NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

December 21, 2025

Solstice on a Spinning Earth

Can you tell that today is a solstice by the tilt of the Earth? Yes. At a solstice, the Earth's terminator the dividing line between night and day is tilted the most. The featured time-lapse video demonstrates this by displaying an entire year on planet Earth in twelve seconds. From geosynchronous orbit, the Meteosat 9 satellite recorded infrared images of the Earth every day at the same local time. The video started at the September 2010 equinox with the terminator line being vertical: an equinox. As the Earth revolved around the Sun, the terminator was seen to tilt in a way that provides less daily sunlight to the northern hemisphere, causing winter in the north. At the most tilt, winter solstice occurred in the north, and summer solstice in the south. As the year progressed, the March 2011 equinox arrived halfway through the video, followed by the terminator tilting the other way, causing winter in the southern hemisphere and summer in the north. The captured year ends again with the September equinox, concluding another of the billions of trips the Earth has taken and will take – around the Sun.

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

Solar System Shift Continues, New Sunspots | S0 News and frens

Dec.21.2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ2qqgPwUEc

https://x.com/konstructivizm/status/2002634011794158043

https://x.com/TamithaSkov/status/2002478663783362768

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2025/12/21/upgraded-northern-lights-alert-16-states-may-see-aurora-sunday-night/

https://www.space.com/stargazing/winter-solstice-2025-marks-the-shortest-day-of-the-year-in-the-northern-hemisphere-today

https://www.space.com/stargazing/meteor-showers/ursid-meteor-shower-2025-peaks-tonight-heres-what-to-expect-from-the-yuletide-light-show

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

https://spaceweather.com/

>>24010334

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I03YNPIdx3k

https://avi-loeb.medium.com/riding-3i-atlas-to-the-stars-2c465d203199

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/where-3i-atlas-heading-next-after-making-closet-pass-earth-1764575

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/nasa-comet-3i-atlas-how-government-shutdown-sparked-fears-alien-cover-1764561

https://x.com/SaucerTime/status/2002680565863272634

https://x.com/RedClayHorse/status/2002734817276985785

https://x.com/TeslaYRose/status/2002678424088006712

https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/world-news/2025/12/21/6947eafb46163f18638b45a3.html

Putin REFUSES To Reveal 'Secret' Behind 'Alien' Comet 3I ATLAS | Watch Viral Moment (Putin REFUSES To Reveal 'Secret' Behind 'Alien' Comet 3I ATLAS | Watch Viral Moment)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dIGKI3U0iA (Ray's Astrophotography: Comet 3I ATLAS — Night 3 LIVE | Timelapse → Real-Time Attempt)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjbnZ5h_iKg (Dobsonian Power: NEW WEIRD PICTURE FROM 3I/ATLAS!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XptMVwdBIfs (The Real Ismael Perez: The wonder of 3 I Atlas with yours truly and Michael Jaco!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNuXoXIGnXw (Randall Carlson with Stefan Burns: 3I/ATLAS Passes Earth: What We Know ft. Stefan Burns)

Riding 3I/ATLAS to the Stars

December 21, 2025

The Voyager Golden Records, containing a time capsule of sounds, images, music and messages from Earth, were attached to NASA’s Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft which are currently traveling out of the solar system.

These records serve as humanity’s message for any intelligent extraterrestrial life that might find them, essentially a “message in a bottle” sent out to interstellar space.

If we are impatient in establishing physical contact with extraterrestrials, we can attempt to do better in reaching our cosmic neighbors with technological artifacts.

Traditional thinking would argue that we must construct a faster spacecraft to overtake Voyager and be recognized earlier.

Indeed, interstellar artifact collectors might discover our fastest technologies first if their shorter travel times compensate for their later launch dates.

Voyager 1 was launched on September 5, 1977; coincidentally, just a few weeks after the extraterrestrial Wow! Signal was detected. Voyager 1 is traveling out of the solar system at a speed of 17 kilometers per second.

It is currently at a distance of about 170 times the Earth-Sun separation (AU). Interstellar space starts outward of the boundary of the Oort Cloud at about 100,000 AU, inside of which icy rocks are still bound by gravity to the Sun and show up near Earth as long-period comets.

Voyager 1 will reach that boundary in about 28,000 years.

In contrast, the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS has an outward speed of 60. It will return to interstellar space in about 8,000 years. Riding 3I/ATLAS offers the benefit of reaching interstellar space by the year ~10,000 CE instead of the year ~30,000 CE.

The discovery of interstellar objects over the past decade offers new opportunities for humanity to send time capsules to interstellar space.

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>>24010437

One approach would be to design interceptor missions that would deposit analogs of the Voyager’s Golden Records on the surface of a large interstellar object like 3I/ATLAS, with the hope that these records will be recognized by interstellar archaeologists.

Another approach is to use a high-power laser beam to carve a message on the dry surface of an interstellar asteroid. Will this effort be worthwhile if extraterrestrials will not notice our technological marks on interstellar objects?

This question echoes the famous philosophical thought experiment: “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

With the mainstream mindset of terrestrial astronomers, we would certainly miss any such markers. But there is also a practical limitation.

Our largest telescopes both on Earth and in space do not have sufficient angular resolution to resolve a billboard sign with letters as big as Manhattan Island at a distance of order the Earth-Sun separation.

However, if any extraterrestrial billboard with letters that big shows up at a distance smaller than 0.1 AU, it will open up a new discipline on university campuses labeled as “Interstellar archaeology”.

Recognizing technological imprints on asteroids or comets from interstellar space would provide the cosmic perspective that we desperately need in our daily routines.

Terrestrial museums featuring replicas of these imprints will likely attract larger audiences than Science Fiction movies.

Of course, there could also be functional instead of artistic imprints of technology on the surfaces of interstellar asteroids. These would mark attempts of extraterrestrials to mine them for precious minerals or fuel (as discussed here).

Future interceptor missions, like ESA’s Comet Interceptor (as described here and here), could get close to interstellar objects and provide close-up photographs of them (as discussed here).

The existence of artificial lights or infrared excess from the heat generated by a technological power source inside an interstellar asteroid or a comet, could also be identified in Webb space telescope spectroscopy from a large distance.

Here’s hoping that our travel agencies will realize that interstellar objects offer a fast ride out of the solar system. If offered the opportunity, I would have loved to hitchhike 3I/ATLAS and let it carry my remains into interstellar space.

How long will it take 3I/ATLAS or Voyager to reach the opposite side of the Milky-Way disk of stars? Of order one billion years.

Since most stars formed billions of years before the Sun, any civilization near them would have had plenty of time to reach our backyard.

Their technological Golden Record or the remains of their most ambitious explorers might be buried in interstellar spacecraft even if those were propelled by a copy of our rocket technologies from the 1970s.

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Artemis II Crew Rehearse Launch Day Demonstration

Dec 20, 2025

The four astronauts set to fly around the Moon during NASA’s Artemis II test flight depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, during a dress rehearsal for launch day on Dec. 20, 2025.

From left are CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch.

The launch day rehearsal, called a countdown demonstration test, simulated the launch day timeline, including the crew suiting up in their spacesuits and climbing in and out of their Orion spacecraft.

Because the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket upon which they will launch is not yet at the launch pad, the crew boarded Orion inside Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building, where engineers are conducting final preparations on the spacecraft, rocket, and ground systems.

https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/artemis-ii-crew-rehearse-launch-day-demonstration/

Space Coast Photographer and Communicator John Kraus Joins NASA Administrator’s Staff

December 20, 2025

John Kraus, the Satellite Beach-based launch photographer extraordinaire, announced that he has a role on Jared Isaacman’s staff as a Special Communications Assistant to the NASA Administrator.

Kraus is well-qualified for this role. While he cut his teeth as an award winning launch and space photographer, John was also the Content Director for the Polaris Program, which saw the first privately conducted EVA in Earth orbit.

Additionally, Kraus was responsible for photographing campaign milestones and sharing the highly popular Polaris story via social media.

Presumably the role starts immediately and that at a good time as the agency prepares to ramp up its launch campaign for the Artemis II mission, mankind’s first foray past Earth orbit in fifty-four years.

First recognized nationally in 2016 when Kraus was sixteen years old and still in high school, in the past ten year he’s covered 385 launches globally, including human spaceflight: training, launch, and splashdown/recovery operations.

Kraus has also photographed and reported on static fires, engine test fire campaigns and zero gravity flights.

When he’s not covering space, you might find him in the rear seat of a high-performance fighter aircraft, capturing air-to-air shots. Kraus has spent time in an L-39, Alpha Jet and a Russian-made MiG-29.

While he now has a new role, you can take a look at John’s work on his website, the Polaris Progam Flickr page, the Polaris Program official website, his personal Instagram and of course many major publications worldwide.

Talk of Titusville has reached out to Kraus for a comment about his new role and we will add them when he has time to reply.

https://talkoftitusville.com/2025/12/20/space-coast-photographer-and-communicator-john-kraus-joins-nasa-administrators-staff/

https://www.johnkrausphotos.com/

https://x.com/johnkrausphotos

NASA Captures Asteroids Colliding Around Nearby Star Fomalhaut For The First Time

Dec 20, 2025 22:11 pm IST

In a spectacular glimpse into the violent early days of planetary systems, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured images of catastrophic collisions in a star system beyond our own.

According to NASA, the observations show two massive debris clouds forming around the bright star Fomalhaut, 25 light-years from Earth, offering a rare look at the chaos that shaped planets billions of years ago.

Astronomers believe the solar system's early days were a cosmic bumper-to-bumper, with planetesimals, asteroids, and comets colliding and pelting Earth, the Moon, and other inner planets with debris.

Principal investigator Paul Kalas of the University of California, Berkeley, explained that they had never seen such a sudden point of light in an outer planetary system.

He explained that this object was not present in previous Hubble images, which suggests the team witnessed a violent collision between two massive bodies, creating a vast debris cloud unlike anything seen in the solar system today.

Fomalhaut, located in the constellation Gemini and also known as the Southern Fish, is larger and brighter than the Sun. It is surrounded by several dust belts, making it an ideal location for studying planet formation and collisions.

In 2008, Hubble detected a possible planet near Fomalhaut, named Fomalhaut b. Recent observations revealed that this object is actually a dust cloud formed by planetesimal collisions.

During this search, scientists observed a second nearby spot of light, now called "Circumstellar Source 2," or CS2, while the first object was named CS1.

The proximity of these two debris clouds remains a mystery. If these collisions were random, CS1 and CS2 should have appeared in different locations, but they are located near Fomalhaut's inner layer of outer debris.

Another surprising finding is that two collisions were observed in such a short period of time. According to previous models, a collision should have occurred every 100,000 years, whereas Hubble observed two collisions in just 20 years.

Kalas said that if the past thousands of years were observed in accelerated motion, Fomalhaut's system would appear to be constantly brightening from these collisions.

Such collisions are crucial for the evolution of planetary systems, but they are rare and difficult to study.

Co-author Mark Wyatt of the University of Cambridge explained that this observation allows scientists to estimate the size and number of colliding objects.

He said the planetesimals that formed CS1 and CS2 are about 37 miles (60 kilometers) across, and about 300 million similar objects are orbiting Fomalhaut.

The temporary nature of CS1 and CS2 is a warning for future exoplanet missions. Such dust clouds can appear like planets and confuse telescopes.

Kalas explained that CS2 looks exactly like an exoplanet reflecting starlight, and the study of CS1 showed that a large dust cloud can appear planetary for many years.

Kalas and his team will continue to monitor CS2 using Hubble for the next three years to observe its evolution.

CS2 is closer to the dust belt than CS1, so it may collide with other material, causing a large influx of dust and increasing the brightness of the surrounding region.

This continued observation will provide important information about the formation and behavior of planetary systems.

https://www.ndtv.com/science/nasa-captures-asteroids-colliding-around-nearby-star-fomalhaut-for-the-first-time-9855407

https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-sees-asteroids-colliding-at-nearby-star-for-first-time/

This Week in Orbit | Real 4K Video from the Space Station | You’ve Never Seen Earth Like This

Dec 20, 2025

This Week in Orbit — a relaxing and inspiring journey around our planet, captured in true 4K from space.

Filmed by Sen’s ultra-high-resolution cameras aboard the International Space Station, this 15-minute cinematic orbit showcases Earth’s most breathtaking landscapes, cities, storms, oceans, and natural phenomena as seen by astronauts — updated weekly.

From glowing megacities and winding rivers to lightning storms, deserts, volcanoes, and the curvature of Earth itself, this episode is designed to help you relax, focus, meditate, or simply feel inspired by our planet.

🛰️ About the footage

All visuals are 4K video captured from the ISS by Sen, offering an unfiltered view of Earth in motion.

📅 Featured dates: 11–17 December 2025

⏱️ Runtime: 15 minutes 20 seconds

🎬 New scene every 20 seconds

🎶 Final 20 seconds: credits

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 Hawaiian Islands

00:20 Pacific Ocean

00:40 Tokyo & Mount Fuji — Japan

01:00 The Nile River — Egypt

01:20 Sahara Desert — Algeria

01:40 Tulsa — Oklahoma, USA

02:00 Mississippi River — Louisiana, USA

02:20 Lightning Storm — Argentina

02:40 The Alps — France & Switzerland

03:00 Egypt & the Red Sea

03:20 Melbourne — Australia

03:40 Sydney — Australia

04:00 Uyuni Salt Flats — Bolivia

04:20 Approaching the Aleutian Islands — Alaska, USA

04:40 Aleutian Islands — Alaska, USA

05:00 Lightning near La Paz — Bolivia

05:20 Lakes of Tibet — China

05:40 The Alps — Austria

06:00 The White Nile — Sudan

06:20 Puerto Rico — Caribbean

06:40 Managua & Concepción Volcano — Nicaragua

07:00 Porto Alegre — Brazil

07:20 Toshka Lakes — Egypt

07:40 Chicago — Illinois, USA

08:00 Rocky Mountains — Colorado, USA

08:20 Galápagos Islands — Pacific Ocean

08:40 Lima — Peru

09:00 Agricultural Fires & Wildfires — Central Africa

09:20 Western Sahara — West Africa

09:40 Lightning Storm — North Pacific Ocean

10:00 Turtle Mountain Parks — Manitoba, Canada

10:20 Duluth — Minnesota, USA

10:40 Cayman Islands — Caribbean

11:00 Maracaibo — Venezuela

11:20 Aral Sea — Uzbekistan

11:40 New York City & Long Island — USA

12:00 Gonâve Island & Port-au-Prince — Haiti

12:20 Ship Track Clouds — North Pacific Ocean

12:40 Aswan — Egypt

13:00 Heilongjiang Province — China

13:20 Rosario — Argentina

13:40 Oran — Algeria

14:00 Sunglint Over Solar Farms — China

14:20 LED Fishing Fleets — East China Sea

14:40 Seoul — South Korea

15:00 SpaceX Dragon CRS-33 — Over Mexico

15:20 Credits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te3FGKyXC-U

https://about.sen.com/

Rocket Lab Successfully Launches for iQPS, Ends 2025 with 21 Launches and 100% Mission Succes

December 21, 2025

MAHIA, New Zealand: Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today successfully launched its 21st Electron rocket of the year to deploy the latest satellite to space for multi-launch customer Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS), a Japan-based Earth imaging company.

‘The Wisdom God Guides’ mission launched from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand on December 21 at 7:36 p.m. (06:36 UTC) to deploy the QPS-SAR-15 to space for iQPS.

The spacecraft will join the company’s synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation providing near-real time imagery across twelve different orbits for iQPS’ global customers.

Rocket Lab first launched for iQPS in 2023 and has gone on to deploy seven satellites to the iQPS constellation, making Electron the primary launcher for iQPS. A further five launches on Electron for iQPS are planned from 2026.

Today’s mission has set a new annual launch record for Electron: 21 launches in one year with 100% mission success.

The record cements Electron as both America’s preeminent small launch provider and the world’s most frequently-launched small-lift orbital rocket.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, says: “Congratulations to iQPS on this latest successful mission for their constellation, and to the Rocket Lab team on a fantastic record-setting year of Electron launches.

Electron makes frequent and reliable launch look easy as it outpaces all other American small-lift orbital rockets, year after year.

In 2026 we’re expanding Electron’s global reach with more multi-launch constellation deployments, dedicated missions for domestic civil space and international space agencies in Japan and Europe, and both suborbital and orbital launches with defense applications for hypersonic technology and national security. Our new record of annual launches and the breadth of upcoming missions goes to show how much of a global impact Electron continues to have on the space industry, and we’re looking forward to another year of continued execution in 2026.”

‘The Wisdom God Guides’ mission was Rocket Lab’s 79th overall Electron mission and final scheduled launch for 2025. The next Electron launch is slated to take place in early Q1 2026.

https://rocketlabcorp.com/updates/rocket-lab-successfully-launches-for-iqps-ends-2025-with-21-launches-and-100-mission-succes/

https://rocketlabcorp.com/missions/missions-launched/the-wisdom-god-guides/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqhWp-kgGkg

Glittering new James Webb telescope image shows an 'intricate web of chaos - Space photo of the week

December 21, 2025

A stark new portrait of two colliding spiral galaxies combines different kinds of light to evoke the colors, shapes and moods of autumn.

The image, which shows the galaxies NGC 2207 (lower right) and IC 2163 (upper left), was created by combining infrared light captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) with X-ray light from the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

NGC 2207 and IC 2163 are locked in a slow gravitational merge that, by chance, is seen face-on from the solar system.

The larger galaxy, NGC 2207, dominates the field, while the smaller IC 2163 overlaps its outer regions.

The gravitational pull of each galaxy distorts the other's spiral arms, stretching out streams of stars and gas and compressing gas and dust in ways that can ignite new stars. The result is an intricate web of chaos.

One of JWST's core tasks, according to NASA, is to provide scientists with a clear view of the centers of merging galaxies and thereby inform a new generation of models that will describe how galaxies interact and merge.

NGC 2207 and IC 2163 are the perfect targets.

In the image, JWST's midinfrared data appear in white, gray and red, primarily showing the dust and cooler material within the galaxies' cores and spiral arms.

Chandra's X-ray data are shown in blue, highlighting high-energy regions of the two galaxies — binary stars, the remnants of dead stars, and regions where supernovas have occurred.

The spectacular layered image of NGC 2207 and IC 2163 is one of four Chandra-based composites that were published at the same time.

The other three include NGC 6334, a star-forming region known for its arcs of glowing gas and dust; supernova remnant G272.2-0.3, where hot X-ray-emitting gas fills an expanding shell; and a star system called R Aquarii, where a white dwarf star sucks material from a red giant star.

Each image merges Chandra's view of the high-energy universe with data from JWST (launched in 2021), the Hubble Space Telescope (launched in 1990) and the Spitzer Space Telescope (active between 2003 and 2020), as well as from ground-based telescopes.

https://www.livescience.com/space/glittering-new-james-webb-telescope-image-shows-an-intricate-web-of-chaos-space-photo-of-the-week

Long March 5 rocket deploys tech demo satellite into space

2025-12-21

China launched a Long March 5 heavy-lift carrier rocket on Saturday evening to deploy a technology demonstration satellite into space, according to the State-owned conglomerate China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the nation's dominant space contractor.

The company said in a news release that the rocket blasted off at 8:30 pm from a coastal service tower at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province and soon placed the Communications Technology Demonstrator 23 satellite in its intended orbit.

One of the world's most powerful operational rockets, the Long March 5 model was designed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in Beijing, the nation's major rocket maker and a CASC subsidiary.

Compared to the conventional Long March 5 configuration, the rocket deployed on Saturday had an extended fairing — the top structure on a rocket that contains satellites or other payloads — that was 18.5 meters tall.

The fairings on typical Long March 5 rockets are about 12.3 meters tall.

The extended Long March 5 model has an overall height of 63.2 meters, making it the tallest-ever rocket type in China.

Communications Technology Demonstrator 23 was built by another CASC subsidiary, China Academy of Space Technology, and is tasked with verifying multi-band high-speed satellite communications technologies, according to the company.

The launch marked the 88th space mission in China and the 618th flight of the Long March rocket fleet. It is also the 17th launch of the Long March 5 family.

http://www.ecns.cn/m/news/sci-tech/2025-12-21/detail-ihexziya0709408.shtml

NMSU Cadet Achieves Historic Milestone as First Commissioned Officer in U.S. Space Force

Last updated: December 21, 2025

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico – Ethan French, a cadet from New Mexico State University’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) program, has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first individual from the institution to be commissioned as an officer in the United States Space Force.

The commissioning ceremony occurred on December 12, 2025, marking a significant advancement in the integration of academic institutions with the nation’s newest military branch.

French, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in engineering physics and a minor in nuclear chemical engineering, was sworn in as a second lieutenant during the event.

The oath was administered by his father, U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Lance French, himself an alumnus of NMSU’s AFROTC program who graduated in 1995.

This familial connection added a personal dimension to the occasion, underscoring a legacy of military service.

Reflecting on his path, Ethan French explained his motivation for pursuing a career in the Space Force: “I always wanted to go in the military and follow in my dad’s footsteps, but I wanted to do something like space operations or just something with space. When I graduated high school in 2019 is when the Space Force became a thing. Back then nobody knew what the purpose of the Space Force was.

But pretty much from that first semester on, I wanted to go into Space Force, and thankfully the opportunity came up. I applied for it and got it. Now, I’m super happy I get to join.”

Brigadier General Lance French commented on his son’s decision, noting the appeal of a military career: “I just showed him what a great career he could have in the Air Force, and he saw for himself how fun it can be moving around.”

Ethan’s mother, Mistee French, expressed the family’s pride and support: “We’re really excited for him. We try not to give him a hard time about not joining the Air Force, but I think the Space Force is a great fit for him.”

University officials and peers also praised French’s accomplishments. Master Sergeant Crystal Brown of NMSU’s AFROTC described him as exemplary: “He’s just always doing the right thing. He’s someone that if I have a standard, I knew I could show him once and he can go and show it to everyone else because I knew he was going to uphold that standard.”

Additionally, Hanae Phillips, a former NMSU AFROTC cadet and French’s close associate, highlighted his influence: “He’s everybody’s wingman. He’s everybody’s mentor.”

As a newly commissioned officer, French will undergo specialized training before assuming duties in areas such as space operations, cyber, intelligence, or engineering, with an initial four-year service commitment.

This event not only represents a personal achievement for French but also highlights NMSU’s role in preparing leaders for emerging domains in national defense.

https://news.ssbcrack.com/nmsu-cadet-achieves-historic-milestone-as-first-commissioned-officer-in-u-s-space-force/

https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/enemy-mine-at-40-an-empathetic-space-adventure-that-still-resonates-strongly-today

'Enemy Mine' at 40: An empathetic space adventure that still resonates strongly today

December 20, 2025

The 1980s was a decade of excellence and excess for science fiction flicks.

With existential thrillers, crowd-pleasing blockbusters, and Saturday matinee popcorn fare like "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back," "Flash Gordon," "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "The Thing," "Blade Runner," "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi," "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan," "The Last Starfighter," "Dune," "Terminator," "Predator," and "The Abyss" all making the popular genre a pure money-printing haven for Tinsel Town.

But one overlooked sci-fi release launched at Christmastime on Dec. 20, 1985, is director Wolfgang Petersen's "Enemy Mine."

Set in the year 2092 as an interstellar war erupts, Earthling space pilot Will Davidge (Dennis Quaid) and a reptilian alien Drac (Lou Gossett Jr.) crash land on barren Fyrine IV after an intense dogfight over the hostile planet, where they must set aside their hate to defeat monstrous threats lurking above and beneath the world's surface.

"Enemy Mine" firmly occupies a particularly small niche in the annals of Hollywood science fiction films in the tsunami of post-"Star Wars" screenplays that flooded studio executives’ offices from Burbank to Buena Park.

It's one that opted for a gentler, more universal humanistic tale of forging friendships in severe adversity, overcoming prejudices, battling together for survival, and the precious nature of life, no matter what your species or what side of the galaxy you were born in.

This original feature is a curious and compelling film, especially if you haven’t seen it in a while.

Produced for an estimated $40 million by 20th Century Fox, it was the first English-language project for German filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen ("Das Boot," "The Neverending Story," "The Perfect Storm") and was based on the 1979 novella written by sci-fi author Barry B. Longyear.

The scaly lizard-like race of the Drac plainly acts as a generic symbol of any misunderstood or aggressive adversary with a culture, agenda, or ideology that happens to clash with our own and feels uncomfortably foreign.

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>>24010636

Oh yeah, and there's the surprise gender-bending twist where it’s revealed that "Jerry" the asexual Drac is pregnant and gives birth to an infant alien later lovingly cared for and raised by Davidge.

The notion of found families plays heavily in the plot as Davidge protects the child named Zammis against Scavenger miners and finally returns him to the Drac homeworld.

Released a few days before Santa's sleigh traversed the skies, "Enemy Mine" was a financial failure, mainly because Petersen had to scrap nearly all of the production when the project’s original director, Richard Loncraine, left the movie when difficult creative differences arose.

When all the tickets were tallied, the sci-fi release managed to collect just $12.3 million total worldwide. After its theatrical run, the film did enjoy a resurrection in video stores and on premium cable services of the day like HBO.

If anything, "Enemy Mine" shares complementary aspects with John Carpenter's "Starman," which was released a year earlier in 1984, and one that I consider to be one of his finest and most underrated films.

(I might be a bit partial because my uncle, Bill Varney, was the re-recording mixer on it!) Both take an empathetic approach to encounters between Humankind and extraterrestrials and provide noble intellectual ingredients for hope eternal.

It could be slightly hampered by its dated practical visual effects and stage-bound planetary sets, but what it lacks in technical merits, it more than makes up for in emotional complexity, as evidenced by the fantastic performances delivered by Quaid and Gossett Jr.

Hot topics such as race, gender, religion, and the dehumanizing effects of war never go out of style, unfortunately, but during the holidays, the harsh mechanics of the world do seem to pause for a brief, blessed period.

Most notable here is composer Maurice Jarre's lush synth-heavy score and the exceptional Drac alien makeup by Chris Walas, the creature effects master who'd just wowed audiences with his fantastic "Gremlins" work.

Last summer, news broke that a Disney (Uh-oh!) remake is currently in the pipeline through its 20th Century Studios division from "Star Trek: Picard" showrunner Terry Matalas ("12 Monkeys").

Though it's a tall order, we can only hope this reboot retains the charm and warmth of the original that's bravely stood the test of time as a true '80s treasure.

Sure, it's a thinly-veiled allegory of America's frosty Cold War with the Soviet Union that was still brewing hotly in 1985, but those compassionate “love thy enemy” themes can traverse the decades.

And if you don't consider that a beautifully apt message of tolerance at Christmas this year during the rash of turbulent current events, then you don’t know a candy cane from a crowbar.

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