10:03
Western European officials should “broaden their horizons” when it comes to drone sightings and stop blaming Russia for everything, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday.
His comments come as several European countries have reported a string of UAV sightings near airports, military facilities and other critical infrastructure over the past month. Western officials have claimed, without evidence, that the drones belong to Moscow.
However, Peskov has stressed that there are “absolutely no grounds to blame Russia for this,” pointing to a recent report of a local “aviation enthusiast” with “no connection to Russia” being arrested in a European city while testing his drone.
“This is one specific, small, isolated example, but perhaps Europeans need to broaden their horizons,” Peskov said.
The spokesman did not specify which specific incident he was referring to. Bild reported on Saturday that a 41-year-old Croatian citizen was detained near Frankfurt am Main Airport for launching a drone.
Last week, the outlet also reported that several German citizens were detained for launching drones near an airport in Norway.
A Chinese national was also said to have been deported by Norwegian authorities for flying a UAV near Svolvaer Airport in the north of the country.
“The story with these drones is strange, to say the least, but there’s no point in blaming Russia,” Peskov said.
“There are many politicians in Europe who are now inclined to blame Russia for everything without any basis, without any grounds,” he added.
Moscow has consistently rejected any connection to the drone incidents at European airports.
Officials have described the accusations as Western fearmongering used to whip up anti-Russian hysteria and justify inflated military budgets and escalate tensions.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has warned that Kiev could attempt to stage drone provocations as false-flag operations designed to blame Moscow and draw NATO into the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
https://www.rt.com/russia/625978-peskov-west-drone-accusations/