TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
January 25, 2026
Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars
This moon is doomed. Mars, the red planet named for the Roman god of war, has two tiny moons, Phobos and Deimos, whose names are derived from the Greek for Fear and Panic. These Martian moons may well be captured asteroids originating in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter or perhaps from even more distant reaches of our Solar System. The larger moon, Phobos, is indeed seen to be a cratered, asteroid-like object in this stunning color image from the robotic Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which can image objects as small as 10 meters. But Phobos orbits so close to Mars - about 5,800 kilometers above the surface compared to 400,000 kilometers for our Moon - that gravitational tidal forces are dragging it down. In perhaps 50 million years, Phobos is expected to disintegrate into a ring of debris.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMQNkkLQiAg
Solar Storm Fires, Gravity Anomalies | S0 News and frens
Jan.25.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vde1FbZ4SM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m9o7GFAeJE (Andrew Hall: Plasma Storms of the Younger Dryas | Thunderbolts Project)
https://explorersweb.com/auroras-biggest-solar-storm-in-two-decades/
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/noaa-warns-22-states-of-r3-blackout-risk-from-solar-flare-as-power-grids-face-danger/ar-AA1UT9FL
https://x.com/StefanBurnsGeo/status/2015121939832975647
https://x.com/StefanBurnsGeo/status/2015194658448744805
https://x.com/MrMBB333/status/2015222278557200675
https://x.com/MrMBB333/status/2015111410284671097
https://x.com/NWSWPC/status/2015257092743967210
https://x.com/SchumannBotDE
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/
‘Thundersleet’ lights up Texas skies with flashes seen from space as Winter Storm Fern intensifies
Updated 08:42 ET, 25 Jan 2026
The major winter storm wreaking havoc across the US this weekend unleashed a rare weather phenomenon on Texas as thundersleet hit the state.
Residents in Austin heard rumbles of thunder while heavy sleet battered the region during an ice storm warning on Saturday night. The National Weather Service detected lightning flashes from the thundersleet from space.
"NOAA GOES satellite detecting lightning flashes (green and yellow shading) from the thunder sleet over Austin!" the agency wrote on X as they shared satellite footage of the unusual weather.
Another band of thundersleet moved through the Bryan-College Station area early Sunday morning.
Thunderstorms usually produce regular liquid rain. While the inside of clouds contain ice, it typically melts as it falls and thunder and lightning usually coincides with heavy rain.
However, an area between Hempstead and Brenham witnessed a combination of lightning and frozen rain drops as the winter storm gripped the region early Sunday, Fox 26 Meteorologist Mike Iscovitz reports.
"When the temperature is near or below freezing, most of the time the precipitation is not the 'convective' variety. That means that snow and sleet usually do not fall out of cumulonimbus/tall and vigorous clouds.
Sunday morning is a rare event: It's just cold enough that rain is freezing beneath the thunderstorms, so we have thunder sleet," Iscovitz explained.
The meteorologist noted that parts of north and central Texas have seen "thundersnow," an even rarer occurance. "It doesn't look like the Houston area will be cold enough for that this time," he added.
The Hill Country and portions of the I-35 corridor, including the Austin area, will remain in an ice storm warning until noon on Sunday as "significant icing" is expected.
"Ice accumulations of 1/4 inch with isolated totals of 1/2 inch are possible. In addition, dangerously cold temperatures are expected Saturday night through Monday morning," the National Weather Service warns.
The agency added: "Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous, making travel nearly impossible. Weather-related power outages and tree damage are possible due to the ice."
More than 120,000 homes in Texas have already lost power. Heavy ice could down more power lines even days after the storm has passed.
After sweeping through the South, forecasters said the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about 1 to 2 feet of snow from Washington through New York and Boston.
More than 13,500 flights have been canceled across the US since Saturday, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.
Significant disruptions are expected at major airport hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, Philadelphia and Atlanta, as well as New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.
https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/thundersleet-lights-up-texas-skies-1640521
https://twitter.com/NWSSanAntonio/status/2015286253457945061
https://usaherald.com/new-3i-atlas-image-raises-fresh-questions-about-structure-and-activity/
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/an-experimental-test-for-the-existence-of-the-human-soul-f65b16279590
https://medium.com/@SophiaChanu/could-an-ultra-advanced-civilization-leave-no-trace-rethinking-3i-atlas-04df2881dd9d
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/weird-news/alien-spaceship-3iatlas-could-space-36610244
https://x.com/3IATLASEXPOSED/status/2015382534863942013
https://x.com/DobsonianPower/status/2015120710507655246
https://x.com/MermaizingGrace/status/2015225765952909698
https://x.com/matterasmachine/status/2015162975552766105
https://x.com/paulfunpants/status/2015177197565153601
https://x.com/dennis_asberg/status/2008647952374354356
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD64iF4PWFU (Ray's Astrophography: Comet 3I ATLAS - It Has MORE Than 3 Jets… Like a Snowflake | I Took a PICTURE)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j_nO3EZLQ8 (John Lenard Walson: 3I/ATLAS, Earth, and the Sun: A Rare Alignment and Its Scientific Significance)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYNstHE-lEg (Albert Stiff and JoshSullivanSpace: Everything Wrong With 3I/ATLAS)
New 3I/ATLAS Image Raises Fresh Questions About Structure And Activity
January 25, 2026 0474
THREE-KEY OBSERVATIONS
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A newly released image of 3I/ATLAS captured on January 21, 2026 is drawing renewed attention from independent analysts tracking the object’s evolution as it continues its passage through the inner solar system.
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At first glance, the image appears familiar—an illuminated nucleus and a long trailing feature aligned away from the Sun—but closer inspection reveals proportional and structural details that complicate simple explanations.
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For investigators applying evidentiary standards rather than assumptions, the image presents unresolved questions that matter not just scientifically, but institutionally, given prior delays and inconsistencies in public-facing data releases.
A January 21, 2026 image reveals proportional and directional features that do not neatly align with standard comet behavior, prompting renewed forensic scrutiny.
The January 21, 2026 image of 3I/ATLAS depicts a luminous object with an estimated nucleus diameter of approximately 1.5 kilometers and a tail extending roughly 1.2 million kilometers.
The Sun-facing direction is clearly indicated, allowing for straightforward directional analysis of illumination and material displacement.
From a legal-forensic perspective, the starting point is not classification, but internal consistency.
When photographic evidence is introduced in court, analysts first ask whether the observed features scale logically with one another and whether known physical forces adequately account for the visible outcome.
Here, the proportional relationship between the estimated nucleus size and the tail length immediately stands out. While long tails are not unprecedented among cometary bodies, they are typically associated with either substantially larger nuclei, extreme volatile richness, or pronounced fragmentation events. None of those conditions are visibly apparent in this image.
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Equally notable is the cohesion and uniformity of the tail. Rather than showing pronounced striations, breaks, or turbulence often associated with chaotic sublimation, the tail appears smooth, narrow, and directionally stable over a massive distance.
In evidentiary terms, this suggests a sustained and regulated process rather than a transient or explosive one.
The brightness gradient also warrants attention. The nucleus exhibits a sharply defined luminous core with a relatively abrupt transition into the tail, as opposed to the diffuse coma typically observed when gas and dust are freely expanding under solar heating.
This raises questions about whether the surrounding material is being released uniformly—or constrained by an underlying structure.
Directionality further complicates the picture. The tail aligns cleanly opposite the Sun, consistent with solar radiation pressure, but its length-to-width ratio remains unusually consistent across its span.
In natural outgassing scenarios, gradual dispersion is expected. Here, dispersion appears limited.
From a forensic standpoint, none of these observations independently prove anomalous behavior. However, taken together, they form a pattern of deviation from the most commonly cited natural analogs.
FORENSIC ANOMALIES IDENTIFIED
(Observed directly from the January 21, 2026 image)
Extreme tail-to-nucleus ratio relative to estimated nucleus size
High tail cohesion over approximately 1.2 million kilometers
Minimal visible turbulence or fragmentation within the tail
Sharp nucleus–tail transition inconsistent with diffuse coma expansion
Sustained directional stability suggesting regulated material behavior
Each of these features is observable without enhancement beyond basic visibility correction and does not rely on speculative modeling.
ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT
What makes this image significant is not that it provides answers, but that it narrows the field of plausible explanations. In legal investigations, evidence that resists simple categorization often becomes more important over time, not less.
The continued appearance of structural regularity, proportional tension, and controlled behavior in 3I/ATLAS imagery places increasing pressure on institutions to explain not just what the object is labeled as, but how it behaves the way it does.
Transparency gaps—especially following prior periods of limited public data—amplify that pressure.
At minimum, the image underscores the need for consistent, timely releases of raw observational data so independent verification can occur.
As 3I/ATLAS continues its trajectory, each new image becomes part of an accumulating evidentiary record.
The January 21, 2026 image does not resolve the object’s nature—but it does sharpen the questions that remain unanswered, and reinforces why disciplined, forensic analysis remains essential.
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Mega-Comet UN271 Has Arrived, and a Massive Triple Plasma Burst just Blasted Straight To It…
Jan 24, 2026
A massive deep space object ~140 km in diameter is currently directly below the Solar System and moving towards its closest approach to the Sun at ~10.95 AU January 2031.
Over the course of Solar Cycle 25, A TON of big plasma eruptions has strangely launched directly south of the Sun towards mega-comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein), the largest comet ever observed, on January 23-24th a triple plasma burst was launched directly towards it.
Mega-comet UN271 has been shown to have gigantic outbursts of activity at distances far further from the Sun than normal, and with it's incredible size and mass, is there a risk of a significant fragmentation event for this mega-comet, and what would that mean for Earth and the Solar System at large?
Geophysicist Stefan Burns reports…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdZfZCBxWmI
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ac626a
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2022/03/aa43090-22/aa43090-22.html
extra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myepFyiqiQs (Angry Astronaut: Huge Alien Megastructure orbiting nearby star? Incredible new discovery!)
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams confirms world is round
25 Jan 2026 18:39:PM
In a fireside chat at IIT Delhi, NASA astronaut confirmed that the world is round while explaining the overview effect. Williams also highlighted the need to protect the planet and all life on it.
After delivering the Inaugural Professor VN Vazirani Institute Lecture at IIT Delhi, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams described the overview effect, “My perception of the overview effect is that you are looking down at the Earth and it is a planet.
At first you want to find home, you are looking for something that is familiar. I am from the East Coast of the United States, it is where I grew up, so it is easy to find.
Cape Cod has a distinguished curl to it, so I am looking and I can see that, and then I can see where Boston is, I can see where Mumbai is, which is pretty easy.
So, you are looking for things that remind you of home, because that is home. And then, after a time of being up there, you stop doing that, because all of it is home.”
Williams then went on to confirm that the Earth is indeed round, “You look at the Earth, it is living, it is breathing, the atmosphere is changing, the ocean is changing, and then there are like algae blooms in the ocean that are swirling off the coast of South America, or there is ice in the North Atlantic that actually does some amazing twirls and turns as it is freezing.
You cannot see these actions happening right at the moment of time, but you can see it after a little while, and you start looking at the Earth that way.
To me, that is my overview effect, that we are living on a planet, and it is round by the way, just in case anybody has a doubt about that.”
The need to protect the planet
Sunita Williams also highlighted the need to protect the planet, saying, “We are living in a planet, and this is our home, where we live, 71 per cent is water and there is only 28 point something per cent that is land, and we are on that.
Also when I am looking at it, every planet, every animal, every person, every fish that I have ever heard about, learned about in school, is right there, it is nowhere else that we know right now, and we should be protecting ourselves.
We should be working together.” Sunita Williams retired recently after a 27-year long career, after spending 608 days in Earth orbit.
https://www.news9live.com/science/nasa-astronaut-sunita-williams-confirms-world-is-round-2922802
Youtube making it harder than it should be to keep up.
They removed the option for "latest" that allows for a chronilogical search.
IMSA announces new Labs development platform and partnership with NASA
Jan 24, 2026, 11:26 AM ET
The third annual IMSA Technology Symposium was held Friday morning at nearby Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where the series made two significant announcements:
The launch of the new IMSA Labs development platform, and a new Space Act Partnership with NASA.
IMSA Labs is a formalized platform for the motorsports sanctioning body and its 18 automotive partners and other technology partners – including AMD, AWS, and Bosch – to collaborate on new innovations.
“For decades, Michelin and the 18 auto manufacturers who compete in IMSA have relied on our platform as a true laboratory, using the pressure and unpredictability of motorsport to develop and validate breakthrough innovations,” said IMSA President John Doonan.
“By combining IMSA’s rich portfolio of data signals with advanced AI technologies, we are now positioned to accelerate that legacy of innovation even further.
“IMSA Labs represents a bold step into new territory, opening our doors to the world’s leading technology companies to test, refine, and prove their solutions in an environment where every millisecond matters.
Together, we’re unlocking transformative value for our current partners while creating unprecedented opportunities for those who will join us in the future.”
It serves as a new name and a new platform to continue over 60 years of innovating technologies through IMSA competition.
“If IMSA is the racing product, IMSA Labs is a holistic, all-encompassing name for the development platform within the racing product,” the series said in a press release.
The new website, IMSALABS.com, will be updated as more information and materials are made available.
In addition, IMSA has entered into a multi-year technical partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), bringing together motorsport and aerospace expertise through a newly signed ‘Space Act Partnership’.
The collaboration, formalised under NASA’s Other Transactions Authority (OTA), will centre on a programme of twice-yearly Technical Interchange Meetings (TIMs) focused on telemetry, diagnostics and sensor technologies.
Under the agreement, IMSA and NASA will alternate hosting the sessions between NASA facilities and IMSA race events, with discussions limited to publicly available information.
Areas of focus will include machine-learning applications for diagnostics, wireless networking, RFID usage and advanced sensor methodologies.
“This partnership represents a unique fusion of aerospace and motorsports innovation,” said Doonan.
“We’re proud to collaborate with NASA to explore how our respective approaches to telemetry and diagnostics can inform and elevate each other’s missions. The potential for cross-industry learning is immense.”
The first Technical Interchange Meeting is scheduled to take place at NASA’s Ames Research Center, with subsequent sessions planned at IMSA events and NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
IMSA has also announced ahead of the Rolex 24 that UK-based global ultrasonic fluid flow sensor manufacturer Sentronics has signed a multi-year marketing agreement with IMSA to become a Proud Technology Supplier of America’s premier sports car series.
The series is also expanding its partnership with BDO USA, designating the global advisory and professional services firm as the Official Digital Transformation Partner of IMSA Labs.
https://racer.com/2026/01/24/imsa-announces-new-labs-development-platform-and-partnership-with-nasa
https://www.imsa.com/news/2026/01/23/imsa-and-nasa-launch-groundbreaking-space-act-partnership-to-advance-data-science-and-human-performance/
Earth From Space in 4K | 15 Minutes in Orbit | Latest ISS Views of Earth
Jan 24, 2026
In this episode of This Week in Orbit, the International Space Station drifts silently over glowing cities, storms, deserts, oceans, and ice. Watch how our planet transforms from moment to moment.
Each scene changes every 20 seconds, creating a seamless orbital flow as the Space Station passes over Earth between 15–21 January 2026.
🕒 TIMESTAMPS
0:00 SpaceX Dragon & towering clouds
0:20 Indian Ocean
0:40 Minneapolis & Saint Paul, USA
1:00 Approaching Sri Lanka
1:20 Batticaloa, Sri Lanka
1:40 Iceberg A23a (South Atlantic)
2:00 Dammam & Bahrain
2:20 Concepción, Chile
2:40 Sunset clouds over Portugal & Spain
3:00 Approaching Madagascar
3:20 Western Madagascar coastline
3:40 Approaching Namibia
4:00 Namib Desert
4:20 Lake Turkana, Kenya
4:40 Desert farming, Egypt
5:00 LED fishing fleets, South Korea
5:20 Cabo Verde Islands
5:40 Benghazi, Libya
6:00 Sahara Desert, Libya
6:20 Seoul, South Korea
6:40 Buenos Aires & Río de la Plata
7:00 The Outback, Australia
7:20 Portland & Salem, Oregon
7:40 Electrical storm (Pacific Ocean)
8:00 Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas
8:20 Comoro Islands
8:40 Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa
9:00 Kiritimati (Christmas Island)
9:20 Black Rock Desert, Nevada
9:40 Timelapse: SpaceX Dragon at sunset
10:00 Bohai Bay, China
10:20 Sea ice, Liaodong Bay
10:40 Himalayas & Tibet
11:00 Lake Victoria
11:20 Abu Dhabi, Dubai & Palm Island
11:40 Wildfire smoke near Concepción
12:00 Timelapse: SpaceX Dragon at sunset
12:20 Ship wave clouds (Southern Ocean)
12:40 Tropical Storm Dudzai
13:00 Iceberg A23a (return pass)
13:20 Wildfires near Esquel
13:40 Laguna del Monte
14:00 Cerro Dominador Solar Plant
14:20 Timelapse: SpaceX Dragon at sunrise
14:40 Contrails over Las Vegas
15:00 Lightning storm, DR Congo
15:20 Credits
💫 About This Week in Orbit
This Week in Orbit is a weekly visual journey around Earth filmed from the International Space Station.
Watch as continents drift below, storms illuminate the night, and coastlines shine against deep space. All filmed by Sen in continuous, real-time 4K resolution.
https://www.sen.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4w_P-VHEOw
https://www.diyphotography.net/precious-rings-of-space-almas-new-image-of-debris-discs/
Precious Rings of Space: ALMA’s New Image of Debris Discs
Jan 24, 2026
Astronomers around the world study the dusty remains of planet formation to understand how planets and solar systems come into being. Recently, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) released one of its most striking observational mosaics to date.
This new image highlights 24 debris discs around distant stars. These rings of dust and gas were captured using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile.
Debris discs are not mere cosmic decoration. They are the residual footprints of planetary birth. These rings tell a story of dust, collisions, and unseen forces at play long after planets have formed.
From primordial chaos to quiet dust: The life of a debris disc
When a star first forms, it is surrounded by a dense disk of gas and dust. This early structure is called a protoplanetary disc. Within this spinning disc, tiny particles collide and stick together.
Gradually, they grow into larger bodies. Some evolve into planets. Others become asteroids, comets, and rocky debris. Over millions of years, most of the gas dissipates into space.
What remains is a different kind of structure: a debris disc.
A debris disc is essentially the leftover material from planet formation. It is composed mainly of dust and solid fragments.
These particles orbit the star long after the main process of planet formation has ended. In this sense, debris discs are the cosmic equivalent of fossil records.
They preserve evidence of past events. They also hint at ongoing dynamics within the system.
Our own Solar System has a debris disc. It is known as the Kuiper Belt, a band of icy bodies beyond Neptune’s orbit.
The Kuiper Belt contains comets, dwarf planets, and rock-ice fragments. It survived because the giant planets, especially Neptune, stirred the material, preventing it from clumping into a larger body.
This vast ring of debris remains today as a testament to the tumultuous early years of our planetary neighbourhood.
ALMA: Seeing more than meets the eye
To study debris discs, astronomers must look beyond visible light. Dust and gas in these rings glow faintly at millimetre wavelengths.
These wavelengths are invisible to the human eye. They reveal the cold material that optical telescopes often miss. This is where ALMA steps in.
ALMA is a radio interferometer composed of 66 antennas. These antennas work together as one giant telescope. They detect faint emissions from dust grains and certain molecules in the discs.
ALMA does not produce images like a typical camera. Instead, it collects radio signals and constructs detailed maps of the discs’ structure. Its high resolution allows scientists to distinguish fine details in discs that lie dozens or even hundreds of light-years away.
In the ESO mosaic, each disc is represented by a small circular image. Most discs appear in orange tones, which show the distribution of dust. A subset of six discs also includes blue regions.
These regions indicate where gas has been detected alongside dust. These colors are not “true color.” They are false-color overlays that help scientists interpret the data.
What the new image reveals
At first glance, the debris discs in the ESO image resemble rings and bands of material. But the differences between them are significant. Some discs are narrow and sharply defined.
Others are broad, faint, or uneven. Some show hints of gaps or spikes in dust density. Each variation has a story to tell.
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In some systems, discs appear smooth and symmetric. These likely represent stable, mature belts of debris. In others, the dust rings are clumpy or brighter on one side.
One especially interesting example is the disc around the star HD 121617. In this case, the dust ring is brighter on one side. Models suggest the brighter region may result from a vortex of gas trapping dust particles.
This vortex would require an unusually high gas density, which intrigues researchers. It may imply that the gas is not merely a secondary byproduct of collisions, but could be leftover from earlier stages of the system’s evolution.
The presence of gas in debris discs raises important questions. Traditional models predicted that most gas should disappear early in a star system’s life. Yet gaseous components persist in at least some of the discs in this new image.
Scientists debate whether this gas is primordial, meaning left over from the original protoplanetary disc, or whether it is replenished through ongoing collisions of comet-like bodies.
Future analysis of the full debris disc sample may help answer these questions.
More than dust: Importance of gas in debris discs
Dust alone tells part of the story. But the detection of gas, even in small amounts, has profound implications for our understanding of planetary systems.
Gas affects the motion of dust and small bodies. It can act as a drag force, altering the paths of particles over time. It can also provide clues about past and present collisional processes.
Astronomers once assumed that debris discs were almost entirely gas-free. This assumption came from the idea that the original gas would be gone by the time the disc entered the debris stage.
But observations from ALMA and other facilities have challenged this view. Some debris discs retain detectable amounts of gas, and in rare cases, this gas is surprisingly abundant.
The debate centers around two possibilities. One is that the gas is primordial, a remnant from the protoplanetary era that has somehow survived much longer than expected.
The other is that the gas is secondary, meaning it is created by collisions and evaporation of icy bodies within the disc. Each possibility has different implications for how we understand planetary system evolution.
If gas is indeed primordial in some systems, then the timeline for gas dispersal is longer than models predict. This could affect theories about how giant planets form and how atmospheres settle onto young worlds.
If the gas is secondary, then high-energy collisions may play a larger role in shaping debris discs over time than previously thought. Both scenarios demand closer study.
Debris discs and the search for planets
Debris discs do more than tell us about leftover material. They also offer indirect clues about planets that cannot be seen directly.
Gaps, asymmetries, and sharp edges in a disc may signal the gravitational influence of unseen planets. Such features can act like footprints left by a planet as it shapes its surrounding debris.
For example, in our own Solar System, the gravitational pull of Jupiter helps shape the asteroid belt. Likewise, Neptune influences the Kuiper Belt’s structure.
In distant systems, similar effects may indicate the presence of large planets. By studying disc structure with ALMA and other telescopes, astronomers can infer the existence of planets even when they are too faint to detect directly.
Debris discs also hint at the dynamics of collisions in a system. A disc filled with fresh dust suggests ongoing fragmentation among larger bodies.
These collisions may be caused by gravitational perturbations from planets or passing stars. By mapping dust distribution and motion, scientists can glimpse the dynamic history of a planetary system.
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China successfully conducts first metal 3D printing experiment in space
Updated: 2026-01-25 16:55
BEIJING – China has successfully conducted its first metal 3D printing experiment in space, a significant leap forward for its in-orbit manufacturing capabilities.
The breakthrough experiment was performed by a retrievable scientific payload developed by the Institute of Mechanics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the CAS announced on Saturday.
The pioneering payload hitched a ride to space aboard the Lihong-1 Y1 suborbital vehicle, a commercial recoverable spacecraft developed by the Chinese aerospace enterprise CAS Space for space tourism.
This vehicle successfully completed its inaugural test flight from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Jan 12.
According to the CAS, after the Lihong-1 Y1 crossed the Karman line, boundary separating Earth's atmosphere and outer space, and reached at an altitude of approximately 120 kilometers, the experiment autonomously fabricated metal components in the microgravity environment.
This successful mission marks a transition of China's space-based metal additive manufacturing technology from "ground-based research" to a new phase of "in-space engineering verification," elevating its overall technological capability to the world's forefront, the CAS said.
This breakthrough will strongly propel the development of China's space manufacturing technology and serve as a key enabler for future space infrastructure development, it noted.
Conducting metal additive manufacturing in the unique space environment is far more complex than on Earth.
The research team has overcome a series of core challenges, including stable material transport and forming under microgravity, full-process closed-loop control, and high-reliability coordination between the payload and the launch vehicle, according to the CAS.
Following the experiment, the payload capsule made a safe parachute-assisted landing and was promptly recovered. Scientists have now obtained invaluable first-hand data, including the dynamic characteristics of the melt pool, material transport, solidification behavior, and the geometric precision and mechanical properties of space-printed parts.
The Lihong-1 Y1, noted for its low launch cost and high flexibility, is proving to be a reliable testbed. In addition to the metal 3D printing facilities, the onboard payload also included a batch of precious rose seeds for an agricultural research project.
The spacecraft will be developed for multiple reuse purposes. Its deputy chief designer, Wang Yingcheng, said that extensive tests are now underway to add crew-life-support and high-reliability escape technologies, which will boost low-cost suborbital scientific experiment capabilities and commercial space tourism possibilities.
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202601/25/WS6975da75a310d6866eb35987.html
Space Hero Shubhanshu Shukla Awarded Ashoka Chakra
Jan 25, 2026 19:43 pm IST
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who created history by becoming the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), has been honoured with the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award.
In June last year, Group Captain Shukla, 41, also became the second Indian to have gone to space. He flew to the ISS as part of the Axiom-4 mission.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) test pilot's 18-day space odyssey came 41 years after Rakesh Sharma flew aboard a Russian Soyuz in 1984.
As a fighter pilot, Group Captain Shukla has an impressive record of 2,000 hours of flight experience across various aircraft, including the Sukhoi-30MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
Group Captain Shukla's space flight had set the stage for achieving India's own ambitions of human spaceflight - Gaganyaan - and building the Bharat Antariksha Station soon after.
"This mission is a big achievement for our country, and it has come at the right time. India is on course for its human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, Bharatiya Antariksh Station and eventually landing on the Moon," he had said last year.
"Whatever we have learnt from this (Axiom) mission, I think they are very unique and critical for our mission. Our efforts in the coming months and years would be to employ those learnings in our mission," he had said.
Gallantry Awards
President Droupadi Murmu today approved gallantry awards to 70 armed forces personnel, including six who would receive the honour posthumously.
These include one Ashoka Chakra, three Kirti Chakra, 13 Shaurya Chakra, including one posthumous, one Bar to Sena Medal (gallantry) and 44 Sena Medals (gallantry).
The Kirti Chakra award winners are Major Arshdeep Singh, Naib Subedar Doleshwar Subba and Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair.
Padma Awards 2026: See Full List
The list of Padma Awards recipients for 2026 was announced today as the country prepares to celebrate Republic Day 2026.
The awards recognised 45 unsung heroes from across the country for their distinguished service in diverse fields, including social work, literature and education, healthcare, public service and community welfare.
The awardees include individuals who have worked quietly at the grassroots for decades, many of them from marginalised communities, Dalit and backward sections, primitive tribes and remote or difficult terrains.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/shubhanshu-shukla-1st-indian-to-set-foot-on-international-space-station-awarded-ashok-chakra-10883331
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/77th-republic-day-padma-awards-2026-see-full-list-10883194
Scientists discover alarming hazard lurking in drinking water: 'Can alter gut and liver function'
Sat, 24 January 2026 at 10:00 pm GMT-8
A study recently explored how diet may amplify certain adverse health effects of the microplastics that make their way into our bodies.
What's happening?
Researchers from INRAE, CNRS, and the University of Lille in France focused on mice subjects, exposing them to three different doses of polystyrene nanoplastics — the smallest microplastics — through the animals' drinking water for 90 days.
According to a press release, the mice received two separate diets. One group of subjects was fed a standard mouse diet and the other was fed a "Western" meal plan featuring high levels of fat and sugar. The team then examined the impacts of nanoplastics on the mice's guts and livers.
The researchers found that even low doses of the tiny plastic particles affected the gut barrier, and these effects were amplified in mice consuming a Western-style diet. Gut microbiota composition was also altered, but this change was amplified by a standard mouse diet.
When examining the liver, the researchers found that exposure to low doses of nanoplastics disrupted fat metabolism, regardless of diet. However, the Western diet seemed to amplify glucose intolerance.
"The study's results illustrate that low doses of nanoplastics without chemical additives can alter gut and liver function in a diet-dependent manner," according to the release.
Why is this study important?
These findings, published in November in the journal Environmental Science: Nano, help fill important gaps in our understanding of how microplastic exposure can impact health.
This is crucial, as scientists are discovering these tiny plastic particles just about everywhere — in water, soil, air, and food systems.
With that in mind, over time, we are likely to consume huge amounts of these plastics, which have been found to accumulate in natural habitats and in human bodies.
Researchers in New Mexico even discovered that the average human brain now contains the equivalent of a disposable spoon's worth of microplastics.
While scientists are still investigating the possible health implications of all of this plastic, they've already made some alarming discoveries.
The New Mexico team, for instance, found higher levels of microplastics in the brains of people with dementia.
Other studies have suggested that microplastic exposure could be making us more vulnerable to cancer, kidney and heart disease, and fertility issues.
What's being done about microplastics?
There are a few things individuals can do to help reduce personal exposure, including avoiding bottled water, the biggest culprit of microplastic intake.
In fact, one recent study found that switching from bottled water to filtered tap water may reduce microplastic exposure by more than 90%.
Opting for a reusable glass or stainless steel water container instead of buying throwaway single-use water bottles can also save you money.
Other ways you can reduce your plastic consumption include bringing your own takeout container to restaurants and using a reusable razor instead of disposables.
In the big picture, meanwhile, making a lasting difference in reducing microplastic exposure will take an international effort to cap plastic production and inform recycling practices worldwide.
https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/scientists-discover-alarming-hazard-lurking-060000762.html
https://www.inrae.fr/en/news/nanoplastics-have-diet-dependent-impacts-digestive-system-health
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2026/en/d5en00866b
https://allatra.org/nanoplastics-threat-to-life
SpaceX Starlink Mission
January 25, 2026
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is targeting the launch of 25 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
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 is the sixth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Sentinel-6B, Twilight, and three Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-17-20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJviIbHNKy8
Trump envoy hails ‘very constructive’ Russia-US-Ukraine talks
25 Jan, 2026 03:55
US President Donald Trump’s top negotiator Steve Witkoff has praised the first Russia-US-Ukraine meeting in Abu Dhabi, saying the sides have agreed to resume negotiations next week.
The two-day meeting in the Emirati capital, which concluded on Saturday, marked the first time negotiators from Russia, Ukraine, and the US sat together since the conflict between Moscow and Kiev erupted in February 2022.
However, the parties have remained largely tight-lipped about the outcome of the discussions.
In a post on X on Saturday, Witkoff, who led the American delegation alongside Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, said the talks were “very constructive” and that plans were made to continue discussions next week in Abu Dhabi.
He added that Trump was committed to negotiating a peace deal.
The talks in Abu Dhabi took place shortly after Witkoff and Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, while Trump spoke with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
All three parties have acknowledged that territorial disputes remain the main obstacle to a peace settlement.
Moscow maintains that a sustainable deal is only possible if Ukraine withdraws its troops from the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye, which voted to join Russia in 2022, and formally recognizes its neighbor’s new borders, including Crimea. Zelensky has ruled out any territorial concessions.
Putin’s top aide Yury Ushakov, who attended the Abu Dhabi talks, told reporters before the meeting that Russia had the battlefield initiative and would achieve its objectives militarily unless a diplomatic solution is found.
https://www.rt.com/news/631474-trump-envoy-hails-constructive-talks/
Putin-Zelensky meeting ‘very close’ – Axios
25 Jan, 2026 09:19
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky could meet face-to-face in the near future if ongoing talks between their respective countries and the United States continue, according to Axios.
The two-day trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi, which ended on Saturday, were the first joint meeting of Russian, US and Ukrainian delegations since the conflict escalated almost four years ago.
Axios cited an unnamed American official on Saturday, saying the negotiations in the UAE “went as well as we could have expected. We feel good where we are now.”
“We are very close to a meeting between Putin and Zelensky,” another US official claimed. More trilateral Russia-US-Ukraine talks “need to happen before a meeting between the leaders.
We don’t think we are far away from that. If we continue down the current path we will get to that place,” the source explained.
he official said the next round of trilateral talks, scheduled for February 1 in Abu Dhabi, could open the door to a meeting in Moscow or Kiev.
Putin and Zelensky last met in person in Paris in December 2019 during talks brokered by France and Germany. They spoke by phone twice the following year.
In 2022, Zelensky signed a decree banning negotiations with Putin following Russian accession referendums in four former Ukrainian regions. Moscow has repeatedly noted that Kiev has not repealed or amended the ban.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said previously that the Russian president has not ruled out the possibility of holding a summit with Zelensky, but insists that it must be well prepared and serve to sign concrete agreements on ending the conflict, which has been worked out by the experts from the two countries.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this week, Zelensky claimed Ukraine was open to a ceasefire with Russia, while demanding peace strictly on Kiev’s terms, Western arms, and funding. Moscow maintains that any settlement must be permanent, reflect the realities on the ground and address the root causes of the crisis.
https://www.rt.com/russia/631477-putin-zelensky-us-ukraine/
Ukrainian press gang kidnaps ‘combat veteran’ (VIDEO)
25 Jan, 2026 16:21
Ukrainian enlistment officers have snatched a man claiming to be a “combat veteran,” footage that emerged online over the weekend suggests.
Kiev’s drive to enforce compulsory enlistment in order to replenish combat losses has grown increasingly chaotic and violent over the years amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Draft officials have repeatedly been involved in violent incidents and have been filmed beating up unwilling recruits in the streets, breaking into vehicles and homes to snatch draft dodgers, as well as scuffling with onlookers.
The process of violently shoving recruits into minibuses commonly used by enlistment officials has become known as ‘busification.’
The latest incident occurred in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkov, where a group of at least six draft officers was seen dragging their victim from the local subway.
The officials were confronted by several onlookers, who were violently pushed away by the officers as they forced the recruit into their bus.
The man cried for police and told the drafters that he was a “combat veteran,” presumably referring to participation in the early stages of the conflict in then-Ukrainian Donbass.
Veterans of Kiev’s operation against the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, however, are actually the prime targets for forced mobilization, given their combat experience, save for those unfit for service due to health issues.
Over the years, numerous ‘busification’ videos have emerged online, showing assorted violent episodes between draft officers and civilians.
While Kiev had previously acknowledged certain “shortcomings” with its compulsory mobilization drive, multiple officials have routinely dismissed the evidence of lawless processes as “Russian propaganda,” insisting the footage is fake without giving any evidence to reinforce their claims.
Late last year, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Kiev could launch a mass mobilization in the coming months.
The Ukrainian authorities are allegedly planning to draft 2 million more people in early 2026, she said at the time, noting that even that extreme measure would “hardly help resolve the systemic issue of replenishing the Ukrainian army losses.”
According to the Russian military, Ukraine lost almost 500,000 servicemen last year alone.
https://www.rt.com/russia/631493-ukrainian-violent-mobilization-video/
Moscow blasts Kiev’s ‘peace talk’ after deadly drone strike on paramedics
25 Jan, 2026 06:31
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has slammed Ukraine’s leadership as hypocritical, saying Kiev continues to target civilians while publicly calling for peace and a ceasefire.
She was commenting on a Ukrainian drone strike that hit an ambulance in Russia’s Kherson Region on Saturday, killing all three paramedics on board.
The vehicle was struck as the crew was responding to a call from an area where, according to regional authorities, “enemy drones are hunting for any vehicles around the clock.”
In a post on Telegram, Zakharova said the incident showed “the true position of the Kiev regime – what they really want and what they are actually prepared to do.”
She said the attack was not an isolated case, adding that Ukrainian forces had carried out a similar drone strike on an emergency vehicle in the city of Energodar in Zaporozhye Region at around the same time.
Throughout the conflict, Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted Russian non-combatants and civilian infrastructure.
A Ukrainian UAV strike on a New Year’s Eve gathering in the Black Sea village of Khorly killed 29 people and injured dozens. Moscow has described such strikes as “terrorist acts.”
“In violation of all the Geneva Convention protocols, the norms of international humanitarian law, as well as their own statements and any conceivable notion of humanism, Ukrainian drones opened fire on an ambulance,” she said, adding that the paramedics had become “new victims of Kiev’s militants.”
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Vladimir Zelensky claimed Kiev was open to a ceasefire, while demanding peace strictly on Ukraine’s terms and renewed Western arms and funding.
Moscow has said it remains open to negotiations but insists that any settlement must reflect the realities on the ground and address the root causes of the conflict.
”Zelensky speaks about peace and readiness for a ceasefire, which he promotes so actively in Davos, while his terrorists are deliberately and systematically killing doctors – the same thing they have been doing in Donbass since 2014,” Zakharova said.
Zakharova’s remarks came as Russia, Ukraine, and the United States held trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on Friday and Saturday – the first such contacts since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022.
https://www.rt.com/russia/631475-zakharova-accuses-kiev-of-hypocrisy/
https://www.rt.com/russia/631460-three-killed-uav-attack-ambulance-kherson-region/
Russian Geran drones strike Chernihiv Oblast, causing widespread damage
January 25, 2026, 05:23 AM
Russian forces attacked Ukraine’s Chernihiv Oblast with drones, with authorities recording 41 shelling incidents and 70 explosions over the past day, regional Gov. Viacheslav Chaus said on Jan. 25.
He said that on Saturday morning a drone damaged private homes in a village in Nizhyn district. In a village in Chernihiv district, Russian forces struck the territory of an agricultural cooperative. The shelling set a grain storage hangar on fire and damaged five trucks.
In addition, two explosions were heard late in the evening in Novhorod-Siverskyi. Russian Geran drones attacked residential areas, damaging homes and setting a building at one enterprise ablaze.
On Jan. 24, Chaus reported that hundreds of thousands of households were left without electricity after Russian shelling hit an energy facility in Nizhyn. Consumers in Chernihiv were also cut off from power.
Critical infrastructure facilities in the city are operating on alternative power sources, and water and heat supplies have been maintained, he said.
On the night of Jan. 25, Russia attacked Ukraine with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, S-300 surface-to-air guided missiles from Bryansk Oblast, and 102 strike drones, about 70 of them Shaheds.
https://english.nv.ua/russian-war/russian-drone-attacks-hit-ukraine-s-chernihiv-oblast-50578324.html
other Russia and Ukraine
https://www.bostonherald.com/2026/01/24/kyiv-under-massive-drone-missile-attack-as-uae-talks-continue/
https://prm.ua/en/russia-launched-over-1-700-drones-at-ukraine-in-a-week-a-major-blow-to-the-energy-sector/
https://112.ua/en/zelenskij-pro-robotu-ps-sodo-sahediv-rezultati-nezadovilni-budut-visnovki-135379
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4084145-russian-drone-attacks-mobile-ukrposhta-post-office-in-kherson-region.html
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4083973-two-teenage-girls-injured-in-russian-drone-attack-on-sloviansk.html
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4084139-russian-drone-hits-highrise-building-in-kharkiv-injuries-reported.html
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4084129-afu-disrupt-russian-drone-attack-on-lyman-front.html
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4084078-steel-border-brigade-fighters-destroy-russian-equipment-and-shelters-in-kursk-sector-using-drones.html
https://nypost.com/2026/01/24/us-news/inside-cruel-plan-to-fool-young-latin-american-women-into-making-killer-drones-in-russia/
IDF Chief of Staff Meets U.S. CENTCOM Commander Amid Rising Iran Tensions
January 25, 2026 2:44 am2
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir met Saturday evening with Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, amid heightened regional tensions with Iran, the Israeli military said.
The meeting at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv included Intelligence Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder and Operations Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Itzik Cohen, according to Israeli officials. Cooper arrived in Israel overnight.
The discussions come as the Israel Defense Forces remain on high alert following weeks of preparations. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Iran over its deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters, with rights groups reporting thousands killed and Trump warning of a U.S. “armada” heading toward the region if the regime continues executions or escalates violence.
Israeli officials have not detailed the agenda of the meeting, but it follows reports of U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and coordination efforts in case of potential strikes on Iran.
The IDF has emphasized readiness to respond to any threats from adversaries.
https://vinnews.com/2026/01/25/idf-chief-of-staff-meets-u-s-centcom-commander-amid-rising-iran-tensions/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-central-command-conducting-exercise-testing-readiness-for-extreme-scenarios/
other Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-says-two-killed-in-israeli-drone-strike-on-gaza-city-no-comment-from-idf/
https://www.jns.org/idf-attacks-hezbollah-terror-assets-in-lebanon/
https://www.azerbaycan24.com/en/idf-wave-of-strikes-target-hezbollah-operatives-infrastructure-across-lebanon/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-884461
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-884462
https://www.jns.org/idf-completes-year-long-effort-to-destroy-southern-gaza-terror-tunnel-route/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israeli-forces-nab-2-bedouin-israelis-suspected-of-smuggling-nis-250000-worth-of-hashish/