NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

December 19, 2025

Long Shadows of the Montes Caucasus

When the Moon is at its first quarter phase, the Sun rises along the Montes Caucasus as seen from the lunar surface. The lunar mountain range casts the magnificent, spire-like shadows in this telescopic view from planet Earth, looking along the lunar terminator or the boundary between lunar night and day. Named for Earth's own Caucasus Mountains, the rugged lunar Montes Caucasus peaks, up to 6 kilometers high, are located between the smooth Mare Imbrium to the west and Mare Serenitatis to the east. Still mostly in shadow in this first quarter lunarscape, at the left (west) impact craters reflect the light of the rising Sun along their outer, eastern crater walls.

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Elites Prepping, Galactic Field, Wild Weather | S0 News and frens

Dec.19.2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8FiSO6GMDM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXIVSz5GO4I

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/crash-clock-reveals-how-soon-satellite-collisions-would-occur-after-a-severe-solar-storm-and-its-pretty-scary

https://www.space.com/stargazing/meteor-showers/geminid-meteors-streak-under-green-sky-space-photo-of-the-day-for-dec-19-2025

https://www.space.com/live/aurora-forecast-will-the-northern-lights-be-visible-tonight-dec-19-20-21

https://x.com/MrMBB333/status/2001913891874546123

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/

https://spaceweather.com/

Europa Clipper Observed 3I/ATLAS Near Perihelion

December 18, 2025

NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft observed the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS on November 6, 2025, from a distance of 164 million kilometers.

During an observing period of seven hours, the Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) instrument recorded data on the abundances of various elements in the gas plume surrounding the nucleus of 3I/ATLAS.

A false-color image was obtained by stacking the brightness maps at multiple UV wavelengths. The image is extremely valuable in constraining the anti-tail and tail geometry of 3I/ATLAS near perihelion.

Europa Clipper observed 3I/ATLAS when Earth-based observations were largely blocked by the Sun’s position.

With 3I/ATLAS passing between Europa Clipper and the Sun, the vantage point of Clipper’s observations provided a unique perspective.

The sunward viewpoint provided a downstream view of the anti-tail and tail stemming out of the nucleus of 3I/ATLAS when it went close to the Sun.

Europa-UVS detected the spectral fingerprints of oxygen, hydrogen and dust from the outgassing of 3I/ATLAS near perihelion.

Europa Clipper was launched from Earth in October 2024, and is expected to arrive near Jupiter in April 2030, where it will study Jupiter’s frozen moon Europa — inside of which a subsurface liquid ocean might support life.

Clipper will orbit Jupiter and perform 49 close flybys of Europa.

Following the rendezvous with Europa Clipper, 3I/ATLAS will arrive closest to Jupiter as early as March 16, 2026, demonstrating how fast it is relative to a human-made spacecraft.

In a TV interview today, I expressed my wish to board a fast interstellar traveler like 3I/ATLAS so that it would carry me out of the solar system faster than human-made spacecraft. Ad Astra!

https://avi-loeb.medium.com/europa-clipper-observed-3i-atlas-near-perihelion-2728c95bb84c

https://medium.com/@davidsereda/the-3-wise-men-the-3-pyramids-the-3-angles-of-3-eye-atlas-47b2f466f01c

https://medium.com/@liena.dreams/brighter-from-afar-3i-atlas-vs-24p-schaumasse-b7d455bfcba0

https://usaherald.com/nasa-releases-unprecedented-gamma-ray-data-ahead-of-3i-atlas-close-approach-on-december-19th-the-gamma-ray-3i-atlas-and-the-wow-signal-all-originating-from-the-same-constellation/

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/comet-3i-atlas-reveals-secrets-76-billion-year-old-cosmic-fossil-passes-today-1764206

https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2025/11/19/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-aka-c-2025-n1-atlas-closest-approach-to-the-earth-online-observation-19-dec-2025/

https://x.com/AstronomyVibes/status/2001995787719602406

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ficGuvPxV0s

https://www.oceanfm.ie/news/unidentified-flying-objects-spotted-in-north-west-skies-prior-to-the-arrival-of-3i-atlas-957727

https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-makes-its-closest-approach-to-earth-on-dec-19-heres-what-you-need-to-know

https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/interstellar-comet-3iatlas-heads-for-the-outer-solar-system-after-its-closest-approach-to-earth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHUMK8ISrdM (Stefan Burns: 3I/ATLAS X-FACTOR ☄️ If Something Crazy is Going to Happen, Now's the Time)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=traiFaVZSi8 (Ray's Astrophotography: Comet 3i Atlas - Why NORMAL Might Be the WRONG Assumption - I took a PICTURE)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jaqhulggh0c (Chuck's Astrophotography: LIVE: Comet 3I ATLAS - December 19 is HERE! We Will Use a GIANT 24-inch Telescope)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKniihCY9aI (Cristina Gomez, Jimmy Church, Tiago from Dobsonian Power: 3I/ATLAS SHOCKS SCIENCE WORLD AS IT NEARS EARTH)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUBRHNjHP9w (Michael Jaco: 3I Atlas Aligns with Earth — A Winter Solstice Awakening 🌌)

>>24001741

https://x.com/Ephesians_6_11_/status/2001850309472325670

https://x.com/JohnRLatta/status/2001849574110183768

https://x.com/SeVoSpace/status/2001839034252075312

https://x.com/RitchieRweda/status/2001849838674284929

https://x.com/logicwins/status/2001744547853025293

>>24001757

https://x.com/halley_7898/status/2001811937336922628

https://x.com/2023melapela/status/2001817917789544753

https://x.com/JanRRivera100/status/2001805995207725435

https://x.com/Space_Station/status/2001985999971475528

>>24001781

NASA Welcomes 15th Administrator Jared Isaacman

Dec 18, 2025

Jared Isaacman was sworn in Thursday as NASA’s 15th administrator by District Judge Timothy J. Kelly. The oath was taken during a ceremony held at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington.

As NASA administrator, Isaacman will lead the agency in bold pursuit of exploration, innovation, and scientific discovery.

“I am deeply honored to be sworn in as NASA administrator,” said Isaacman.

“NASA’s mission is as imperative and urgent as ever — to push the boundaries of human exploration, ignite the orbital economy, drive scientific discovery, and innovate for the benefit of all of humanity.

I look forward to serving under President Trump’s leadership and restoring a mission-first culture at NASA — focused on achieving ambitious goals, to return American astronauts to the Moon, establish an enduring presence on the lunar surface, and laying the groundwork to deliver on President Trump’s vision of planting the Stars and Stripes on Mars.”

Isaacman, nominated by President Donald J. Trump on Nov. 4th, was confirmed to serve as NASA administrator by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 17. Isaacman is expected to address the workforce this week.

Jared “Rook” Isaacman is the 15th administrator of NASA, a pilot, astronaut, seasoned entrepreneur, philanthropist, and pioneer in commercial spaceflight. Read Isaacman’s official biography online.

1:22 PM · Dec 18, 2025

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-welcomes-15th-administrator-jared-isaacman/

https://x.com/rookisaacman

https://x.com/NASAAdmin

https://x.com/NASA

>>24001883

take me away!