TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
November 14, 2025
Florida Northern Lights
Northern lights have come to Florida skies. In fact, the brilliant streak of a Northern Taurid meteor flashes through the starry night sky above the beach in this sea and skyscape, captured from Shired Island, Florida on November 11. Meteors from the annual Northern Taurid meteor shower are expected this time of year. But the digital camera exposure also records the shimmering glow of aurora, a phenomenon more often seen from our fair planet's higher geographical latitudes. Also known as aurora borealis, these northern lights are part of recent, wide spread auroral activity caused by strong geomagnetic storms. In the last few days, stormy spaceweather has been triggered by multiple Earth impacting coronal mass ejections and intense solar activity.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
X4 Solar Flare, Major Issue Release | S0 News and related
Nov.14.2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9azkkql7cU4
https://x.com/StefanBurnsGeo/status/1989330144448643207
https://x.com/Combat_learjet/status/1988648132285198400
https://www.space.com/stargazing/noaa-satellite-sees-glowing-auroras-from-orbit-space-photo-of-the-day-for-nov-14-2025
https://www.space.com/astronomy/sun/sun-fires-off-2nd-strongest-flare-of-2025-sparking-radio-blackouts-across-africa
https://www.space.com/live/aurora-forecast-will-the-northern-lights-be-visible-tonight
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
https://www.SpaceWeatherNews.com
https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Planetary_Defence/ESA_pinpoints_3I_ATLAS_s_path_with_data_from_Mars
https://www.ufonews.co/post/3i-atlas-survives-solar-passage-intact-as-nasa-withholds-critical-data
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/avi-loeb-3iatlas-sean-duffy/2025/11/13/id/1234509/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9cyqRO2l8o (Mysterious 'comet' like object needs to be investigated: Dr. Avi Loeb)
https://x.com/blackvaultcom/status/1989087076101599428
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4UBmzUCJwA (The Angry Astronaut: Is 3I Atlas causing these Solar Storms? New photos suggest that this could be possible!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXNvasoycEo (Ray's Astrophotography: Comet 3i Atlas NO TAIL Again and GETTING CLOSER - I took a picture)
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/la-marzulli-3i-atlas-harvard-leading-us-trojan-horse-1754713
ESA pinpoints 3I/ATLAS’s path with data from Mars
14/11/2025
Since comet 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar object, was discovered on 1 July 2025, astronomers worldwide have worked to predict its trajectory.
ESA has now improved the comet’s predicted location by a factor of 10, thanks to the innovative use of observation data from our ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) spacecraft orbiting Mars.
By being able to use Mars-based data for an unusual observation, we learned more about the interstellar comet’s path through our Solar System in a valuable test case for planetary defence, even though 3I/ATLAS does not pose any danger.
New angle from Mars unlocks precision
Until September, figuring out the location and trajectory of 3I/ATLAS relied on Earth-based telescopes. Then between 1 and 7 October, ESA’s ExoMars TGO turned its eyes towards the interstellar comet from its orbit around Mars.
The comet passed relatively close to Mars, approaching to about 29 million km during its closest phase on 3 October (more on the observations).
The Mars probe got about ten times closer to 3I/ATLAS than telescopes on Earth and it observed the comet from a new viewing angle. The triangulation of its data with data from Earth helped to make the comet’s predicted path much more accurate.
While the scientists initially anticipated a modest improvement, the result was an impressive ten-fold leap in accuracy, reducing the uncertainty of the object’s location.
Because 3I/ATLAS is passing through our Solar System fast, travelling with speeds up to 250 000 km/h, it will soon vanish into interstellar space, never to return.
The improved trajectory allows astronomers to aim their instruments with confidence, enabling more detailed science of the third interstellar object ever detected.
From Mars data to accurate predictions
It was a challenge to use the Mars orbiter’s data to refine an interstellar comet’s path through space. The CaSSIS instrument was designed to point towards the nearby martian surface and look at it in high resolution.
This time, the camera was aimed at the skies above Mars to catch the tiny, distant 3I/ATLAS sweeping by across a starry backdrop.
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The astronomers in the planetary defence team at ESA’s Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre, used to determining the trajectories of asteroids and comets, had to account for the spacecraft’s special location.
Usually, trajectory observations are made from fixed observatories on Earth, and occasionally from a spacecraft in near-Earth orbit, like the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope or NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope.
The astronomers are well-practiced in considering their location as they determine the future locations of objects, called ephemeris.
This time, the ephemeris of 3I/ATLAS, and in particular the prediction’s precision, depended on accounting for the exact location of ExoMars TGO: at Mars and in a fast orbit around it.
It required working together in a combined effort by several ESA teams and partners, from flight dynamics to science and instrument teams.
Challenges and subtleties that are usually negligible, had to be tackled to reduce the margins as much as possible, in order to achieve the highest accuracy possible.
The resulting data on comet 3I/ATLAS is the first time that astrometric measurements from a spacecraft orbiting another planet have been officially submitted and accepted into the Minor Planet Center (MPC) database.
The database acts as a central clearing house for asteroid and comet observations, streamlining data collected by different telescopes, radar stations and spacecraft.
A test case for planetary defence
Even though 3I/ATLAS poses no threat, it was a valuable exercise for planetary defence. ESA routinely monitors near-Earth asteroids and comets, calculating orbits to provide warnings if required.
As this ‘rehearsal’ with 3I/ATLAS shows, it can be useful to triangulate data from Earth with observations from a second location in space. A spacecraft may also happen to be closer to an object, adding even more value.
Practicing with spacecraft data beyond Earth orbit hones important skills and demonstrates the value of leveraging resources not designed for asteroid detection, boosting readiness in case of a threat.
What’s next?
The comet is currently being observed with our Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice).
Though Juice is farther from 3I/ATLAS than the Mars orbiters were last month, it is seeing the comet just after its closest approach to the Sun, when it is in a more active state.
We don’t expect to receive data from Juice’s observations until February 2026 – find out why in our FAQs.
We should not only count on spacecraft hopefully being in the vicinity of hard-to-observe objects that might pose a threat.
Therefore, ESA is preparing the Neomir mission, to cover the known blind spot that the Sun causes for asteroid observations, its bright glow outshining the faint glimmer of an asteroid or comet.
Neomir will be located between the Sun and Earth to detect near-Earth objects coming from the Sun’s direction at least three weeks in advance of potential Earth impact.
Icy wanderers such as 3I/ATLAS offer a rare, tangible connection to the broader galaxy. To actually visit one would connect humankind with the Universe on a far greater scale.
ESA is preparing the Comet Interceptor mission that will learn more about a comet – with luck, it just might be an interstellar one.
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Bet its really shaking up the normies
ULA launches ViaSat-3 following valve replacement on Atlas 5 rocket
November 13, 2025
Update Nov. 13, 11 p.m. EST (0400 UTC): ULA launched its Atlas 5 rocket and completed the first two out of three upper stage engine burns.
United Launch Alliance launched its Atlas 5 rocket Thursday night, which carried a communications satellite for California-based communications company, Viasat.
The launch came a week after the mission was scrubbed due to a faulty liquid oxygen tank vent valve on the Atlas booster.
ULA rolled the rocket back to the Vertical Integration Facility about third of a mile away, replaced it with a new valve and returned the rocket to the pad on Nov. 12.
The 6-metric-ton satellite will be launched to a geosynchronous transfer orbit, deploying nearly 3.5 hours after the rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 41 happened at 10:04 p.m. EST (0304 UTC), the opening of a 44-minute-long window. The rocket headed due east upon leaving Florida’s Space Coast. ULA launched this mission using an Atlas 5 rocket in its 551 configuration.
The 196-foot-tall (59.7 meters) rocket was supported by five solid rocket boosters, which combined with the RD-180 main engine to produce about 2.7 million pounds (12 megaNewtons) of thrust at liftoff.
The SRBs jettisoned less than two minutes into the flight, followed by the payload fairings about a minute and a half later.
It will take three separate firings of the RL10C-1-1 engine on the Centaur 3 upper stage to reach the correct orbit to release the ViaSat-3 F2 satellite.
Following release, the upper stage will be placed in a so-called graveyard orbit nearly an hour later. This rocket had the designation of AV-100 and was the 105th Atlas V rocket launched to date.
Following this launch, ULA now has 11 of these rockets remaining before it is officially retired:
6 – Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner
5 – Amazon’s Project Kuiper
What’s onboard?
This was the second satellite in the ViaSat-3 series that will operate in geostationary Earth orbit, following the launch of the first spacecraft in 2023.
After the ViaSat-3 F1 satellite launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, it suffered an issue with its antenna, which both delayed the start of service and resulted in a reduced capacity.
Viasat officials said ahead of the launch that this new satellite will provide needed Ka-band network capabilities, adding more than 1 terabits per second (Tbps) of capacity to the network over the Americas.
Following a months of on-orbit testing at its operating slog of 79 degrees West longitude, the ViaSat-3 F2 spacecraft is expected to enter service in early 2026.
“Beyond an incredible capacity increase, ViaSat-3 F2’s dynamic beam forming capabilities will greatly benefit our customers by efficiently deploying bandwidth to the highest demand places, allowing us to scale performance and the number and density of users,” said Mark Dankberg, Chairman and CEO of Viasat, in a statement.
“These capabilities will continue to fuel our successful, multi-orbit service offerings, including service platforms such as Viasat Amara, NexusWave, and a resilient, hybrid SATCOM architecture for government.”
The satellite is built on Boeing’s 702MP+ platform, which uses electric propulsion and solar arrays, the latter of which is from Boeing subsidiary, Spectrolab.
Boeing is supporting Viasat in both launch operations and post-deployment checkouts. “Our goal is to enable missions with reliability and timely delivery,” said Michelle Parker, Vice President of Boeing Space Mission Systems.
“With ViaSat‑3 F2, we leveraged proven 702 heritage, advanced power systems and all‑electric propulsion to enable high-speed connectivity for users who rely on it.”
https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/11/13/live-coverage-ula-to-launch-viasat-3-following-valve-replacement-on-atlas-5-rocket/
https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/next-launch/atlas-v-viasat-3-f2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01trpl8BxBc
Blue Origin's New Glenn 2 launch and updates
https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/11/13/blue-origin-launches-twin-mars-probes-for-nasa-as-new-glenn-makes-first-landing/
https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-glenn-launches-nasa-escapade-lands-fully-reusable-booster
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/escapade/
NASA Curiosity and Perseverance Rovers
November 14, 2025
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4675-4681: Deciding Where to Dig Into the Boxworks
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/curiosity-blog-sols-4675-4681-deciding-where-to-dig-into-the-boxworks/
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4682-4688: Seven Mars Years
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/curiosity-blog-sols-4682-4688-seven-mars-years/
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4689-4694: Drill in the Boxwork Unit is GO!
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/curiosity-blog-sols-4689-4694-drill-in-the-boxwork-unit-is-go/
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4695-4701: Searching for Answers at Monte Grande
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/curiosity-blog-sols-4695-4701-searching-for-answers-at-monte-grande/
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4702-4708: It’s Only Spooky Here on Earth Today!
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/curiosity-blog-sols-4702-4708-its-only-spooky-here-on-earth-today/
A Stranger in Our Midst?
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/a-stranger-in-our-midst/
Power Outages Across Jamaica Due to Hurricane Melissa
Nov. 13, 2025
Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Jamaica on October 28, 2025, as a category 5 storm, causing power outages across the island which are still ongoing two and a half weeks later.
The nighttime image comparison is from the the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard the joint NASA/NOAA NOAA-21 platform and compares October 19 (left "A" side) to November 13 (right "B" side), where many of the smaller inland areas are still without power.
The Black Marble Nighttime Blue/Yellow Composite (Day/Night Band) is a false-color composite using the VIIRS at-sensor radiance and the brightness temperatures from the M15 band. Data are provided by NASA's VJ146A1 product using NOAA-21 platform observations.
Originally designed by the U.S. Naval Research Lab and incorporated into NASA research and applications efforts, the Black Marble false-color scheme shows nighttime city lights in shades of yellow with infrared, nighttime cloud presence in shades of blue.
During bright moonlight conditions, moonlight reflected from cloud tops and the land surface may also provide a yellow hue to these features.
Comparisons of cloud-free conditions before and after a period of significant change, such as new city growth, disasters, fires, or other factors, may exhibit a change in emitted light (yellows) from those features over time.
Visit Worldview to visualize near real-time imagery from NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project; find more imagery in our Worldview weekly image archive.
https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/news/worldview-image-archive/power-outages-across-jamaica-due-hurricane-melissa
Expedition 73 Crew Works Cardiovascular Research and Spacesuits on Thursday
November 13, 2025
Cardiovascular research and spacesuit maintenance topped the schedule for the Expedition 73 crew aboard the International Space Station on Thursday.
The orbital residents studied how living in space affects blood circulation, swapped advanced gear on a spacesuit, and installed a new life support experiment.
NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim spent the first half of his shift in the Columbus laboratory module wearing electrodes scanning his chest with an ultrasound device to help doctors understand how his heart function and structure is adapting to weightlessness.
After lunchtime, Kim jogged on the COLBERT treadmill then worked out on the advanced resistive exercise device while wearing a heart rate monitor that recorded his cardiac activity.
The data collected throughout the day may inform researchers of the cardiovascular risk astronauts face as NASA and its international partners plan missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, station commander and flight engineer respectively, partnered together exploring how blood circulates to and from the smallest vessels in the human body in microgravity.
The duo took turns wearing sensors on their forehead, fingers, and toes to monitor blood flowing to the microcirculatory and tissue systems.
Results may help researchers develop techniques to protect long-duration space crews and prepare them for the return to Earth.
Flight Engineers Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke of NASA worked together throughout Thursday servicing a spacesuit inside the Quest airlock.
Cardman and Fincke first swapped a life support device inside the suit that provides ventilation and cooling during a spacewalk.
Afterward, the pair installed a radio inside the suit that enables communications between spacewalkers, crew members inside the station, and mission controllers on the ground.
JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Kimiya Yui spent his day inside the Kibo laboratory module installing a new carbon dioxide removal system delivered aboard the HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft on Oct. 29.
The advanced life support technology seeks to demonstrate the efficient removal of carbon dioxide from a spacecraft to promote future Artemis missions to the Moon.
Roscosmos Flight Engineer Oleg Platonov started his day wearing sensors and a blood pressure cuff observing how his blood vessel health is affected by weightlessness and radiation.
Afterward, he and Ryzhikov took turns pedaling for an hour on the station’s exercise cycle while wearing chest electrodes and a blood pressure cuff for a fitness evaluation.
Daily health monitoring and exercise are essential for astronauts living in microgravity for months or years at a time. The health and research data collected informs strategies to protect future crews on deep space missions.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/11/13/expedition-73-crew-works-cardiovascular-research-and-spacesuits-on-thursday/
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/a-robotic-helping-hand/
other NASA
NASA Wallops to Support November Launch Operations
November 13, 2025
NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia is supporting suborbital rocket launch operations during a window extending from Nov. 14 -21, 2025.
No real-time launch status updates or livestream will be available.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/wallops/2025/11/13/nasa-wallops-to-support-november-launch-operations/
Nov. 14, 2012: NASA announces an extended mission for Kepler
November 14, 2025
The Kepler Space Telescope, launched March 6, 2009, was designed to search the Milky Way for exoplanets. Using the transit method, Kepler ultimately observed over 500,00 stars and contributed to the discovery of almost 2,700 exoplanets.
Though Kepler was originally intended for a 3.5-year mission, NASA announced on Nov. 14, 2012, that the space telescope had successfully completed its primary mission and would be embarking on an extended mission.
When a second gyroscope (also referred to as a reaction wheel) failed in May 2013 – the first having failed in July 2012 – that mission was in question, however, as it left the spacecraft with limited control for pointing.
But engineers were able to craft a workaround using the momentum of the Sun’s light pressure to keep Kepler evenly and steadily directed, and the extended mission using this methodology, dubbed K2, was formally approved in May 2014.
Kepler continued to function for a further four years, and was retired in October 2018 when it ran out of fuel. TESS (the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) has since inherited its planet-hunting mantle.
https://www.astronomy.com/today-in-the-history-of-astronomy/nov-14-2012-nasa-announces-an-extended-mission-for-kepler/
Hubble Studies Star Ages in Colorful Galaxy
Nov 14, 2025
Stars of all ages are on display in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of the sparkling spiral galaxy called NGC 6000, located 102 million light-years away in the constellation Scorpius.
NGC 6000 has a glowing yellow center and glittering blue outskirts. These colors reflect differences in the average ages, masses, and temperatures of the galaxy’s stars.
At the heart of the galaxy, the stars tend to be older and smaller. Less massive stars are cooler than more massive stars, and somewhat counterintuitively, cooler stars are redder, while hotter stars are bluer.
Farther out along NGC 6000’s spiral arms, brilliant star clusters host young, massive stars that appear distinctly blue.
Hubble collected the data for this image while surveying the sites of recent supernova explosions in nearby galaxies.
NGC 6000 hosted two recent supernovae: SN 2007ch in 2007 and SN 2010as in 2010. Using Hubble’s sensitive detectors, researchers can discern the faint glow of supernovae years after the initial explosion.
These observations help constrain the masses of supernovae progenitor stars and can indicate if they had any stellar companions.
By zooming in to the right side of the galaxy’s disk in this image, you can see a set of four thin yellow and blue lines. These lines are an asteroid in our solar system that was drifting across Hubble’s field of view as it gazed at NGC 6000.
The four lines are due to four different exposures recorded one after another with slight pauses in between. Image processors combined these four exposures to create the final image.
The lines appear dashed with alternating colors because each exposure used a filter to collect very specific wavelengths of light, in this case around red and blue.
Having these separate exposures of particular wavelengths is important to study and compare stars by their colors — but it also makes asteroid interlopers very obvious!
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubble-studies-star-ages-in-colorful-galaxy/
Shenzhou-20 astronauts back to Earth in China's first alternative space return procedure
2025-11-14 19:57:31
The three astronauts of China's Shenzhou-20 mission landed safely on Earth aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft on Friday, marking the first successful implementation of an alternative return procedure in the country's space station program history.
The alternative plan was adopted after the original return vessel, the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, experienced a suspected impact from space debris.
The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) confirmed the return mission was a complete success.
By 5:21 p.m. (Beijing Time), the Shenzhou-20 crew, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, had all left the Shenzhou-21 return capsule. They had spent 204 days in orbit and are all in good health, the CMSA said.
The Shenzhou-20 crew set a new record for the longest in-orbit stay among Chinese astronaut crews, and Commander Chen Dong has become the first Chinese astronaut to accumulate over 400 days in orbit.
Chen Dong has completed six extravehicular tasks, making him the Chinese astronaut with the most extravehicular tasks to date.
"This mission was a true test and we are proud to have completed it successfully. China's space program has withstood the test, with all teams delivering outstanding performances…
This experience has left us a profound impression that astronauts' safety is really prioritized," said the mission commander, sitting in a chair in front of the capsule.
Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, on their first flight mission, have completed all assigned tasks.
"With our crew working as one and seamlessly aligned with ground teams, we have successfully completed every task and fulfilled the mission," said Chen Zhongrui. "I feel profoundly happy."
"After six months in space, it's good to be back on Earth and feel gravity again. This mission was not only a success, but also a challenging and arduous journey of personal growth," said Wang. "I will continue to dedicate myself to space exploration."
The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, originally scheduled to return the three astronauts to Earth on Nov. 5, does not meet the requirements for their safe return and will remain in orbit to continue relevant experiments, the CMSA said.
Tiny cracks have been found in the Shenzhou-20 return capsule's viewport window, which are most probably caused by external impact from space debris, the CMSA added.
At 11:14 a.m., the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship undocked from the space station combination.
At 2:49 p.m., the Beijing Aerospace Control Center issued a return command through the ground station, and the orbital capsule of the Shenzhou-21 spaceship separated from the return capsule.
Then the braking engine ignited, and the Shenzhou-21 return capsule separated from the propulsion capsule. The return capsule touched down at 4:40 p.m. at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the CMSA said.
https://english.news.cn/20251114/ef2f6bedcff446fbb5ff5cd7f73f61b1/c.html
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2025/11/14/chinese-astronauts-stranded-return/87268971007/
ISS astronauts take cover from radiation as solar storms spark auroras across the planet
November 13, 2025
It's not all about pretty auroras when the sun shoots some ejecta our way. As people across the Earth gazed at the sky the past few nights, staring up at the brilliant auroras brought on by recent intense solar storms, Earthlings in orbit had to take some precautions.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) were forced to rearrange some of their sleeping arrangements due to the potential threat posed by recent solar storms, a recent communications exchange between ISS mission control and crew members aboard the space station shows.
"We entered into an energetic solar particle event this morning, and we're going to go in and out of holes of higher than the baseline [radiation] risk," one operator told NASA astronaut Mike Fincke over the comms channel.
Out of an "abundance of caution," the station's three Russian cosmonauts were instructed to spend a night in the ISS laboratory module
On the nights of Nov. 11 and 12, coronal mass ejections from one of the most energetic sunspot groups of the current solar cycle, AR4274, caused widespread auroras across the Northern Hemisphere.
The same energized particles that interact with Earth's magnetosphere to create auroras also arrive carrying heavy, radioactive ions, which can be harmful to astronauts in orbit not shielded by the planet's natural defenses.
The ISS does have some defenses of its own, though. Only Russian crew members Oleg Platonov, Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky were asked to bunk elsewhere for the night.
"The USOS crew slept in their crew quarters and the Roscosmos cosmonauts camped out in the lab as a preventative measure due to the solar storm," Sandra Jones, a NASA public affairs official, told Space.com in an email.
The ISS crew was also given a list of other places aboard the ISS to avoid during the solar storm event.
In addition to cosmonauts Platonov, Ryzhikov and Zubritsky, ISS Expedition 73 consists of NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Jonny Kim and Zena Cardman, as well as JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui.
The latter four launched to the ISS Aug. 1 aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, and are scheduled to remain aboard the station for another three months.
With the U.S. government shutdown over, American astronauts both on Earth and in space are able to resume their online presences.
Just in time, Kim took to social media to share a video of aurora from space taken on Sept. 3 as his first post since the shutdown ended.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/iss-astronauts-take-cover-from-radiation-as-solar-storms-spark-auroras-across-the-planet
https://x.com/JonnyKimUSA/status/1988999993928175852
Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) splits into 3 pieces after a close brush with the sun
November 13, 2025
Astronomers have captured striking footage of the solar system comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) breaking apart on the nights following Nov. 11 after it was destabilized by a close brush with the sun in early October.
Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) brightened significantly in the months following its May 2025 discovery. As it got closer to the sun and heated up, the frozen gases in its core turned into gas and formed a reflective cloud around it known as a coma.
Solar wind caused this gas to blow out behind it, forming the characteristic tail seen on most visible comets.
Sadly, C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) didn't brighten enough to become a naked eye comet.
However, its close approach to the sun on Oct. 8 does appear to have wreaked havoc with the comet's structural integrity, setting the stage for the dramatic fragmentation of its ancient nucleus.
Luckily for us, the fragmentation was captured on Nov. 11-12 by astronomers using the 1.82 m Copernicus telescope at the Asiago Observatory in Italy.
The telescopic observations revealed that the comet had split into three large pieces by the night of Nov. 11.
"From a first quick analysis of the images, we can confirm that there are definitely two fairly similar pieces, whose maximum brightness is separated by about 2,000 km," wrote research astronomer Mazzotta Epifani in a statement published to the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics website, translated by Google.
"Furthermore, we suspect the presence of a third, smaller and fainter fragment to the left of the pair," observes Mazzotta Epifani.
Astronomer Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project also captured spectacular views of the cometary fragmentation on the nights of Nov. 12-13, revealing a large section of the nucleus falling away from the sunward chunk.
"The animation shows how fragments appeared after the break-up of the original nucleus of C/2025 K1 evolved in 24 hours," Masi told Space.com in an email.
"Thanks to the good seeing (no atmospheric turbulence) and the high resolution provided by the telescope I used, I could record some precious details of such a dramatic event".
Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) is thought to have originated in a distant part of the solar system known as the Kuiper belt and may well have disintegrated during its first voyage into the inner solar system.
As such, it represents a pristine time capsule, an analysis of which could help shed light on the composition of the planetary nebula that gave rise to the worlds we know today.
C/2025 K1 ATLAS is not related to the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which has been dominating the news in recent weeks thanks to its exotic nature and conspiracy theories asserting that it was a color-shifting alien spacecraft.
Rather, both comets' names stem from the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) program by which they were discovered.
Photographers hoping to capture their own views of distant solar system comets should check out our roundups of the best smart telescopes, cameras and lenses for astrophotography, along with our guide to imaging the ancient solar system wanderers.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/comet-c2025k1-atlas-splits-into-3-pieces-after-close-brush-with-the-sun-video-nov-2025
https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2025/11/14/comet-c-2025-k1-atlas-fragmentation-new-image-14-nov-2025/
Deep 'scratches' and craters on Mars tell the tale of a Red Planet ice age
November 14, 2025
Mars may have had its own version of an Ice Age that reshaped parts of the Red Planet and carved deep "scratches" in its surface that remain visible today.
New high-resolution images from the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express orbiter show ridges, troughs and swirl-like textures that bear a remarkable resemblance to glacial formations on Earth.
Spotted in a rugged mid-latitude region called Coloe Fossae, these features likely formed as ice mixed with rock and dust crept through valleys and pooled inside impact craters, suggesting glaciers once flowed far from the planet's poles, reshaping valleys and craters in their path, according to a statement from ESA.
"We see lineated valley and concentric crater fill consistently throughout this latitude band of Mars, suggesting that the entire global climate of Mars changed," researchers said in the ESA statement accompanying the new images.
"This area may have been covered in ice as recently as half a million years ago, when Mars's most recent ice age ended."
Ice ages are natural climate cycles driven by subtle shifts in a planet's orbit and tilt, which change how sunlight falls across its surface. As temperatures swing over time, glaciers expand and retreat, reshaping the landscape.
On Mars, these ancient rhythms left behind the frozen scars now visible in regions like Coloe Fossae, which lies around 39 degrees north of the equator — well outside the polar regions where Martian ice is usually found.
Coloe Fossae was shaped by powerful tectonics, which stretched and cracked Mars's crust, causing chunks of ground to collapse and form long, parallel troughs.
Traces of debris can be seen in the swirling deposits found at the bottom of deep valleys and impact craters scattered across the region.
Researchers believe that these deposits appeared during a past Martian ice age, when the planet's tilt shifted dramatically.
When Mars leans more steeply on its axis, sunlight patterns change, causing polar ice to migrate toward the mid-latitudes.
As the tilt lessens, the ice retreats again, carving and refilling terrain in rhythmic cycles that mirror Earth's own glacial epochs.
"Although Mars is currently dry, it has experienced alternating periods of warm and cold, freeze and thaw, throughout its history, driven by changes in the tilt of its axis," researchers said in the statement.
The swirling deposits and flow-like textures in Coloe Fossae provide clear evidence of Mars's dynamic climate history, showing how ice once shaped mid-latitude landscapes.
These findings give scientists valuable insights into the timing and patterns of past ice ages on Mars, helping to refine models of the planet's geological and climatic evolution over millions of years.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/deep-scratches-and-craters-on-mars-tell-the-tale-of-a-red-planet-ice-age
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Mars_Express/What_a_martian_ice_age_left_behind
Russian military launches fifth long-range barrage in a week
14 Nov, 2025 10:10
Russian forces have attacked the Ukrainian military industry using long-range weapons, including hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, the Defense Ministry announced on Friday.
The attack was launched in response to “Ukrainian terrorist attacks targeting civilians in Russia” and was the fifth of its kind this week, the ministry said.
Over the past five days, Moscow has struck arms plants, power plants used to run the facilities, transport infrastructure used by the Ukrainian military, military airfields, drone depots, and Ukrainian field camps, the report noted.
Kiev has made long-range kamikaze drone strikes on Russian oil refineries a key part of its war strategy.
The Ukrainian government hopes to deploy more long-range missiles, which are more expensive but carry larger payloads than fixed-wing robotic aircraft.
Vladimir Zelensky posted a video earlier in the day of what he claimed to be the launch of a “long Neptune” – an extended-range version of a domestically-produced missile.
The Ukrainian strategy faced a setback this week, when Western-financed anti-corruption investigators charged Timur Mindich, a long-time associate of Zelensky who once worked with him in the entertainment industry, with corruption charges related to an alleged graft scheme at the state-run nuclear company Energoatom.
Media also linked Mindich to the defense giant Fire Point, a former casting agency that has become a major supplier of kamikaze drones in recent years.
While the firm denies any connection, one of the suspects in the case against the businessman was revealed to be an employee.
Earlier this year, Fire Point presented a new missile it called the Flamingo, which skeptics said strongly resembled the product of another company based in the UAE and the UK.
https://www.rt.com/russia/627787-long-range-strikes-ukraine/
Ukrainian drone raid repelled over southern Russia city – authorities
14 Nov, 2025 13:38
Over 60 Ukrainian drones attacked civilian buildings and an oil refinery in the southern Russian port city of Novorossiysk in Krasnodar Region on Friday, local authorities have reported.
The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its air defenses intercepted 66 Ukrainian drones targeting the region and another 59 over the Black Sea overnight.
Local Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said Novorossiysk had been hit the hardest.
Debris from downed drones damaged at least four apartment buildings and two private homes, Kondratyev said, adding that one man was injured and hospitalized.
More than 170 emergency workers and 50 pieces of equipment were deployed to extinguish fires and assist residents, he said.
Novorossiysk Mayor Andrey Kravchenko confirmed that the city had come under a “massive UAV attack” and that a state of emergency had been declared.
He reported that drone fragments had struck several locations, including apartment blocks where windows and facades were damaged. Vehicles parked in courtyards were also affected.
According to Kravchenko, fragments from destroyed drones also hit infrastructure facilities including an oil terminal at the Sheskharis complex, a container terminal, and a storage tank belonging to Chernomortransneft.
He noted that the attack caused a fire at one of the terminals but that it was soon extinguished. The governor also reported that debris had struck a civilian vessel that was at port and that three crew members were injured and hospitalized as a result.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that in total 216 Ukrainian drones had been shot down overnight across several regions.
It later announced that in response to the attacks on civilian targets, Russian forces had carried out long-range precision strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial and energy facilities.
Kiev has routinely launched drone raids deep into Russia in recent months, targeting critical infrastructure and residential areas, and leading to civilian casualties.
Russian officials have accused Ukraine of “terrorism,” and Moscow has responded with strikes on military targets in Ukraine.
https://www.rt.com/russia/627795-ukrainian-drone-raid-repelled-over/
other
https://www.rt.com/russia/627774-ukraine-terror-official-fsb/
https://www.rt.com/russia/627776-kolomoysky-mindich-nabu-investigation/
https://www.rt.com/russia/627790-miroshnik-istanbul-talks-collapse/