TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
November 26, 2025
Globular Cluster M15 Deep Field
Stars, like bees, swarm around the center of bright globular cluster M15. The central ball of over 100,000 stars is a relic from the early years of our Galaxy, and continues to orbit the Milky Way's center. M15, one of about 150 globular clusters remaining, is noted for being easily visible with only binoculars, having at its center one of the densest concentrations of stars known, and containing a high abundance of variable stars and pulsars. The featured image of M15 was taken by combining very long exposures 122 hours in all and so brings up faint wisps of gas and dust in front of the giant ball of stars. M15 lies about 35,000 light years away toward the constellation of the Winged Horse (Pegasus).
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
USA Sink Risk, Speed of Gravity, Magnetic Body | S0 News and related
Nov.26.2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN6bBseVrh8
https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/noaa-shares-first-swfo-l1-space-weather-data-stis
https://www.space.com/live/aurora-forecast-will-the-northern-lights-be-visible-tonight
https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/northern-lights-may-be-visible-in-14-states-tonight
https://www.space.com/astronomy/sun/dark-plasma-dances-over-the-sun-space-photo-of-the-day-for-nov-26-2025
https://hungarytoday.hu/spectacular-northern-lights-becoming-more-common-as-solar-activity-peaks/
https://x.com/StefanBurnsGeo/status/1993542540990291984
https://x.com/AstronomyVibes/status/1993511007470358674
https://x.com/MrMBB333/status/1993574384901218376
https://www.SpaceWeatherNews.com
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
Why the Strangest Object in the Solar System Is Being Ignored (and Why Others Are Saving the Day)
November 25, 2025
The universe has terrible timing. It’s almost like it’s trolling us.
3I/ATLAS is out there throwing physics-defying tantrums, venting chemicals no one ordered, and casually lining up a trajectory that makes “accidental” look like a cosmic joke.
Meanwhile, half our major telescopes spent the week closed for weather, broken for maintenance, or pointing at something “more important” because the 2025 observing schedules were “finalized” last fiscal year.
You know, as if those schedules are carved on stone tablets by a bureaucratic Moses, too sacred to revise for something as trivial as the most controversial astrophysical event of the decade.
So, the strangest object ever detected is doing cartwheels across the sky, and professional astronomy basically responded with:
“Nice.” pause “We can schedule that in 12–14 months.”
It’s the cosmic equivalent of spotting a dragon over your backyard fence and Animal Control telling you, “We only handle dogs.”
This is what happens when reality throws a plot twist and our institutions are still flipping through the previous season’s script.
The Telescope Logjam
Last week was a perfect case study:
Every Canary Islands telescope: closed for weather
The Australian telescope: technical failure
Multiple nights of “mission failed” screens
Southern observatories: low elevation, thick atmosphere, noisy images
Big research programs: locked into schedules made months ago
To be blunt, this isn’t a science problem. It’s a systems problem and it’s repeated everywhere: brilliant people, broken processes, and rigid schedules.
We have technology that can land a rover on Mars but can’t cope with a sudden change in plans. That’s like calling tech support for an outage and being told to “submit a ticket online,” while your internet’s the thing that’s down.
When the Universe Moves Fast and Institutions Don’t
Zoom out far enough and the pattern becomes embarrassingly obvious.
Our best scientific tools, like our healthcare system, our agencies, our bureaucracies, are stunningly capable right up until the moment you ask them to do something urgent.
Then suddenly someone needs:
a form
an approval
a budget meeting
a clear sky
or a year’s worth of planning they didn’t do
We’re watching the same thing play out in astronomy that plays out in policy, medicine, industry, and everything else:
The people are brilliant.
Their systems are brittle.
Meanwhile, There’s Hope
The universe relies on the people who actually show up, the proverbial 80/20 rule in action.
While the big facilities reshuffle their dance cards, the only reason we have recent images of 3I/ATLAS at all is because:
backyard astronomers
late-night sky watchers
Slooh members (thank you, Liena Dreams)
hobbyists
engineers with a telescope bolted to their garage
…refused to wait for permission. You can trace the entire November dataset to a handful of them who just pointed their telescopes at the sky because someone had to.
They’re the ones who caught the anti-tail, and noticed the brightening events. They document the coma evolving day by day. Institutions vacillated, but these people?
They didn’t. That’s not a scientific footnote — it’s a warning bell. Because when the most interesting object in the solar system appears and the system answers, “We’re booked,” the only ones watching are the people who never needed permission in the first place.
NEXT UP: the part where we stop pretending this is normal
https://medium.com/@mcsev2010/why-the-strangest-object-in-the-solar-system-is-being-ignored-and-why-others-are-saving-the-day-7e93b92b4e49
https://medium.com/@liena.dreams/3i-atlas-update-new-image-from-chile-and-brightness-stats-26e1979f66a1
https://medium.com/@SophiaChanu/3i-atlas-is-still-weird-d8955313b57e
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/3i-atlas-update-un-confirms-comet-subject-formal-planetary-defence-exercise-1757943
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/un-iawn-planetary-defense-document-on-3i-atlas-what-nasa-and-esa-already-know/
https://x.com/AstronomyVibes/status/1993674924003672574
https://x.com/4biddnKnowledge/status/1993707265002783060
https://x.com/Ammar1176708/status/1993704764559777939
https://spacetracker.space/timeline
3I/ATLAS Update: UN Confirms Comet Is Subject Of Formal Planetary-Defence Exercise
25 November 2025, 4:56 PM GMT
The global conversation surrounding comet 3I/ATLAS has intensified recently, sparking not only widespread fascination but also an unexpected wave of public confusion.
As this mysterious body streaks across the night sky, a single, critical question has dominated scientific forums, news threads, and online commentary: 'Is this high-profile event an official international planetary-defence exercise, or is it merely a routine scientific observation?'
This ambiguity, which has persisted despite the clear involvement of global organisations, has prompted the need for a definitive, official answer. To settle the debate once and for all, we turn to the source itself.
Here, we present an elaboration on the complete, unedited, official United Nations / IAWN publication—the document that explicitly frames 3I/ATLAS within the global framework designed to protect Earth from cosmic threats.
The full context, originally documented in this analysis of the UN/IAWN document, confirms the crucial nature of the current activity.
Clearing the Cosmic Dust: The Official Planetary-Defence Stance on 3I/ATLAS
The official documentation leaves no room for doubt. The 3I/ATLAS activity is, unequivocally, the 8th IAWN observing exercise conducted under the auspices of the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN).
This interstellar comet, discovered on 1 July 2025 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile, is only the third such visitor ever confirmed to be passing through our Solar System.
This initiative is part of a multi-year effort to strengthen global readiness against Near-Earth Objects (NEOs).
The fact that this exercise is taking place now, precisely when public interest—and subsequent confusion—is at its peak, underscores its significance.
This is not a drill for a fictional scenario; it is a real-world test, coordinated under the full UN planetary-defence structure, which includes IAWN, the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG), and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).
The IAWN and SMPAG were established in 2014 following United Nations recommendations to create an internationally coordinated response to the threat of NEO impacts.
IAWN is the warning hub, responsible for detection and characterisation, while SMPAG is composed of space agencies, tasked with planning potential deflection missions.
'While it poses no threat, comet 3I/ATLAS presents a great opportunity for the IAWN community to perform an observing exercise due to its prolonged observability from Earth and high interest to the scientific community.
This 3I/ATLAS campaign is the 8th IAWN observing exercise since 2017—IAWN holds these exercises roughly once a year'.
The goal is to sharpen coordination, improve tracking methodologies, and prepare the world for future celestial events that might carry greater uncertainty.
Why 3I/ATLAS is the Perfect Test for Astrometric Precision
The choice of 3I/ATLAS (formally designated C/2025 N1) as the target is strategic, rooted in the specific technical challenges comets pose to astronomers and planetary defence experts.
While 3I/ATLAS is currently not a threat—its closest approach to Earth will be on 19 December 2025 at a distance of approximately 270 million kilometres—its unique interstellar trajectory and cometary activity make it an ideal practice target.
As noted in M.P.E.C. 2025-U142 (a Minor Planet Electronic Circular issued by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Centre), comets create 'unique challenges for accurate astrometric measurements and orbit predictions.'
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This complexity is due to their appearance; unlike the point-like nature of asteroids, comets are extended bodies featuring comae and tails.
'Cometary bodies are extended with morphological features (comae and tails) that can systematically pull centroid measurements off their central brightness peak, making trajectory estimation more complex'.
The campaign, therefore, serves a vital technical purpose: introducing and refining 'methods for improving astrometry from comet observations.'
This practice is crucial for the future, ensuring that if a truly threatening comet or Near-Earth Object were discovered, the global astronomical community could rapidly and accurately determine its trajectory and potential impact probability.
The International Asteroid Warning Network formally announced the campaign window to run from November 27, 2025 through January 27, 2026.
This intensive, two-month period allows the international community to exercise their full capability to extract accurate astrometry from the comet.
A preparatory workshop was held ahead of the campaign to ensure all participants were aligned on the objectives and methodologies.
The official timeline for this critical global exercise is as follows, with all data and deadlines remaining unchanged:
3I/ATLAS Comet Astrometry Campaign — Key Dates:
Registration Deadline: Nov 7, 2025, 17:00 UTC
Comet Astrometry Workshop: Nov 10, 2025, 15:00 UTC
Kick-Off Email Notification: Nov 25, 2025
Observing Window Opens: Nov 27, 2025
Mid-Campaign Check-In: Dec 9, 2025, 15:00 UTC
Observing Window Closes: Jan 27, 2026
Close-Out Telecon: Feb 3, 2026, 15:00 UTC
The 3I/ATLAS exercise is far more than a technical drill; it is a live demonstration of global preparedness.
By focusing on this challenging interstellar comet—an object that poses no immediate danger—the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) is actively stress-testing the very systems designed to protect our planet from future, potentially hazardous threats.
This work strengthens collaboration between space agencies (SMPAG) and the diplomatic arm of the United Nations (UNOOSA), proving that planetary defence is a continuous, coordinated effort.
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https://nasawatch.com/congress/house-members-push-for-strong-nasa-science-budget/
https://chu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-chu-bacon-lead-colleagues-urging-strong-final-fy26-appropriations
https://nasawatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/11_24_2025-final-chu-bacon-letter-on-final-fy26-funding-for-space-science-exploration.pdf
House Members Push For Strong NASA Science Budget
November 25, 2025
A press release from Representatives Chu, Bacon et al urges “Strong Final FY26 Appropriations for Space Science and Exploration.” Full text and letter below.
Today, Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Don Bacon (NE-02) led a group of bipartisan colleagues in sending a letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leaders urging them to protect federal funding for space science and exploration in the forthcoming final Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) funding bill.
We write to thank your Committees for their continued bipartisan commitment to advancing American leadership in space science and exploration.
The uncertainty surrounding the future of our national science programs […] has now given way to renewed congressional support that ensures America continues to reach higher, explore further, and achieve more, the Members write.
Now, it is on Congress to finish the job.
Specifically, the Members urge Appropriators to enact compromise language in the final FY26 funding bill that both:
1.) provides the Senate CJS bills proposed flat funding levels for NASAs Science Mission Directorate (SMD), NASAs Office of STEM Engagement, and the National Science Foundation (NSF); and
2.) includes the language from the House CJS bill that ensures that not less than the appropriated amount is spent on NASA SMDs five science divisions: Planetary Science, Astrophysics, Earth Science, Heliophysics, and Biological & Physical Sciences.
The letter details the strong returns on federal investment in space science and explorationfrom spurring whole new industries, to uncovering technological and medical breakthroughs, to protecting communications and defense infrastructure, to supporting more than 300,000 high-skill jobs and driving over $75 billion in economic activity each year, to building the pipeline of talent that will ensure America remains the world leader in aerospace, advanced technology, and scientific research.
Congress has already acted in a bipartisan way to advance appropriations bills that sustain investments in scientific preeminence.
The path forward is clear: enact the Senates proposed funding levels for NASA SMD, the NASA Office of STEM Engagement, and NSF, and pair it with the House CJS bills requirement that no less than enacted levels are directed to each science division.
Doing so will protect ongoing research, secure Americas economic and national security interests, and guarantee that the benefits of science continue to flow to every community in the United States, concluded the lawmakers.
Full letter
November 24, 2025
Dear Chairmen Collins, Moran, Cole and Rogers and Ranking Members Murray, Van Hollen, DeLauro and Meng,
We write to thank your Committees for their continued bipartisan commitment to advancing American leadership in space science and exploration.
The uncertainty surrounding the future of our national science programs dedicated to advancing the frontiers of knowledge, discovery, and innovation has now given way to renewed congressional support that ensures America continues to reach higher, explore further, and achieve more. Now, it is on Congress to finish the job.
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In the full-year Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations that you will soon be considering, we, the undersigned, urge you to enact compromise language that funds NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Office of STEM Engagement, along with the National Science Foundation (NSF), at the levels proposed by the Senate Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations bill.
This functional, flat budget should also be paired with the language in the House CJS Appropriations bill that ensures that “not less than” the appropriated amount is spent on NASA SMD’s five science divisions:
Planetary Science, Astrophysics, Earth Science, Heliophysics, and Biological & Physical Sciences. These funding levels will reaffirm America’s leadership in science, secure our economic future, and inspire generations to come.
For more than six decades, Congress has recognized that investments in fundamental science are down payments on the technologies, businesses, and common knowledge of the future.
The returns are evident across our nation: never-before-accomplished technical feats give rise to whole new industries, research on the International Space Station leads to medical breakthroughs, and discoveries about other worlds fuel the imaginations of tomorrow’s explorers. Every dollar invested in NASA and NSF produces direct economic benefits, yielding a return three times greater than the taxpayer’s contribution.
These are among the most cost- effective federal investments we can make, supporting more than 300,000 high-skill jobs and driving over $75 billion in economic activity each year.
Yet the benefits of science cannot be measured only in dollars.
They are reflected in the security of our constituents and infrastructure, protected by satellites that track storms, monitor wildfires, and warn of solar activity that could disrupt communications and defense systems.
They are reflected in the resilience of our communities, equipped with data that guide water management, urban planning, and disaster recovery.
And they are reflected in the competitiveness of our economy, where federally funded research provides the foundation for innovation that private enterprise alone cannot support.
These investments also shape America’s future workforce. NASA’s Research & Analysis programs, Space Grants and STEM engagement programs, and NSF’s competitive research programs provide students in every state with opportunities to learn and make discoveries.
These programs connect classrooms to cutting-edge science and research, building a pipeline of talent that sustains our space workforce and ensures that America remains the world’s leader in aerospace, advanced technology, and scientific research.
Every fellowship, grant, and outreach initiative is an investment in American leadership in the 21st Century.
Congress has already acted in a bipartisan way to advance appropriations bills that sustain investments in scientific preeminence.
The path forward is clear: enact the Senate’s proposed funding levels for NASA SMD, the NASA Office of STEM Engagement, and NSF, and pair it with the House CJS bill’s requirement that no less than enacted levels are directed to each science division.
Doing so will protect ongoing research, secure America’s economic and national security interests, and guarantee that the benefits of science continue to flow to every community in the United States.
We thank you for your leadership and for your commitment to maintaining America’s role as the global leader in discovery and innovation.
We stand ready to work with you to ensure that these investments continue to deliver for taxpayers, strengthen our nation, and inspire generations to come.
Sincerely,
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Launching The Genesis Mission Without NASA
November 25, 2025
The White House, Department of Energy, and OSTP just launched a big flashy national AI thing called “Genesis Mission”.
The Executive Order says “This order launches the “Genesis Mission” as a dedicated, coordinated national effort to unleash a new age of AI‑accelerated innovation and discovery that can solve the most challenging problems of this century.”
Alas, there is no mention of NASA in the Genesis fact sheet and the press release mentions NSF, NISH, and NIH – but not NASA. There is no mention either of NASA things like space, astronomy, or aviation.
NASA is trying to understand the scope and origin of the universe, search for life on other worlds, and build spaceships unlike any ever built before – and it is employing advanced computing and AI in all of this.
But NASA apparently does not pass muster when it comes to inclusion in the White House/OSTP Genesis Mission.
https://nasawatch.com/trumpspace/launching-the-genesis-mission-without-nasa/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/11/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-unveils-the-genesis-missionto-accelerate-ai-for-scientific-discovery/