amen to that
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
January 21, 2026
Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1365 from Webb
A mere 56 million light-years distant toward the southern constellation Fornax, NGC 1365 is an enormous barred spiral galaxy about 200,000 light-years in diameter. That's twice the size of our own barred spiral Milky Way. This sharp image from the James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) reveals stunning details of this magnificent spiral in infrared light. Webb's field of view stretches about 60,000 light-years across NGC 1365, exploring the galaxy's core and bright newborn star clusters. The intricate network of dusty filaments and bubbles is created by young stars along spiral arms winding from the galaxy's central bar. Astronomers suspect the gravitational field of NGC 1365's bar plays a crucial role in the galaxy's evolution, funneling gas and dust into a star-forming maelstrom and ultimately feeding material into the active galaxy's central, supermassive black hole.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_0w98Ny9Rc
Solar Storm Continues, Major Ice Warning | S0 News and frens
Jan.21.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSjbGYs_1tE
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/solar-cycle-25/2026/01/20/strong-flare-erupts-from-sun-8/
https://starlust.org/earth-just-faced-the-strongest-solar-radiation-storm-in-over-22-yearsheres-what-you-need-to-know/
https://www.timesnownews.com/technology-science/science/nasa-spots-massive-solar-eruption-noaa-issues-severe-storm-alert-will-it-affect-earth-and-humans-article-153481122
https://www.space.com/live/aurora-forecast-northern-lights-possible-tonight-jan-21
https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/severe-g4-geomagnetic-storm-sparks-jaw-dropping-northern-lights-worldwide-photos
https://vocal.media/earth/northern-lights-may-be-visible-in-10-states-jan-20-as-earth-s-magnetic-field-rings-like-a-bell-after-cme-impact
https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2026/jan/21/spectacular-aurora-space-russian-cosmonaut-video
https://www.bombaytimes.com/travel/international/aurora-borealis-2026-photos-rare-geomagnetic-storm-sparks-northern-lights-here-s-what-it-means/1768976174754
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1113216
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-vyPQw1fL4 (Stefan Burns: An Even BIGGER Solar Flare may be Coming 💥 And Next Time Earth May Not Be So Lucky…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncDrf6gHQcw (Ray's Astrophotography: BIG Solar Storm in 20 years Hits Earth - Earth’s Magnetic Shield Is Holding up -01 18 2026 Explained)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT5HMIGcSCE (Dutchsinse: 1/20/2026 New Madrid Seismic Zone Earthquake M4+ strikes Illinois - MY FIRST FELT EARTHQUAKE !)
https://x.com/SunWeatherMan/status/2013751875565207915
https://x.com/TamithaSkov/status/2013898359472607580
https://x.com/SolarHam/status/2013537524300288369
https://x.com/MrMBB333/status/2013654850622374107
https://x.com/StefanBurnsGeo/status/2013973526298894671
https://x.com/SchumannBotDE/status/2013990244371034389
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/3i-atlas-alignment-earth-prepares-rare-view-13-billion-year-old-mystery-january-22-1772725
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/interstellar-hitchhiking-on-objects-like-3i-atlas-b166b2d81d5f
https://medium.com/@davidsereda/591-and-the-miracle-of-3i-atlas-c0687413db06
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-spherex-imaging-reveals-sublimation-3iatlas.html
https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2026/01/18/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-at-opposition-online-observation-22-jan-2026/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7R7EtHRbgI (Angry Astronaut: If you still think 3I Atlas is a comet, WATCH THIS!! NEW PHOTOS!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8H4Qo92Oro (Dobsonian Power: IT'S A FREAKING SPACESHIP NEAR THE SUN!)
https://x.com/DobsonianPower/status/2013773148785701138
https://x.com/jinnet_jin/status/2013738430769795153
https://x.com/PPenVIvo/status/2013709584494383349
https://x.com/HOTROCKTV/status/2013704349378138291
https://x.com/EarthExist/status/2013663006618489190
https://x.com/RedSpmn/status/2013652862069281112
https://x.com/frankdedeken/status/2013623423197467092
3I/ATLAS Alignment: Earth Prepares For Rare View of 13-Billion-Year-Old Mystery on January 22
21 January 2026, 11:49 AM GMT
The night sky is about to reveal a secret that has been drifting through the cold vacuum of space for nearly the entire history of the universe.
On Jan. 22, 2026, a cosmic coincidence will place Earth in a near-perfect line between the sun and 3I/ATLAS, an enigmatic interstellar visitor that has baffled astronomers since it was first spotted last summer.
At 13:00 UTC, the interstellar object will reach its closest alignment with the sun–Earth axis, with a phase angle of just 0.69 degrees — an unprecedented geometry for scientific study.
This rare alignment is more than a celestial photo opportunity; it is a high-stakes scientific moment that could finally explain why this 'interstellar vagabond' behaves like nothing ever seen in our own solar system.
Decoding the 3I/ATLAS Mystery and the Sunward Jet
The NASA-funded ATLAS survey telescope in Chile found 3I/ATLAS on July 1, 2025. It is only the third confirmed object to come to us from another star system, after 'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov.
But 3I/ATLAS has some 'weird' features that even experienced Harvard astrophysicists can't ignore, unlike its predecessors.
The most interesting thing about the object is that it has a strong 'anti-tail,' which is a jet of material that shoots directly toward the sun instead of away from it, going against the normal effects of solar wind.
This anti-tail, on the other hand, has been seen in thousands of pictures over the course of several months and is at least 400,000 kilometers long toward the sun.
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wrong video
right video
This anti-tail is not alone. Observations from the Hubble Space Telescope have revealed a system of three 'mini-jets' arranged with almost mathematical precision, each separated by an angle of exactly 120 degrees.
While some astronomers associate these with a rotating nucleus that completes a full turn every 7.1 to 15.5 hours, the extreme symmetry has led to controversial debates about whether the jets could indicate active technology rather than natural outgassing.
The fact that none of these plumes point away from the sun has sparked intense debate. While NASA maintains the object is a natural comet, others have noted that its unusual gas plumes are deeply 'conspicuous.'
The Jan. 22 alignment offers a unique window to observe these jets from the sun's perspective, as the anti-tail will be directed right at Earth, allowing us to see how it manages to cut through solar winds for hundreds of thousands of kilometres.
The Science of the 3I/ATLAS Alignment and the 'Opposition Surge'
At 13:00 UTC on Jan. 22, the angle between the sun-3I/ATLAS axis and the sun-Earth axis will be only 0.69 degrees. This very close alignment causes something called the 'opposition surge' or 'brightness spike'.
The object will look much brighter during this short time for two main reasons.
First, the shadows that dust particles make are hidden behind the particles themselves because the light source is right behind the observer.
Second, a quantum mechanical process called coherent backscatter causes light waves to interfere with each other in a way that makes a narrow spike in brightness.
This surge is a goldmine for researchers. By measuring the width and intensity of this brightness, scientists can determine the exact composition of the interstellar matter 3I/ATLAS carries.
Initial spectroscopic data has already identified water ice, carbon dioxide and even traces of nickel, suggesting the object may have originated from a planetary system that formed billions of years before our own sun.
Is it a 'fluffy' aggregate of ancient dust, or does it contain significant ice fragments that suggest a high albedo?
Because the object is potentially 13 billion years old, it acts as a pristine time capsule from the 'thick disk' of the Milky Way — a region much older than the 'thin disk' where our own sun was born.
For a few days, we have a front-row seat to a world that existed before our planet was even a thought. Whether it is a simple icy rock or something more complex, 3I/ATLAS remains our only current bridge to the deep history of interstellar space.
The alignment is particularly rare because typical cometary oppositions last only hours, whereas 3I/ATLAS will remain within a crucial two-degree angle for approximately one week.
As it begins its long journey back into the darkness, never to return, the data gathered this week may be the only evidence we ever have of its billion-year-old journey.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7R7EtHRbgI
Oops, double video
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-astronaut-suni-williams-retires/
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-15484031/nasa-astronaut-stuck-space-retires.html
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2013786335899775318
https://x.com/Astro_Suni
NASA Astronaut Suni Williams Retires
Jan 20, 2026
After 27 years of service, NASA astronaut Suni Williams retired from the agency, effective Dec. 27, 2025. Williams completed three missions aboard the International Space Station, setting numerous human spaceflight records throughout her career.
“Suni Williams has been a trailblazer in human spaceflight, shaping the future of exploration through her leadership aboard the space station and paving the way for commercial missions to low Earth orbit,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.
“Her work advancing science and technology has laid the foundation for Artemis missions to the Moon and advancing toward Mars, and her extraordinary achievements will continue to inspire generations to dream big and push the boundaries of what’s possible.
Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement, and thank you for your service to NASA and our nation.”
Williams logged 608 days in space — second on the list of cumulative time in space by a NASA astronaut.
She ranks sixth on the list of longest single spaceflight by an American, tied with NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, both logging 286 days during NASA’s Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew-9 missions.
Williams also completed nine spacewalks, totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes, ranking as the most spacewalk time by a woman and fourth-most on the all-time cumulative spacewalk duration list. She also was the first person to run a marathon in space.
“Over the course of Suni’s impressive career trajectory, she has been a pioneering leader,” said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
“From her indelible contributions and achievements to the space station, to her groundbreaking test flight role during the Boeing Starliner mission, her exceptional dedication to the mission will inspire the future generations of explorers.”
Williams launched for the first time aboard space shuttle Discovery with STS-116 in December 2006 and returned aboard space shuttle Atlantis with the STS-117 crew.
She served as a flight engineer for Expeditions 14/15 and completed a then-record-breaking four spacewalks during the mission.
In 2012, Williams launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a 127-day mission as a member of Expedition 32/33. She also served as space station commander for Expedition 33.
Williams performed three spacewalks during the mission to repair a leak on a station radiator and replace a component that gets power from the station’s solar arrays to its systems.
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Most recently, Williams and Wilmore launched aboard the Starliner spacecraft in June 2024 as part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission.
She and Wilmore went on to join Expedition 71/72, and Williams again took command of the space station for Expedition 72.
She completed two spacewalks on the mission and returned to Earth in March 2025, as part of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
“Suni is incredibly sharp, and an all-around great friend and colleague,” said Scott Tingle, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA Johnson.
“She’s inspired so many people, including myself and other astronauts in the corps. We’re all going to miss her greatly and wish her nothing but the best.”
Beyond her spaceflight experience, Williams held numerous roles throughout her NASA career.
In 2002, she served as a NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environments Mission Operations) crew member, spending nine days living and working in an underwater habitat. After her first flight, she served as deputy chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office.
She later was the director of Operations in Star City, Russia, following her second mission to the space station. Most recently, she helped establish a helicopter training platform to prepare astronauts for future Moon landings.
The Needham, Massachusetts, native holds a bachelor’s degree in physical science from the United States Naval Academy and a master’s degree in engineering management from Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida.
A retired U.S. Navy captain, Williams is an accomplished helicopter and fixed-wing pilot, having logged more than 4,000 flight hours in 40 different aircraft.
“Anyone who knows me knows that space is my absolute favorite place to be,” said Williams. “It’s been an incredible honor to have served in the Astronaut Office and have had the opportunity to fly in space three times.
I had an amazing 27-year career at NASA, and that is mainly because of all the wonderful love and support I’ve received from my colleagues.
The International Space Station, the people, the engineering, and the science are truly awe-inspiring and have made the next steps of exploration to the Moon and Mars possible.
I hope the foundation we set has made these bold steps a little easier. I am super excited for NASA and its partner agencies as we take these next steps, and I can’t wait to watch the agency make history.”
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