TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
January 9, 2026
Ice Halos by Moonlight and Sunlight
Both Moon and Sun create beautiful ice halos in planet Earth's sky. In fact, the two brightest celestial beacons are each surrounded by a complex of ice halos in these photos of the sky above Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in France. The panels were recorded one night (left) and the following day at the end of December 2025. Similar ice halos appear in moonlight and sunlight because they are all formed through the geometry of flat, hexagonal ice crystals. The ice crystals reflect and refract light as they flutter in the cold atmosphere above the mountain resort. In the pictures both Moon and Sun are surrounded by a more commonly seen 22 degree circular halo. Bright and sometimes colorful patches at the intersections of the 22 degree circular halos with the indicated parselenic and parhelic arcs are also known as Moon dogs and Sun dogs.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Two Solar Impacts Coming This Weekend | S0 News and frens
Jan.9.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdElk4eYmWA
https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/smile-investigating-the-impact-of-space-weather-on-earth/65302/
https://www.earth.com/news/one-solar-region-noaa-13664-dominated-space-weather-forecasts-for-weeks/
https://astrobiology.com/2026/01/naturally-occurring-space-weather-station-elucidates-new-way-to-study-habitability-of-planets-orbiting-m-dwarf-stars.html
https://www.marthastewart.com/how-to-see-the-northern-lights-tonight-january-2026-11881435
https://www.space.com/live/aurora-forecast-northern-lights-possible-tonight-jan-9-10-11
https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/jupiter-great-red-spot-is-shrinking/
https://westminsterpimliconews.co.uk/uk-magnetic-storms-jan-2026-health-banks-and-risk/
https://x.com/StefanBurnsGeo/status/2009512877305286739
https://x.com/MrMBB333/status/2009339522010735032
https://x.com/TamithaSkov/status/2009382545469694306
https://x.com/SchumannBotDE/status/2009641664973832437
https://x.com/SolarObserverX/status/2009360816362148166
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/the-remarkable-anti-tail-jet-of-3i-atlas-in-new-hubble-images-from-january-7th-2026-a10176dbeb69
https://medium.com/@nhojsull/in-2025-nasa-told-ets-f-off-we-dont-care-if-we-kill-you-13e52fc6749b
https://medium.com/@nhojsull/part-ii-nasa-told-ets-to-f-off-3i-atlas-showed-up-a-couple-weeks-later-ad63dc4e3adf
https://medium.com/@SophiaChanu/plasma-jets-on-3i-atlas-e0d540804c6e
https://medium.com/@liena.dreams/stellar-comet-spectrum-analysis-with-a-custom-python-pipeline-and-ai-assistance-ba90fdebc306
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/nasas-jupiter-probe-snaps-alien-comet-3i-atlas-invisible-light-what-it-reveals-will-blow-your-1769528
https://in.mashable.com/culture/104449/baba-vanga-predicted-first-alien-ship-to-land-on-earth-world-war-iii-in-nov-2026-internet-reacts-wit
https://www.ufonews.co/post/cia-refuses-to-confirm-3i-atlas-records-exist
https://x.com/MrHodl/status/2009648384538296724
https://x.com/AstronomyVibes/status/2009455251880071531
https://x.com/JASNA_byDFK/status/2009418694338990428
https://x.com/markcrews504/status/2009426878432423965
https://x.com/AlienBoyCartoon/status/2008974312733380713
https://x.com/drew4worldruler/status/2009442985046315486
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXostozOxHA (Dobsonian Power: THERE'S A PLAN TO GO TO 3I/ATLAS!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47V35rwQwkw (Ray's Astrophotography: Comet 3I/ATLAS — What the CIA Isn’t Saying and Why - I Took a PICTURE)
The Remarkable Anti-Tail Jet of 3I/ATLAS in New Hubble Images from January 7th, 2026
January 9, 2026
When the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS was first imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope on July 21st, 2025, it became evident that the glowing halo of light around it extends by an extra factor of ~2 towards the Sun.
Given that the observing line-of-sight was only 10 degrees away from the sunward direction at that time, this implied that the actual extended structure is of a jet that is 1/sin(10 degrees)=5.8 times more elongated than observed in the projected image, namely ~11.6 times longer than it is wide.
But the most surprising fact about this jet is that it is oriented in the sunward direction. Usually, the elongated feature around comets is oriented away from the Sun.
The physical reason is simple: the solar-wind push on gas and the solar radiation push on dust create the appearance of a cometary tail extending away from the Sun relative to the nucleus.
But 3I/ATLAS exhibits a physical anti-tail that is definitely not a visual illusion due to a projection effect created by a special viewing angle.
Intrigued by this unusual phenomenon, I wrote three papers (posted here, here and here), attempting to explain the physics behind it.
When the first paper in this series, co-authored with my colleague Dr. Eric Keto, was submitted for publication in “The Astrophysical Journal Letters,” we were informed by the editor that the paper will not be sent for review because:
“I believe that your results would be of rather limited interest to the astrophysics research community as a whole.”
Disappointed by this response, we submitted the paper to the competing journal “Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society”, where it was accepted for publication after a very favorable referee report.
This experience shows how subjective the editorial and peer-review process is in academia.
1/2
By now, it is clear that the anti-tail jet of 3I/ATLAS is one of its major anomalies, because it is clearly observed in post-perihelion images taken from different perspectives during the past couple of months.
These images show (as I described most recently here, here and here) a prominent anti-tail jet that extends out to 400,000 kilometers from the nucleus of 3I/ATLAS towards the Sun.
The anti-tail is evident in the latest Hubble image, taken on January 7th, 2026.
The application of a Larson-Sekanina rotational gradient filter that removes the circularly symmetric glow around the nucleus of 3I/ATLAS reveals a triple jet structure with a major tightly-collimated anti-tail jet towards the Sun.
The two minor jets are equally separated in angle from each other and the anti-tail, and are not oriented away from the Sun — as expected from a familiar cometary tail.
As inferred from the first Hubble image on July 21, 2025, the anti-tail jet is tightly collimated and an order of magnitude longer than it is wide.
The tight collimation and the prominence of the anti-tail relative to any tail feature, are surprising given that the anti-tail jet goes through the countering pressure of the solar wind and the solar radiation.
Given that, I beg to differ with the above-mentioned editorial opinion. The physics responsible for this remarkable anti-tail jet is not “of rather limited interest to the astrophysics research community”.
From the wobble of the anti-tail jet around the rotation axis when 3I/ATLAS was approaching the Sun (as reported here), it became clear that its rotation axis is pointed at the Sun to within 7 degrees at large distances.
This constitutes another unexplained anomaly on top of the alignment of the trajectory of 3I/ATLAS with the ecliptic plane, each with sub-percent probability — making their combined geometry unlikely at a level below 0.0001.
NASA officials did not mention these geometric anomalies at their press conference about 3I/ATLAS on November 19, 2025, when they concluded that 3I/ATLAS behaves like a regular comet.
Obviously, if one ignores the unexplained anomalies of 3I/ATLAS, one would conclude that there is nothing surprising about it. The easiest way to argue that we fully understand something is by ignoring what we do not understand about it.
However, the foundation of science is the humility to learn, not the arrogance of expertise. What is the point of pursuing science if practitioners claim that they understand nature based on past knowledge even when data shows that they might be missing something.
Our ability to learn something new is limited by our willingness to admit what we are missing. Anomalous data should not be “of rather limited interest to the astrophysics research community”, but instead of great interest for the astrophysics research community.
Science is fun as long as we treat it as a learning experience. Curiosity is a genuine trait of a beginner’s mind. My hope is that the next generation of scientists will do better than my generation in revolutionizing our perception of our cosmic neighborhood.
The Universe will not appear a lonely place if we find residents in our cosmic street. Finding these residents would update the priorities of humanity beyond Earth.
In a WORLD.MINDS forum led by the brilliant Rolf Dobelli yesterday, I asked the historian Sir Niall Ferguson: “Could science bring humanity to pursue a vastly better future than its past?” Niall responded that science is not separate from power politics.
He argued that throughout history, humans evolved as fighters and killers. The 20th century saw extraordinary scientific breakthroughs and unprecedented mass killings. Niall suggested that these facts are not unrelated.
Niall is right about our past. But I am hopeful that an encounter with a more accomplished extraterrestrial civilization will make our future better, once we will receive our inspiration from the stars.
As Oscar Wilde noted: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” For that reason, when we observe interstellar objects in our backyard, we should not treat their anomalies as being “of rather limited interest.”
Instead, let us focus on understanding the anomalies of 3I/ATLAS (as listed here), starting from its anti-tail jet. This visitor to our backyard is not a regular street cat since a tail appears to be emerging from its forehead.
2/2
Lots of Baba Vanga lately
Japan all safety net of Agency
@JASNA_byDFK
Translated from Japanese
3I/ATLAS holds the key,but to begin with, the fact that President Trump is currently doing whatever he wants is less due to his own will and more the will of the world government behind him, and ultimately, the will of the extraterrestrials who desire it that way.
It is the prelude to World War III.
4:15 PM · Jan 8, 2026
https://x.com/JASNA_byDFK/status/2009418694338990428
Astronomy Vibes
@AstronomyVibes
🚨 Could 3I/ATLAS Be the Alien Visitor Baba Vanga Predicted for 2026? 👽
It’s 2026, and a chilling thought is crossing the minds of astronomers and sky-watchers alike. 3I/ATLAS, already baffling scientists with its strange, unpredictable path, might not be just another interstellar object.
Latest calculations hint it could swing around Jupiter — and potentially head toward Earth.
Decades ago, Baba Vanga, the blind mystic called the “Nostradamus of the Balkans,” reportedly predicted that in 2026, a massive alien spacecraft would appear in our skies, silently entering our atmosphere with no message — just arrival.
Could this mysterious object be her prophecy coming true? Its erratic speed, shifting tail, and unusual trajectory are unlike anything ordinary. Hidden forces… or a visitor from the stars finally reaching us?
🌌 Whatever the truth, one thing is undeniable: 2026 is here, and the universe might just be about to surprise us.
#3IATLAS #spacemystery #Babavanga #3Iatlascomet
6:40 PM · Jan 8, 2026
https://x.com/AstronomyVibes/status/2009455251880071531
https://nypost.com/2026/01/08/lifestyle/clairvoyant-baba-vanga-predicted-alien-spaceship-would-enter-earths-atmosphere-and-outbreak-of-wwiii-for-2026/
NASA Shares Latest Update on International Space Station Operations
January 8, 2026
NASA announced on Thursday its decision to return the agency’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to Earth from the International Space Station earlier than originally planned as teams monitor a medical concern with a crew member currently living and working aboard the orbital laboratory.
As NASA reviews Crew-11 return dates, the agency also is working with SpaceX, and its international partners, to review the options available to advance launch opportunities for the Crew-12 mission.
The agency anticipates a decision on a target Crew-11 return date in the coming days.
For the full details discussed, watch a replay of the news conference from the agency’s headquarters in Washington.
The participants in the news conference included:
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
Amit Kshatriya, associate administrator
Dr. James Polk, chief health and medical officer, NASA Headquarters
NASA will provide additional details later.
Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffcV3jCwwPk
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/commercialcrew/2026/01/08/nasa-shares-latest-update-on-international-space-station-operations/
Chris Hadfield
@Cmdr_Hadfield
For the first time in the 25-year history of the International Space Station, we’ve had a serious enough medical emergency in space to bring a crew home early.
Big decision by @nasa leadership, with multiple domino impacts on operations, but I’m glad to see, as always, crew health and safety come first.
The Station will be more vulnerable until the replacement crew of 4 can launch, but we have deep experience running the place with just 3 astronauts for a while.
I hope the ill crew member gets safely home to full treatment, and has a speedy recovery.
3:05 PM · Jan 8, 2026
https://x.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/status/2009401174789624136
Veteran NASA Astronauts Tom Akers, Joe Tanner to Be Inducted into U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
January 9, 2026
Veteran NASA astronauts Tom Akers and Joe Tanner will be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on May 16 at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation announced.
Akers and Tanner will join a distinguished group of American space pioneers whose careers helped shape the Space Shuttle Program, the assembly of the International Space Station, and some of NASA’s most complex missions.
The induction ceremony and gala will be held against the backdrop of Space Shuttle Atlantis and hosted by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.
“Joe Tanner and Tom Akers made lasting contributions to NASA and the advancement of our nation’s space program,” said Curt Brown, chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.
“Both have continued to extend their impact beyond NASA as educators and mentors.”
Akers flew four Space Shuttle missions between 1990 and 1996, including the first Hubble Space Telescope repair mission and a historic, unplanned three-person spacewalk during STS-49.
Over his career, Akers logged more than 800 hours in space and 29 hours of spacewalk time. He also held senior leadership roles at NASA and later served as an Air Force ROTC commander and university instructor before retiring from public service.
Tanner flew four Space Shuttle missions from 1994 to 2006, contributing to Earth science research, Hubble servicing missions, and critical International Space Station assembly flights.
He performed seven spacewalks totaling more than 46 hours and logged more than 1,000 hours in space. Following his NASA career, Tanner became a teaching professor at the University of Colorado Boulder and remains active in STEM education and mentorship.
The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame honors astronauts selected by a committee of Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, historians, and journalists. Eligibility requires U.S. citizenship and a NASA spaceflight career beginning at least 15 years prior to induction.
The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame is located at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and is administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, which has awarded more than $10 million in STEM scholarships to students nationwide since its founding.
https://spacecoastdaily.com/2026/01/veteran-nasa-astronauts-tom-akers-joe-tanner-to-be-inducted-into-u-s-astronaut-hall-of-fame/
https://www.astronautscholarship.org/
NASA Starts Up Gateway’s Power System for First Time
Jan 08, 2026
Development continues on NASA’s Power and Propulsion Element, a solar electric propulsion spacecraft designed to provide power for Gateway in lunar orbit.
Able to generate 60 kilowatts of power, the element was successfully powered on earlier last year.
The milestone demonstrates the element can provide the spacecraft with power, high-rate communications, attitude control, as well as the ability to maintain and maneuver between orbits.
The Power and Propulsion Element is managed by NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and built by industry partner Lanteris Space Systems in Palo Alto, California, where teams have secured the element’s main electrical system inside protective exterior panels.
On deck for installation at Lanteris Space Systems are three 12-kilowatt advanced electric propulsion system thrusters, manufactured by L3Harris, and four 6-kilowatt Busek-built BHT-6000 thrusters.
The roll-out solar arrays for Gateway are complete and moving through testing at Redwire’s facility in Goleta, California.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/glenn/nasa-starts-up-gateways-power-system-for-first-time/
Finally! A former NASA engineer just released a leaf blower that won't make your neighbors hate you
January 8, 2026
Another product launch from CES 2026? You bet. This time, though, we're heading straight out into our backyards come fall as we've spotted a whisper-quiet leaf blower, new to the market for 2026.
The T1 Tone essentially ticks all of our leaf-blowing woes — it's cordless, charges fast, has an adjustable shoulder strap, and it works at a noise level of less than 52 dB.
That, BTW, is similar to the hum your refrigerator makes while it's on and the door is closed. Impressive to say the least.
This new product launch will be (literal) music to the ears of those who hate the job of tidying the leaves in the fall — it means you can finally listen to that podcast on normal volume while doing this job.
Even better? With an integrated light, leaf blowing knows no time of day — you needn't get yours done early on in the day, come winter.
Tell your neighbor to thank me later and keep reading for more news on when you can purchase this mind-blowing (in more ways than one) new garden gadget.
For a quiet clean
Blowing the leaves away from your backyard or driveway has got to be up there with the most boring household chores. It sits right behind waiting for paint to dry for the next coat, and cleaning the oven.
With the release of T1's Tone Leaf Blower, though, you can now pop your headphones in instead of your ear muffs and listen to your playlist while doing the chore you dislike the most.
Fitted with a rechargeable 5.0 Ah battery, it will last for an average of 50 minutes of use in Eco mode. It takes only 90 minutes to charge to 100%.
Yes, there are five modes to choose from, all differing in noise, too. Plus, it only requires one hand for use, so the other can relax (or wave to a neighbor).
Other than the low noise, its second-best feature has to be its built-in nightlight, which means you can use it even in the dark.
What it lacks in noise, it makes up for in design — choose from green or gold and store it in your shed year-round, as it can withstand temperatures from 0°F to 140°F.
Weight-wise, it's light enough to hold with just one hand, and even if you're a left-handed user, it's convenient.
Without ever compromising on power, this leaf blower can offer impressive air velocity speeds of 150mph. Yes, you read that right.
Its blowing force can hit 25 Newtons, too. For reference, this is usually what you'd expect from a professional leaf blower.
Simply enough, it ticks all our boxes, and the price tag? $599.99, including the battery and shoulder strap.
What else to use it for?
We all know that leaf blowers go beyond just clearing stray leaves from your drive in fall, right?
This one, thanks to its 50-minute battery life, low noise, and one-handed operation, can be used for clearing small amounts of snow from pathways in the winter.
You can use it for blasting debris from your patio furniture in spring, ready for a deep clean, and in summer, for drying your car faster.
You could even take it over to family members' homes to give their driveways a quick clean, should they be unable to do it themselves.
No hassle required fiddling around with cords. And you won't upset their neighbors, either. Especially handy if you live in an apartment.
https://www.tomsguide.com/home/lawn-care/finally-a-former-nasa-engineer-just-released-a-leaf-blower-that-wont-make-your-neighbors-hate-you
https://toneoutdoors.com/products/t1
Where my mind goes when NASA announces a medical emergency needing evacuation on the ISS.
From the movie Life (2017).
ISS astronaut evacuation shouldn't interfere with upcoming Artemis 2 moon mission, NASA chief says
January 9, 2026
NASA is bringing some of the crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) back to Earth early due to medical concerns with one the astronauts.
That shouldn't cause any delays in the preparations to rollout and launch the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for Artemis 2 — the first crewed mission to the moon in over 50 years — NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Thursday (Jan. 8).
"These would be totally separate campaigns at this point," Isaacman said during a Jan. 8 press conference to provide an update on NASA's decision to end Crew-11 early. "There's no reason to believe at this point in time that there'd be any overlap that we have to deconflict for."
His reassurance of Artemis 2's timeline, which is slated to roll to the launchpad for a liftoff no earlier than Feb. 5, comes amid NASA's decision to cut short an ISS crew rotation due to medical concerns for the first time ever.
On Wednesday (Jan. 7), NASA officials announced they had decided to cancel an upcoming spacewalk due to a medical issue with an undisclosed crew member.
Hours later, the agency indicated that it wasn't ruling out an early end to Crew-11's mission, and confirmed that the unnamed crew member was in a stable, non-emergency condition.
NASA officials finalized the decision to bring the astronauts home in an announcement Thursday (Jan. 8).
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Michael Fincke, Japan's Kimiya Yui, and Oleg Platonov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos launched to the ISS atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Aug. 1, 2025.
Ferried to the ISS aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour, the Crew-11 astronauts were expected to carry out a six-month stint before replacement astronauts on SpaceX's upcoming Crew-12 mission rotated in.
Crew-12 is currently scheduled for a mid-February launch, with Crew-11 previously slated for departure a handful of days after their arrival.
Their early departure, however, has raised questions of NASA's ability to handle the logistics of sandwiching the Crew-11 return and Crew-12's launch around what is arguably NASA's biggest mission in over 50 years.
Artemis 2 is the second installment for NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon to establish a permanent presence on the lunar surface.
The program's first launch, Artemis 1, launched in November 2022, and flew an uncrewed Orion spacecraft to lunar orbit on a mission that lasted about one month.
Artemis 2 will be Orion's first venture into space with astronauts aboard, and will fly humans around the moon for the first time since 1972 and the end of NASA's Apollo missions.
The spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a roughly 10-day mission once around the moon and back, and will set the stage for Artemis 3 — the mission intended to land astronauts back on the moon's surface.
Both missions have faced years-long delays, and NASA's ambitious goal to launch Artemis 2 during its first window of opportunity isn't being thwarted by recent events aboard the ISS.
Ideally, just as in a nominal crew turnover, NASA would prefer to launch Crew-12 prior to Crew-11's departure. Such overlaps have been standard procedure since the station's continual occupation for more than two decades of operation.
And even with SLS rollout expected within the next two weeks, NASA is investigating the possibility to move Crew-12's launch up the calendar to avoid the crew gap in low Earth orbit.
"We're still evaluating what earlier dates would be achievable, if any, for Crew-12," Isaacman said.
"We're going to look at … all of our standard process to prepare for Crew-12, and look for opportunity if we can bring it in while simultaneously conducting our Artemis two campaign."
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/iss-astronaut-evacuation-shouldnt-interfere-with-upcoming-artemis-2-moon-mission-nasa-chief-says
NASA X-ray spacecraft reveals the shockingly violent history of the Milky Way's supermassive black hole
January 8, 2026
The supermassive black hole sitting at the heart of our galaxy is considered to be a slumbering giant. However, an international X-ray spacecraft has discovered that this wasn't always the case.
It turns out this supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A (Sgr A), has erupted with powerful and dramatic flares over the course of the last 1,000 years.
This surprising discovery made possible by the joint Japanese-European-American XRISM spacecraft (X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) could change our understanding of how supermassive black holes with masses equivalent to millions or even billions of suns evolve and the role they play in shaping the entire galaxies that swirl around them.
Astronomers are shocked by the finding. "Nothing in my professional training as an X-ray astronomer had prepared me for something like this," team leader Stephen DiKerby of Michigan State University said in a statement.
"This is an exciting new capability and a brand-new toolbox for developing these techniques."
All black holes are completely dark because they are bounded by regions called event horizons, a point at which their gravity becomes so strong that not even light can escape their grip.
However, matter around black holes can become superheated by the friction created by the immense gravity of these cosmic titans, causing it to glow brightly and throw out powerful flares.
Sgr A*, which has a mass equivalent to 4 million suns, isn't known to have produced such emissions, however.
Or at least it wasn't until now.
DiKerby and colleagues discovered the black hole's history of turbulence when they pointed XRISM at a giant cloud of gas known as a molecular cloud near the center of our galaxy, examining the X-rays it emits in painstaking detail.
This revealed that the molecular cloud was acting as a cosmic mirror, reflecting X-rays previously emitted by Sgr A* flares.
The sensitivity of XRISM, launched in 2023, allowed the team to measure the energies and shapes of X-ray emissions with groundbreaking precision, revealing the movement of the cloud, and also allowing them to test alternative explanations for the cloud's X-ray glow.
This ruled out cosmic rays as a cause of this X-ray echo.
The team's findings also reveal that XRISM is perfectly suited to studying the universe in such fine detail that the joint NASA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and European Space Agency (ESA) mission can uncover the hidden history of the cosmos.
"We're just the lucky scientists who got to solve the problems with handling this data in this brand-new way," DiKerby concluded. "One of my favorite things about being an astronomer is realizing I’m the first human to ever see this part of the sky in this way."
The team's research has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/nasa-x-ray-spacecraft-reveals-the-shockingly-violent-history-of-the-milky-ways-supermassive-black-hole
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1111730
Aurora chaser catches a fox basking in the glow of Finland's legendary 'fox fires'
January 9, 2026
In Finnish folklore, the northern lights are created when a mythical fox races across the Arctic tundra, its tail sweeping snow into the sky and setting it ablaze.
Those glowing sparks, the story goes, become auroras — a legend reflected in the Finnish word revontulet, which literally translates to "fox fires."
That ancient myth feels uncannily real in a remarkable set of astrophotos captured by Dennis Lehtonen in December 2022 in northern Finland.
The images show vivid auroras dancing overhead and a fox below who seems far more interested in the photographer than the light show unfolding above.
Three of the photographs were taken on the same night, with moonlight brightening the Arctic landscape. The fourth photo was captured a week later, when the fox returned for another round of aurora chasing.
Though in this instance, it was Lehtonen who was doing most of the chasing as the sly fox made off with his gloves that he'd set down while sorting out his camera.
"Whenever I would attempt to approach it, trying to get the gloves back, it would run away, but eventually returned them with fingers missing," Lehtonen told Space.com in an email.
Lehtonen captured the images near the remote village of Kilpisjärvi, located deep inside the Arctic Circle and known for its dark skies and frequent aurora displays.
"My original reason for moving and living in this small village, Kilpisjärvi, home to a hundred people, was my aurora hobby. I lived there for a year, but then I continued moving to Greenland," Lehtonen continued.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/aurora-chaser-catches-a-fox-basking-in-the-glow-of-finlands-legendary-fox-fires-photos
https://denniina.com/
UF researchers collaborate with NASA’s Deep Space Logistics team to reduce and repurpose mission waste
January 9, 2026
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UF researchers are addressing how to minimize waste generating in space through biomanufacturing to recycle packing materials from missions to space.
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This research shows a significant opportunity for the new Florida University Space Research Consortium to collaborate with NASA’s Deep Space Logistics Program.
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Researchers are aligning real world impact with research to advance future deep space exploration.
As the number of space missions continues to grow, with hundreds currently active, waste generated during missions has also increased.
Cargo packaging materials such as foam and plastic are often used to safely deliver supplies during missions and can contribute to logistical waste over time.
Managing waste efficiently is becoming increasingly important as missions grow longer and more complex.
University of Florida researchers are trying to fix this problem.
Nils Averesch, Ph.D., an assistant professor of microbiology and cell science and a member of UF’s Astraeus Space Institute is collaborating with NASA’s Deep Space Logistics (DSL) team to explore innovative biomanufacturing techniques for recycling cargo packing materials from space missions.
These techniques use cells and enzymes to break down waste and turn them back into useful materials.
This partnership was facilitated through the Florida University Space Research Consortium, which helped connect UF researchers with industry leaders in space logistics.
“It fundamentally shifts our work from conceptual recycling studies to mission-driven systems engineering.
With DSL providing insight into what is actually being used in space logistics, we can now size biological recycling processes against real waste streams, real mass flows and real mission timelines.
That allows us to scale our research toward integrated, flight-relevant biomanufacturing platforms rather than remaining at isolated proof-of-concept experiments,” Averesch said.
The research focuses on microbial deconstruction and upcycling of plastics, aiming to convert materials typically discarded as waste — like mixed plastics, nylon and foam — into usable resources for deep space exploration.
This work could impact future concepts for in-space manufacturing and resource recovery, pending additional research and validation.
“Our job in Deep Space Logistics is to support the commercial supply chain that delivers cargo, supplies and essential materials for our space exploration missions to the moon, Mars and beyond,” said Jeffrey Smith, Ph.D., strategic manager for NASA’s Deep Space Logistics at the Kennedy Space Center.
“That’s why we’ve been so excited to collaborate with the University of Florida, the Astraeus Space Institute and with Nils Averesch.
His research is helping us better understand how emerging biomanufacturing approaches could one day support sustainability concepts for future logistics missions.”
Resource recovery for deep space logistics missions explores how to use biomanufacturing to recycle the cargo packing materials from missions to space.
This work has the potential to transform how we think about sustainability and resource use on long-duration missions.
This collaboration represents an opportunity for UF researchers to apply their work to real-world challenges in space exploration, advancing sustainability and efficiency for future deep space missions.
It also highlights the opportunities the consortium can provide to researchers and external partners.
“It is critically important for universities in Florida to collaborate with organizations like NASA’s DSL.
These partnerships advance research, strengthen workforce development and support the broader goals of space exploration by helping to drive the commercialization of the space industry,” said Jim O’Connell,, interim director of the Florida University Space Research Consortium.
https://news.ufl.edu/2026/01/waste-in-space/
Jupiter is at its best and brightest of 2026 tonight! Here's what to expect as the gas giant reaches opposition
January 9, 2026
Jupiter will be at its most spectacular in 2026 in the early hours of Jan. 10, as it shines above the eastern horizon among the stars of the constellation Gemini.
Here's where to look and what to expect as the gas giant draws closest to Earth around opposition. The visibility of planets in the night sky varies dramatically based on their orbital positions relative to the sun and Earth.
The best time to view superior planets — worlds that orbit the sun at a greater distance than our Blue Marble — is at their points of opposition, when they line up in our night sky directly opposite the sun, with Earth in the middle.
Jupiter will be visible to the east at sunset tonight (Jan. 9) with the bright stars Castor and Pollux shining to its left, according to In-the-sky.
Throughout the evening hours on Jan. 9, Jupiter will be the brightest point of light in the night sky, until the waning crescent moon rises to usurp it in the hour following midnight for viewers in the U.S.
The planet will officially reach opposition at 3:34 a.m. EST (0834 GMT) on Jan 10, when it will shine magnitude -2.7.
The moment of opposition coincides with when a planet draws near to its closest point to Earth in its orbit.
As a result, Jupiter will appear brighter and subtly larger in the eyepiece of a telescope on Jan. 10, boasting an angular size of 45.6 arcseconds at opposition, as opposed to the 31.3 arcseconds it would occupy when furthest from Earth (when it would be hidden behind the sun).
For context, the full moon takes up between 29.4 and 33.5 arcminutes, with each arcminute being the equivalent of 60 arcseconds.
Look to the eastern horizon at sunset on Jan. 10 to find Jupiter shining in the constellation Gemini, with Orion the "hunter" to its right and the bright star Capella above. The gas giant will arc high overhead before finally ending the night low on the western horizon as the sun rises on Jan. 11.
Jupiter was named after the king of the Roman pantheon of gods and it's pretty easy to understand why. The gas giant makes for a dazzling astronomical target when viewed with the naked eye, which only gets more impressive when viewed through a telescope with an aperture of 4-inches (152 mm) or more, which helps reveal its colorful atmospheric cloud bands.
The four large Galilean moons Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto will also be visible arrayed in a line formation extending either side of the gas giant on the night of Jan. 10.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/jupiter-is-at-its-best-and-brightest-of-2026-tonight-heres-what-to-expect-as-the-gas-giant-reaches-opposition
Space weather forecaster awarded special Society medal
09 January 2026
A University of Reading space expert has been honoured for his work to develop rapid space weather forecasts.
Professor Mathew Owens, of the University of Reading, received the Royal Astronomical Society’s Chapman Medal, which is awarded for investigations of outstanding merit in the science of the Sun, space and planetary environments or solar-terrestrial physics.
A world leader in using weather forecasting techniques to predict conditions in space, Professor Owens was awarded the prize for creating and using the HUXt model, which can quickly forecast space weather conditions at any planet in the solar system.
The HUXt model's predictions are often better than those from more complicated models, and works much faster too.
Scientists and space weather services around the world now use the model, showing how important Professor Owens' work is to the field.
As well as advancing our understanding of space and helping with several NASA and European Space Agency missions, Professor Owens' work has real practicaluses.
It helps protect satellites, navigation and communication systems, power grids, pipelinesand early-warning radars. It also helps keep astronauts safe, as well as passengers and crew on high-altitude flights.
Professor Mathew Owens said: “I’m really flattered, not least that someone would take time from their busy day to nominate me.
“Modern science is a collaborative effort, and I'mvery fortunate to have such excellent collaborators. In particular Luke Barnard for his work with the HUXt solar wind model, which was singled out in the award citation.”
The award announcements were made at the Royal Astronomical Society’s A&G Highlights Meeting held on Friday 9 January 2026. The RAS also awards a variety of other medals, prizes, honorary fellowships and lectureships.
Professor Mike Lockwood, President of the RAS and Professor of Space Environment Physics at the University of Reading, said: “I want to give my warmest congratulations to all the award winners.
"My thanks go to those who serve on our awards panels and the RAS staff who help them – they have done a truly fantastic job – and it is a very difficult job indeed because all the nominations were very deserving cases.
“I also want to thank all who submitted nominations for bringing all candidates to the attention of the panels. Reading about the work of the winners was genuinely uplifting and a pure delight.
“There is so much achievement recognised by the awards and also so much effort to spark interest in potential young scientists and to promote astronomy and geophysics.”
https://www.reading.ac.uk/news/2026/University-News/Space-weather-forecaster-awarded-special-Society-medal
SpaceX Starlink Mission
January 9, 2026
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is targeting the launch of 29 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the X TV app.
This will be the 29th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18 and SES-19, and 24 Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-6-96
Hungary Contributes to Major European Space Mission on Geomagnetic Storms
09.01.2026
Researchers from the HUN-REN Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science (HUN-REN FI), working in cooperation with experts from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), are playing a significant role in preparing one of the European Space Agency’s flagship scientific missions, the Plasma Observatory (PMO), the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Network announced.
The project’s scientific goal is to achieve the most detailed mapping of space weather to date and to better understand the processes that lead to the formation of intense geomagnetic storms.
The Plasma Observatory mission will focus on the interplanetary medium and the plasma environment surrounding Earth, a dynamic system of ionized particles that shapes space weather.
The mission will deploy seven identical satellites flying in formation, enabling measurements that have not previously been possible.
Planned investigations include particle acceleration processes occurring during interactions between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetosphere, mechanisms of energy transfer, and space weather phenomena that can pose risks to satellites, communication systems, and power grids.
As the only Hungarian participant in the PMO international consortium, the Hungarian team is responsible for a key component of the mission’s instrument system.
The onboard IMCA (Ion and Magnetic/Plasma Characterization Analyzer) instrument will study charged particles and magnetic–plasma interactions in detail.
Its low-voltage power supply (LVPS) is being jointly developed by HUN-REN FI and BME. This component is critical for the stable and precise operation of the instrument and is planned to be installed on all seven satellites.
The project is currently in Phase A, the detailed system design stage, during which the scientific and technical concepts of the mission are refined, risks are assessed, and instrument configurations are finalized.
Hungarian participation is supported through ESA’s PRODEX programme. Final approval of the PMO mission is expected in 2026, with launch planned for the late 2030s.
Árpád Kis, senior research fellow at HUN-REN FI, head of the Space Research and Space Technology unit, and lead co-investigator of the instrument, said the team is working at an intensive pace, holding frequent consultations with international partners.
The objective is to reach a level of readiness by the 2026 Mission Selection Review that allows PMO to be chosen from among three candidate missions.
He highlighted the key role of BME engineers, led by József Szabó, who are responsible for designing, testing, and building the LVPS system for the PMO satellites.
Researchers at HUN-REN FI emphasized that participation in preparing the PMO mission is in itself a major professional recognition, demonstrating that Hungarian researchers and engineers possess expertise competitive at the highest level of European space research.
Scientific aspects of the mission are also supported by István Lemperger, head of the Geomagnetism and Geoelectricity Research Group at HUN-REN FI.
According to the researchers, involvement in PMO strengthens the international visibility of Hungarian research institutions and universities, advances space engineering expertise, boosts innovation capacity, and in the long term contributes to the competitiveness of Hungary’s space industry, while also fostering new collaborations and inspiring young researchers, engineers, and students.
https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/current/hungary-european-space-ageny-geomagmetic-storm-mission/