>>24198719

TYB

>>24198818

Was there a link for yesterday's release specifically or did they just throw it into the library? >https://www.justice.gov/epstein

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

January 31, 2026

Artemis I: Flight Day 13

On flight day 13 (November 28, 2022) of the Artemis 1 mission, the Orion spacecraft reached its maximum distance from Earth. At over 430,000 kilometers from Earth, its distant retrograde orbit also puts Orion nearly 70,000 kilometers from the Moon. In the same field of view in this video frame from flight day 13, planet and large natural satellite even appear about the same apparent size from the spacecraft's perspective. On flight day 26 (December 11, 2022), the uncrewed spacecraft splashed down on its home world concluding the historic Artemis I mission. The Artemis II mission, carrying 4 astronauts around the moon and back again, will launch no earlier than February 8.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqPWRh5y-Rw

Air Travel Warning, Plasma Penetration Events | S0 News and frens

Jan.31.2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQksm3RJ7UY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XydHtsoWlI (Ray's Astrophotography: MAGNETIC POLE SHIFT - This Explains EVERYTHING - What They Don’t Explain)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-vAevY7UHg (Stefan Burns: What's Happening Goes FAR BEYOND What What We're Ready For…)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae8c7O1iO6M (MrMBB333: Something really BIG could be brewing!)

https://x.com/MrMBB333/status/2017471547947290924

https://x.com/SchumannBotDE/status/2017614145735077988

https://x.com/SolarHam/status/2017613155522789797

https://solarham.com/

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-01-31/China-to-launch-first-ever-solar-probe-at-Sun-Earth-L5-point-1KnSOyalMRO/p.html

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-viewline-tonight-and-tomorrow-night-experimental

https://www.spaceweather.gov/

https://spaceweather.com/

>>24198969

Earthquake at Trumps Golf Course on the East Coast USA – Major seismic unrest underway

1/30/2026

You just can't make this stuff up!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbIxBA6ETWg

https://x.com/RealDutchsinse/status/2017435383139549619

https://avi-loeb.medium.com/the-massive-nucleus-of-3i-atlas-and-its-puzzling-methane-outgassing-based-on-new-data-from-the-72e540d8fe46

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.21569

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.22034

https://avi-loeb.medium.com/black-hole-formation-from-a-disappearing-star-in-the-andromeda-galaxy-d01dc708c380

https://medium.com/@adekipades/3i-atlas-misinterpreted-behaviours-be66035a5c6f

https://medium.com/@liena.dreams/is-the-universe-a-binary-code-9b3bdf7e6c49

https://quantumzeitgeist.com/hubble-detects-atlas-nucleus-cross/

https://usaherald.com/seven-months-late-nasa-acknowledges-interstellar-object-3i-atlas-was-hidden-in-its-own-data/

https://x.com/drew4worldruler/status/2017348560207901043

https://x.com/CrazySwedeX/status/2017308405019398445

https://x.com/CrazySwedeX/status/2017211051880697938

https://x.com/Defence12543/status/2017569322533781817

https://x.com/duncan_shona/status/2017575592510828739

https://x.com/duncan_shona/status/2017572803000865135

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQcvctOSDSU (Dobsonian Power: NEW 3I/ATLAS NASA SHOCKING PICTURES JUST RELEASED!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqP_1owYR9o (Dobsonian Power: GIANT SPIDER FOUND ON JUPITER MOON!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHSoA94cFz8 (Crazy Swede: 3I/ATLAS! on video from NASAs PUNCH!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hewz1YE-qSE (The Astonishing Speed of 3I/ATLAS: Unveiling Its Interstellar Journey | WION Podcast)

The Massive Nucleus of 3I/ATLAS and its Puzzling Methane Outgassing, Based on New Data from the Hubble and Webb Telescopes

January 31, 2026

What a glorious day! Today, new data on the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS was released from the Hubble and Webb space telescopes in two preprints posted here and here.

The Hubble Space Telescope report includes a successful detection of the nucleus of 3I/ATLAS based on post-perihelion data from December 2025 to January 2026.

Most importantly, the nucleus is inferred to have an effective diameter of 2.6 (±0.4) kilometers for an assumed typical albedo value of 0.04.

Since mass scales as diameter cubed, this measurement implies that 3I/ATLAS is about 40 times more massive than 2I/Borisov whose diameter was inferred to be 0.7 (±0.3) kilometers, and at least 20,000 more massive than 1I/`Oumuamua, whose length was estimated <0.2 kilometers and its thickness is at least ~10 times smaller.

The derived nucleus diameter is consistent with an independent estimate derived from the reported non-gravitational acceleration and mass-loss rates of 3I/ATLAS based on the rocket effect from the observed outgassing.

Compared to the pre-perihelion brightening trend, 3I/ATLAS faded more rapidly after its closest approach to the Sun on October 29, 2025.

This activity asymmetry is further corroborated by a post-perihelion surface brightness profile that is significantly shallower than its pre-perihelion counterpart.

1/2

>>24199023

The nucleus light-curve exhibits evidence of temporal variations, attributable to rotation modulation, as inferred in my paper with Toni Scarmato here.

When the Sun, Earth and 3I/ATLAS aligned on January 22, 2026, the scattered-light by dust grains displayed a statistically significant opposition surge of about 20%, characterized by an e-folding width of 3 degrees, as predicted in a recent paper that I co-authored with Mauro Barbieri here.

The authors estimate a lower limit of more than one 3I/ATLAS-sized interstellar object within a heliocentric distance of 4.5 times the Earth-Sun separation (AU) at any instant.

This is likely a conservative lower bound as inactive interstellar objects of this size would be significantly more difficult to detect. It is likely that comparably bright interstellar objects have passed through the inner solar system in the era of wide-field CCD surveys.

This implies that multiple interstellar objects resembling 3I/ATLAS were likely missed even before the discovery of 1I/‘Oumuamua.

The new Webb telescope paper presents the first spectroscopic characterization of 3I/ATLAS after perihelion using the MIRI spectrometer on December 15–16 and 27, 2025, when the object was at heliocentric distances of 2.20 and 2.54 AU, respectively.

The spectra exhibit water (H2O) in the wavelength range of 5.8–7.0 micrometers, carbon dioxide (CO2) around 15 micrometers, nickel (Ni) at 7.507 micrometers and methane (CH4) at 7.6 micrometers.

Comparison of the volatile production rates measured during the two epochs indicate a significant reduction in overall outgassing over 12 days, with the measured H2O activity level dropping more steeply than other species.

3I/ATLAS continues to display an extended source of water production from icy grains.

Pre-perihelion Webb observations from August 2025 (as reported here) found that 3I/ATLAS is unusually rich in carbon-dioxide (CO2) relative to water (H2O) carrying 87% versus 4% of the total mass loss rate in gas phase, respectively, with most of the remaining 9% being carbon monoxide (CO).

The new post-perihelion data implies a CO2/H2O ratio that is half that much or similar for the two epochs of JWST/MIRI spectroscopy, respectively.

The most notable finding from the new data is the robust detection of methane (CH4) production. The production rates of methane molecules in the two observing epochs are 13.7% and 27% of the water molecular production rate, respectively.

The delayed onset of CH4 production raises interesting questions regarding the history of 3I/ATLAS. Solid-phase methane is hyper-volatile, with a significantly lower sublimation temperature than carbon dioxide (CO2).

This implies that methane ice near the surface of 3I/ATLAS would have been vigorously sublimating at the time of the first reports of outgassing from 3I/ATLAS before perihelion. However, neither the Webb observations nor the SPHEREx spectrophotometry from August 2025, detected methane.

This suggests that methane is depleted in the outermost layers of 3I/ATLAS and was exposed to warming by sunlight only close to the Sun.

Within this scenario, the early detection of carbon-monoxide (CO) outgassing on 3I/ATLAS presents an apparent quandary as CO is more volatile than CH4 and should therefore be depleted from the surface, yet it was detected prior to CH4.

In summary, the new Hubble and Webb data raises puzzles about the unprecedented mass and chemical composition of 3I/ATLAS. The more we learn about 3I/ATLAS, the more anomalous it looks.

Perhaps this is all natural for early encounters with interstellar objects, akin to early partners in blind dates from other worlds. But perhaps we are also missing something important.

2/2

A Chicago-sized bulge has appeared near Yellowstone’s volcano — and scientists say it’s growing

January 31, 2026

Yellowstone National Park is a must-visit site for its geothermal features. From hot springs to geysers, the place is embellished with serene views at every corner.

Beneath the park's landscape lies a volcano that hasn't erupted in more than 600,000 years. But recently, experts observed a one-inch-high bulge from underneath, prompting speculations of an eruption.

The slight rise in ground along Yellowstone's north rim is as wide as the city of Chicago.

Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, spoke to Cowboy State Daily about what he and his fellow scientists observed at the site.

“It’s an area over 19 miles across, give or take a few miles,” he said, adding, “Saying the uplift is the size of Chicago makes it sound incredibly grandiose, but I think it’s pretty stunning even if it’s not particularly unusual."

Does the wide bulge indicate that an eruption is on the horizon? Experts have slashed the speculations without any fluff. “That doesn't mean that the volcano is about to erupt. It’s Yellowstone being Yellowstone," Poland said.

The reply makes perfect sense, given that the ground uplift has happened a few times before. Under the outlet's Facebook post, people reacted similarly to the news, not making too much of a big deal out of the development.

"Is it time for the annual Yellowstone is gonna erupt stories again?" one person wrote. "A whole inch, huh? Wowsers," another wrote, sarcastically. "Not a bad thing. Upheavals in Yellowstone happen all the time," a third added.

The slight movement of the surface above the dormant volcano of Yellowstone, a deformation known as the Norris Uplift Anomaly, occurred once between 1996 and 2000 near Norris Geyser Basin. The instance repeated in 2004 and then again in 2020.

Thanks to modern technology, scientists can get real-time data on the movements of the ground along Yellowstone's north rim and other areas of the park. The data has enabled experts to curate a map showing the uplift or "bulge" in the middle of Yellowstone.

“It's a measure of how advanced our monitoring networks have gotten, and their sensitivity in detecting these small changes. That’s the story of the year for me,” Poland noted.

The expert compared the bulge to a balloon blowing up in the subterranean and is quite insignificant in size to be observed with the naked eye.

However, advanced technology has allowed scientists to observe these slight upheavals quite accurately. Poland revealed that the experts have been observing movements through radar maps and satellites.

“We've got 17 GPS stations in Yellowstone, and many more in the surrounding area, and they could pinpoint exactly when this uplift started," he revealed. But if Yellowstone's volcano shows no sign of eruption, then what does the bulge indicate?

Experts believe that the activities within the magma chamber of the volcano are the most probable explanation behind the sudden yet subtle ground uplift. “The most likely explanation is that it's the accumulation and withdrawal of magma at a depth of nine miles,” Poland explained.

The movement is nothing to be worried about and will certainly not result in an eruption. Scientists believe that the bulge would be much larger if the magmatic system were preparing to erupt anytime soon.

"We know there's a magma chamber, so it's not surprising that there's stuff moving around down there," said Poland. "We're not worried about much in the way of eruption just because those signs aren't there," he added.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/a-chicago-sized-bulge-has-appeared-near-yellowstone-s-volcano-and-scientists-say-it-s-growing/ar-AA1VkckQ

>>24199045

Since its appearance last year, it has been a wild ride following it.

>as if they’re using it as a precursor for Blue Beam

It really feels like it, the big setup.

>>24199057

>>24199045

Wonder how close it will be to what we've been shown?

ICYMI and other Artemis II related

NASA delays Moon mission over frigid weather

Jan 30, 2026

NASA on Friday pushed back the earliest date that astronauts could fly to the Moon, due to forecasts of freezing temperatures at the Florida launch site.

The earliest window for the moonshot will now be February 8, two days later than originally scheduled.

NASA was preparing to conduct a key fueling test over the weekend of the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket that is on the Cape Canaveral launch pad in Florida.

But large parts of the United States are grappling with severe winter weather, with Arctic air surging across the country following a deadly winter storm.

Florida is not immune: the normally sunny state could experience its lowest temperatures in decades that are forecast to hover around freezing.

"The expected weather this weekend would violate launch conditions," NASA said in a statement.

Weather permitting, NASA crews now are aiming to conduct their final tests Monday, after which a launch date will be determined.

The change narrows the possibility that NASA can launch their Artemis 2 team of four astronauts on their Moon flyby in February – just three days of potential windows remain in that month.

The team remains in quarantine in Houston, NASA said.

Heaters are atop the Orion capsule to ensure it stays warm, the US space agency said, and purging systems are in place and configured for the colder weather to maintain proper conditions.

NASA officials are also preparing to launch a crew to the International Space Station, a mission that is being closely coordinated as it is currently planned to happen within days of a potential Artemis 2 launch.

The next NASA crew rotation to the ISS could happen as soon as February 11, but depending on the Artemis plans, it could get delayed.

"Our teams have worked very carefully to see how we can keep moving towards launch for both missions, while at the same time making sure we avoid any major conflicts," said Ken Bowersox, an administrator at NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate, during a briefing Friday.

There's a possibility that Crew-12 could get some overlapping space time with the Moon team, a prospect that ISS astronauts said Friday they'd enjoy.

"If we do launch before Artemis, we'll be on board the International Space Station, and part of their flight plan actually involves a call to the ISS," said Jessica Meir, the crew's commander who said they'd be "excited" to have some intra-space conversation with their colleagues.

"We are all thrilled about the launch of Artemis. We are very excited to see how this will all play out."

The Crew-12 team to ISS also includes Sophie Adenot, who will be the second Frenchwoman to fly to space.

In another noteworthy tidbit, the new February 8 window for a potential launch to the Moon falls on the same day as the highly watched Super Bowl, the National Football League championship.

That launch window would open at 11:20 pm in Florida (0420 GMT on February 9) – soon after the game would likely wrap.

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_delays_Moon_mission_over_frigid_weather_999.html

https://www.accuweather.com/en/space-news/nasa-delays-artemis-ii-wet-dress-rehearsal-citing-weather/1858683

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/nasas-artemis-2-mission-to-the-moon-puts-crew-12-spacex-launch-in-delicate-dance

https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/preparing-for-artemis-ii-training-for-a-mission-around-the-moon/

https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/artemis-ii-recovery-training/

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Completes First AI-Planned Drive on Mars

Jan. 30, 2026

The team for the six-wheeled scientist used a vision-capable AI to create a safe route over the Red Planet’s surface without the input of human route planners.

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has completed the first drives on another world that were planned by artificial intelligence.

Executed on Dec. 8 and 10, and led by the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the demonstration used generative AI to create waypoints for Perseverance, a complex decision-making task typically performed manually by the mission’s human rover planners.

“This demonstration shows how far our capabilities have advanced and broadens how we will explore other worlds,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.

“Autonomous technologies like this can help missions to operate more efficiently, respond to challenging terrain, and increase science return as distance from Earth grows.

It’s a strong example of teams applying new technology carefully and responsibly in real operations.”

During the demonstration, the team leveraged a type of generative AI called vision-language models to analyze existing data from JPL’s surface mission dataset.

The AI used the same imagery and data that human planners rely on to generate waypoints — fixed locations where the rover takes up a new set of instructions — so that Perseverance could safely navigate the challenging Martian terrain.

The initiative was led out of JPL’s Rover Operations Center (ROC) in collaboration with Anthropic, using the company’s Claude AI models.

Progress for Mars, beyond

Mars is on average about 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) away from Earth. This vast distance creates a significant communication lag, making real-time remote operation — or “joy-sticking” — of a rover impossible.

Instead, for the past 28 years, over several missions, rover routes have been planned and executed by human “drivers,” who analyze the terrain and status data to sketch a route using waypoints, which are usually spaced no more than 330 feet (100 meters) apart to avoid any potential hazards. Then they send the plans via NASA’s Deep Space Network to the rover, which executes them.

But for Perseverance’s drives on the 1,707 and 1,709 Martian days, or sols, of the mission, the team did something different:

Generative AI provided the analysis of the high-resolution orbital imagery from the HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and terrain-slope data from digital elevation models.

After identifying critical terrain features — bedrock, outcrops, hazardous boulder fields, sand ripples, and the like — it generated a continuous path complete with waypoints.

To ensure the AI’s instructions were fully compatible with the rover’s flight software, the engineering team also processed the drive commands through JPL’s “digital twin” (virtual replica of the rover), verifying over 500,000 telemetry variables before sending commands to Mars.

On Dec. 8, with generative AI waypoints in its memory, Perseverance drove 689 feet (210 meters). Two days later, it drove 807 feet (246 meters).

“The fundamental elements of generative AI are showing a lot of promise in streamlining the pillars of autonomous navigation for off-planet driving: perception (seeing the rocks and ripples), localization (knowing where we are), and planning and control (deciding and executing the safest path),” said Vandi Verma, a space roboticist at JPL and a member of the Perseverance engineering team.

“We are moving towards a day where generative AI and other smart tools will help our surface rovers handle kilometer-scale drives while minimizing operator workload, and flag interesting surface features for our science team by scouring huge volumes of rover images.”

“Imagine intelligent systems not only on the ground at Earth, but also in edge applications in our rovers, helicopters, drones, and other surface elements trained with the collective wisdom of our NASA engineers, scientists, and astronauts,” said Matt Wallace, manager of JPL’s Exploration Systems Office.

“That is the game-changing technology we need to establish the infrastructure and systems required for a permanent human presence on the Moon and take the U.S. to Mars and beyond."

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-rover-completes-first-ai-planned-drive-on-mars/

https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/ai-control-mars-rover-for-the-first-time/

https://youtu.be/LO2GluKu4C8?si=6UO1AO7qnxMTgwsv

https://petapixel.com/2026/01/30/nasas-curiosity-rover-lights-up-mars-for-very-rare-night-photo/

NASA Earth Energy Instrument Completes Testing, Ready for Delivery

Jan 30, 2026

NASA’s Libera instrument, which is designed to maintain the global data record of Earth’s radiation budget, has successfully completed comprehensive environmental testing.

This critical milestone included thermal vacuum tests that simulate the expected space temperature and environments that Libera will experience during its mission.

The Libera instrument will fly on Joint Polar Satellite System-4 (JPSS-4), the next satellite in the series, as part of a collaboration between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The satellite, targeted for launch in 2027, will be named NOAA-22 once in orbit.

The University of Colorado Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) developed and built the Libera instrument after it was selected as the first Earth Venture Continuity mission – a NASA program that focuses on innovative, low-cost ways to maintain important Earth science measurements as older missions come to an end.

Libera will continue the data record of Earth’s radiation budget, following the series of Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments that flew on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission in 1997 and continued on the Terra, Aqua, Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership, and NOAA-20 satellites.

Libera is named for the daughter of Ceres in Roman mythology, a nod to its predecessors.

NASA has been monitoring the flow of radiant energy in the Earth-atmosphere system for over a half century.

This energy drives the motions of the atmosphere and oceans, fuels photosynthesis in plants, forms the protective ozone layer, and sustains all life on Earth.

Understanding these flows informs weather forecasting and agricultural planning and prediction among many other applications.

It enables an accurate evaluation of Earth system trends for informed strategic planning and risk assessments by the U.S. government and commercial industries.

Libera will be the fifth and final instrument delivered to Northrop Grumman in Gilbert, Arizona, for installation onto the JPSS-4 satellite.

The other instruments onboard JPSS-4 are the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, the Cross-track Infrared Sounder, the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder, and the Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite.

NASA’s Earth System Science Pathfinder Program Office, based at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, manages the Libera mission.

The JPSS-4 satellite is managed through a collaboration between NOAA, and NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

https://science.nasa.gov/missions/libera/nasa-earth-energy-instrument-completes-testing-ready-for-delivery/

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/libera/

Week Wraps with Cargo Packing, Tech Research as Crew-12 Discusses Mission

January 30, 2026

The Expedition 74 trio wrapped up the week packing cargo for return to Earth and exploring artificial intelligence to benefit crew operations.

Earth observations and lab gear maintenance rounded out the shift aboard the International Space Station on Friday.

NASA Flight Engineer Chris Williams ended his shift on Friday loading gear inside a SpaceX Dragon for return to Earth next month.

Williams, with assistance from station Commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos, has begun packing some of the completed experiments and their associated research samples, as well as used hardware and trash, inside Dragon for retrieval and analysis on the ground.

Dragon delivered a host of science experiments, crew supplies, and more on August 25, 2025.

Williams spent the first half of his shift working in the Tranquility module servicing a variety of life support systems. He first swapped out orbital plumbing gear that helps recycle wastewater aboard the orbital outpost.

Next, he cleaned the ventilation system inside the Harmony module’s overhead crew quarters then measured the airflow from Harmony into the Destiny laboratory module to ensure a safe breathing environment.

Kud-Sverchkov, on his second spaceflight, worked on a pair of different experiments, the first one documenting the effects of natural disasters across the Earth’s surface, and the second exploring plasma physics.

He pointed a camera out different windows in the Zvezda service module and photographed landmarks near water bodies and mountains from northwest Africa to eastern Europe.

Next, Kud-Sverchkov studied procedures for the upcoming Plasma Kristall-4 physics investigation that explores complex plasmas possibly advancing spacecraft designs, leading to a better understanding of planet formation, and improving fundamental physics research.

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Sergei Mikaev uninstalled Earth observation gear completing an overnight automated photography session that captured multi-spectral imagery of wildfires from Africa to Southeast Asia during the crew’s sleep session.

Next, Mikaev configured data management and control hardware that supports experiment platforms from materials research to space physics, and artificial intelligence systems.

Finally, the first-time space flyer turned his attention to another artificial intelligence study studying tools to convert speech-to-text and improve data handling and communications between the crew and ground controllers.

Researchers seek to use the new technology to speed up and increase the accuracy of crew documentation benefitting operations aboard spacecraft.

The four members representing NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission discussed their upcoming flight to the space station during a Crew News Conference on YouTube.

Commander Jessica Meir and Pilot Jack Hathaway, both from NASA, and Mission Specialists Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) and Andrey Fedyaev of Roscosmos are targeting a launch on Feb. 11 to begin a space research mission aboard the orbital laboratory.

Mission managers from NASA, ESA, and SpaceX also discussed the research objectives of Crew-12 during the Mission Overview Conference today.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/01/30/week-wraps-with-cargo-packing-tech-research-as-crew-12-discusses-mission/

Goldstone’s DSS-15 Antenna and the Milky Way

Jan 30, 2026

Deep Space Station 15, one of the 112-foot antennas at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex near Barstow, California, looks skyward, with the stars of the Milky Way overhead, in September 2025.

Goldstone is part of NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), which operates three complexes around the globe that support communications with dozens of deep space missions.

The DSN is NASA’s international array of giant radio antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions, plus a few that orbit Earth.

The DSN also provides radar and radio astronomy observations that improve our understanding of the solar system and the larger universe.

Through Artemis, NASA is establishing an enduring presence in space and exploring more of the Moon than ever before. To achieve this, Artemis missions rely on both the Deep Space Network and the Near Space Network.

These networks, with oversight by NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program office, use global infrastructure and relay satellites to ensure seamless communications and tracking as Orion launches, orbits Earth, travels to the Moon, and returns home.

https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/goldstones-dss-15-antenna-and-the-milky-way/

What’s Up: February 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA

Jan 30, 2026

The Moon readies for Artemis II, Orion shines bright, and a planetary parade marches across the night sky

NASA's Artemis II mission has its first opportunity to launch to the moon, Orion the Hunter takes center stage, and a planetary parade marches across the night sky.

The Moon could have human visitors for the first time since 1972, the constellation Orion will be clear to see, and a planetary parade will sparkle across the skies. That's What's Up, this February.

The Moon could have some visitors soon!

NASA's Artemis II mission will send astronauts to fly around the Moon. The first opportunities for launch are this February.

This mission will pave the way for Artemis III, which will be the first time we’ve sent humans to the lunar surface since the final Apollo mission, Apollo 17, in 1972.

So this month, look up to the Moon shining bright in the night sky and there might be somebody looking back down at you.

Can you spot Orion the Hunter in the night sky?

You might be able to see the line of three stars that make up Orion's Belt, but that belt is a part of a larger constellation called Orion, named for the hunter in Greek mythology.

Above Orion's belt, the hunter's right shoulder is actually Betelgeuse (or Alpha Orionis), one of the brightest stars in the night sky!

Most visible in the winter, February is one of the clearest times to see Orion in the sky.

From dusk through the night, look to the southern sky and try and spot the hunter for yourself.

A planetary parade will march across the sky this month!

Mid-February, Saturn will drop down toward the horizon as Venus and Mercury climb upward in the sky, meeting together in the west to southwestern sky.

Jupiter will find itself high in the sky.

And even Uranus, found in the southern sky, and Neptune, found nearby Saturn, will join the parade—though you'll need binoculars or a telescope to spot these two far-off planets.

The planets will be visible soon after sunset throughout the month of February, but they’ll be lined up best toward the end of the month.

So, go outside and see how many planets you can find!

Here are the phases of the Moon for February.

https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/whats-up-february-2026-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di21vgREWLg

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/jan/30/bill-nye-takes-orlando-victory-lap-for-science-aft/

Bill Nye takes Orlando victory lap for science after NASA budget win

Updated Fri., Jan. 30, 2026 at 7:07 p.m.

Bill Nye let a packed crowd at the Orange Convention Center know that it’s not a good idea to send a human on a one-way trip to Mars.

“Although there’s a few I wouldn’t mind,” he said, earning another chuckle during his hour-long, humor-filled speech at SpaceCom, the big event during Commercial Space Week that draws players from government and private industry each year to Orlando.

Nye, known to many a grown-up kid as Bill Nye the Science Guy, is now the CEO of The Planetary Society, a nonprofit group that has spent the last nine months going all in to thwart President Trump’s proposed budget for NASA.

Nye had put up a chart of NASA’s budget since before the Apollo era, during which it shot up to nearly $70 billion in the late 1960s as the U.S. threw money at its space program to land the first man on the moon.

It then dipped back down in the mid-1970s, staying mostly in the $20-$30 billion dollar range ever since.

It’s been around $25 billion each year this decade, but Trump’s proposed budget that came out last May wanted to chop it to under $19 billion.

If adopted, it would have been the smallest NASA budget since 1961. The Planetary Society called it an “extinction-level event” for NASA’s science efforts, noting it would kill 41 science projects, or a third of NASA’s science portfolio.

Nye was not a fan, but he then moved to the next slide.

“Here’s a picture from the congressional House of Representatives showing everybody in Congress who supported this cut,” he said.

It was an empty chamber and once again earned laughter from the crowd.

“There’s no one, zero. No one supported the cut. Everybody has NASA in his or her congressional district. Everybody,” he said.

This month, Congress passed and Trump signed a minibus bill that kept NASA’s budget levels intact at just shy of $25 billion, including continued funding for much of the existing science missions.

“So we, the Planetary Society, led the charge. We organized 19 other science organizations. We got our members, 40,000 people, maybe some of you, wrote letters and emails, and we had visits to Capitol Hill,” he said.

“We went to our congressional office, senatorial office, and said, ‘Look, NASA is a big deal. You don’t want to cut NASA.’”

Their efforts paid off, but Nye issued a warning.

“Here’s the thing, this could happen again. Three months from now, the same thing could happen. The same president’s budget request could come out. The same pushback will be required. If we don’t push back, then the NASA budget will get cut,” he said.

He reminded the crowd that some of these missions would be dead in the water with no chance for revival.

“You can’t just stop these things. You try to restart it,” he said. “You just can’t keep the mission going if you keep stopping.”

And while commercial industry has been picking up the gauntlet of much of the science, NASA still provides the majority of funding.

“So this is just a real concern for people in our business. If NASA, who pays a lot of the bills, cuts us off, then we’re going to have difficulty staying in business,” he said.

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Nye also pointed out that the proposed budget was taking the U.S. a step backward. Meanwhile, China keeps moving forward across a whole range of science missions.

“I just want to congratulate our colleagues from China National Space, they are doing just amazing, cool stuff. So some China National people here. Thank you. You’re doing wonderful stuff. You are influencing the future,” he said.

One slide showed missions to Venus, Jupiter, the asteroid Apophis, exoplanets and more, and that China was funding missions to each. But under Trump’s proposed budget, only the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope mission was funded.

“This was the comparison. Cancel everything. Cancel every one of these planetary missions, and one of the planets is the Earth – Earth’s magnetic field,” he said.

“That was their proposal, the president’s budget request, just let the U.S. drop out of all of these missions, many of which were planned, many of which were started.”

He noted after the pushback from Congress, each of those missions were back.

“Except, for some reason, the Mars Sample Return mission is still in limbo, probably because all the bids have been too high, wink wink,” he said. “Somebody can come up with a new, cheaper scheme. I’m just sayin’.”

He then stumped for why the Mars Sample Return is worth Earth’s time. He began by showing a rock located in Antarctica in 1984 that was proven to be a Martian rock.

When looked at microscopically, there were patterns that suggested the possibility of life on Mars at one time. That was the impetus for NASA’s Martian rovers, including this century’s Curiosity and Perseverance missions, which are still active today.

Nye showed images Perseverance found that showed Martian rocks with “mythic, dare I say it, leopard spots.” “And these leopard spots, as they’re called, resemble stromatolites, things we find on Earth, of fossils, of ancient living things,” he said.

He let that sink in.

“My friends, people, if we were to find evidence of life on another world, it would change this world,” he said.

“It would change the way everybody thinks about being a living thing in the cosmos. It would change everything. I’m not saying we start driving on the left, but it would change you.”

The idea we would send people to retrieve the samples already gathered by Perseverance is not some Nye can get behind.

“If you want it to get really expensive, if you want it to be inconclusive, send people, because people are just bags of microbes, and they will contaminate the site before we can figure this out,” he said.

“I want, before anybody goes to Mars and starts walking around and spitting on things, I wanted to get at least one of these back to see if this hypothesis is reasonable.”

He took his final moments to encourage the commercial companies at the site to keep the science engine running.

“I just want you all in commercial space to consider investing in science. Hire some scientists. Make a deal with space agencies to do some science for them,” he said.

“So everybody, if we invest in science, I claim, we can, dare I say it, change the world!”

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NASA Aims to Advance Hypersonic Flight Testing with New Awards

Jan 30, 2026

While NASA is working with U.S. aviation to explore commercial supersonic technologies, the agency is also looking forward to an even faster era of flight – one of vehicles that can fly hypersonic, or five times the speed of sound.

And to further that vision, NASA has issued two awards for studies into vehicle concepts.

Some types of vehicles – such as rockets – achieve hypersonic speeds by carrying supplies of oxygen to allow their fuel to burn, instead of using the surrounding air.

In contrast, NASA’s Hypersonic Technology Project works to advance “airbreathing,” reusable hypersonic aircraft, which take in air as they fly, allowing for much longer sustained cruising at hypersonic speeds.

Given commercial interest in finding applications for airbreathing hypersonic vehicles, the Hypersonic Technology Project is looking to find ways to make testing and development easier.

Two contract awards the project made in August are aimed at helping to provide an affordable bridge between hypersonic ground and flight tests.

“With these awards, NASA will collaborate with the commercial hypersonics industry to identify new ways to evaluate technologies through flight tests while we address the challenges of reusable, routine, airbreathing, hypersonic flight,” said Dr. Nateri Madavan, director of NASA’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program.

The new awards went to SpaceWorks Enterprises, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Stratolaunch of Mojave, California, both of which will support a six-month NASA study exploring how current vehicles could be modified to meet the need for reusable, high-cadence, affordable flight-testing capabilities. SpaceWorks, which received $500,000, will focus on the X-60 platform. Stratolaunch, which received $1.2 million, will focus on its Talon-A platform.

Through these awards, NASA wants industry to help define the capabilities needed to achieve flight test requirements.

The work will also potentially support a future NASA Making Advancements in Commercial Hypersonics (MACH) project focused on advancing commercial hypersonic vehicles through the development of infrastructure such as cost estimates and schedule requirements for a potential flight vehicle.

NASA advances U.S. hypersonic research through the Hypersonic Technology Project under the agency’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program.

NASA intends for these projects to help lead the way in enabling revolutionary advancements in fundamental airbreathing hypersonic technologies.

https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/nasa-aims-to-advance-hypersonic-flight-testing-with-new-awards/

Blue Origin to Pause New Shepard Flights for No Less Than Two Years

Jan 30, 2026

Resources will be redirected to further accelerate lunar human flight program

Blue Origin today announced it will pause its New Shepard flights and shift resources to further accelerate development of the company's human lunar capabilities.

The decision reflects Blue Origin's commitment to the nation's goal of returning to the Moon and establishing a permanent, sustained lunar presence.

New Shepard is the first reusable spaceflight system to vertically land and has flown 38 times and carried 98 humans above the Kármán line to date.

New Shepard has launched more than 200 scientific and research payloads from students, academia, research organizations, and NASA.

This consistent and reliable performance, combined with an exceptional customer experience, has resulted in a multi-year customer backlog.

https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-to-pause-flights

Russian Spy Satellite “Luch” Destroyed by Space Debris, Analysts Say

Jan 31, 2026 14:58

A Russian satellite identified by Western analysts as a signals intelligence platform was completely destroyed following a collision with orbital debris, according to Swiss space monitoring firm S2A Systems.

On January 30, the satellite—officially named Luch and registered under NORAD ID 40258—broke apart on a graveyard orbit, a zone typically reserved for decommissioned satellites.

The fragmentation was observed by S2A Systems and is believed to have been caused by accidental contact with space debris. It remains unclear whether the event was accidental or involved a deliberate action.

Originally launched in September 2014, the Luch satellite has long attracted attention from military and commercial spacewatchers due to its maneuvering patterns.

Unlike the Luch-5 series used for commercial communications, this satellite frequently repositioned itself along the geostationary belt, occasionally approaching other nations’ satellites.

In 2015, the satellite maneuvered between two Intelsat communications satellites, prompting a formal protest from the United States.

Three years later, then-French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly publicly accused Russia of attempting to intercept secure signals when Luch moved close to the French-Italian military satellite Athena-Fidus.

Over the years, multiple open-source assessments and Western defense officials have associated the satellite with Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), describing it as part of Moscow’s broader electronic intelligence efforts.

Earlier, in 2024, the Russian military satellite Kosmos-2553—believed by US officials to support nuclear anti-satellite research—reportedly began tumbling out of control.

According to Reuters, space-tracking firms including LeoLabs and Slingshot Aerospace observed irregular movements and fluctuations in brightness, raising concerns about its role in Moscow’s potential development of space-based nuclear capabilities.

https://united24media.com/latest-news/russian-spy-satellite-luch-destroyed-by-space-debris-analysts-say-15523

https://militarnyi.com/en/news/russian-spy-satellite-luch-completely-destroyed-after-collision-with-space-debris/

https://twitter.com/s2a_systems/status/2017192355279884655

https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/james-webb-telescope-solves-mystery-of-forever-young-vampire-stars-from-the-dawn-of-time

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Hubble_uncovers_the_secret_of_stars_that_defy_ageing

James Webb telescope solves mystery of 'forever young' vampire stars from the dawn of time

January 31, 2026

Astronomers have solved the mystery of how some stars stay youthfully bright and blue, despite being almost as old as the universe itself: They cannibalize their stellar siblings.

Known as blue straggler stars, these age-defying celestial objects have mystified astronomers for more than 70 years.

"Blue stragglers are anomalously massive core hydrogen-burning stars that, according to the theory of single star evolution, should not exist," researchers wrote in a paper published Jan. 3 in the journal Nature Communications.

To investigate these puzzling stars, researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to analyze 48 galactic globular clusters and more than 3,400 blue straggler stars in the Milky Way.

Their observations revealed that these "forever young" stars stay youthful by siphoning the gas from their partners, like stellar vampires.

This fuel injection allows the vampire stars to shine more brightly, and to appear more blue and youthful, long after they should have started fading away.

Searching for age-defying stars

Scientists previously posited that blue stragglers can form in two ways: through violent collisions between two stars, or through more subtle interactions in binary systems as pairs of stars orbit each other and trade gas.

The team found that the latter scenario is more likely.

Galactic globular clusters provide the perfect place to study stellar interactions between gas-siphoning binary systems. These spherical clusters contain thousands or millions of stars, held together by their collective gravity.

With so many stars inhabiting a region only tens or hundreds of light-years across, clusters are among the most dense stellar environments in the cosmos. Therefore, they host many stellar collisions and plenty of binary systems.

Clusters are also incredibly ancient.

"Their age is of the order of 12 [billion years], hence comparable to the age of the Universe," which is 13.8 billion years old, Francesco Ferraro, lead author of the study and an astronomy professor at the University of Bologna in Italy, told Live Science via email.

"In fact they are the oldest population in our Galaxy." This means the single stars in each cluster hosting the blue stragglers formed at the epoch of galaxy formation.

Older stars also emit different wavelengths of radiation.

So the researchers utilized JWST's ultraviolet filters to distinguish blue stragglers from their elderly cluster-mates — because hotter – younger stars emit more radiation at shorter wavelengths than older, redder populations that emit poorly in this part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

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A surprising stellar scenario

Perhaps counterintuitively, the researchers found that blue stragglers are rarer in dense stellar environments, even though these regions are more likely to facilitate interactions between stars.

Instead, stragglers are significantly more common in calm, low-density regions where stars are spaced farther apart and "fragile binary systems are more likely to survive."

The researchers used an established, quantitative measure that relates the number of blue stragglers to the host cluster's characteristics, like luminosity.

This measure revealed that blue straggler populations vary greatly, from three to 58 blue stragglers per unit of luminosity — equivalent to the brightness of 10,000 suns. Accordingly, luminosity is related to a cluster’s overall mass and, therefore, its density.

Using that same measure, the researchers calculated that the number of regular stars in a cluster remains relatively constant. This suggests that stragglers and binary systems are especially sensitive to the density of their environments.

"Crowded star clusters are not a friendly place for stellar partnerships," study co-author Enrico Vesperini, an astronomer at Indiana University, said in a statement.

"Where space is tight, binaries can be more easily destroyed, and the stars lose their chance to stay young."

Therefore, dense environments, such as those nearer the centers of clusters, may not be the stellar speed-dating venues they were assumed to be.

The gravitational influences from large stellar populations create a cosmic-bumper-car-like effect that disrupts binary systems early in their evolution, before they can turn into blue straggler stars.

As a result, the formation and survival efficiency of stragglers is 20 times higher in calmer, low-density environments, the researchers found.

A new way to understand stellar evolution

In addition to solving an astronomical mystery, this study offers a "new way to understand how stars evolve over billions of years," study co-author Barbara Lanzoni, an astronomer at the University of Bologna, said in the statement.

But after billions of years, blue stragglers may not get to live out their quiet lives in peace. Because they are significantly more massive than their sibling stars, they are more likely to sink to the core of their clusters through a process called dynamical friction.

Although this is unfortunate for these calm-loving stars, astronomers can then use them as a "dynamical clock" to extrapolate a cluster's age based on the distribution of its blue stragglers.

Finally, these sprightly, fresh-faced stars highlight a dynamic stellar balance. Had they been born more massive, they would have died long ago as supernovas or white dwarfs.

Their modest size, below 0.8 solar masses, have allowed them to survive long enough to renew their lifespans — at the cost of consuming their siblings.

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https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/what-actually-happens-to-a-spacecraft-during-its-fiery-last-moments-heres-why-esa-wants-to-find-out

https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Draco_mission_made_for_destruction

What actually happens to a spacecraft during its fiery last moments? Here's why ESA wants to find out

January 31, 2026

What actually happens to a spacecraft during its fiery last moments? That's the key question for the European Space Agency's (ESA) Destructive Reentry Assessment Container Object (Draco) mission.

ESA has greenlit the program that will create a highly complex reentry of a spacecraft specifically built to dive into Earth's atmosphere while loaded with a variety of sensors.

As the Draco spacecraft falls into thicker and thicker air while it enters the atmosphere, it will collect data on how materials react and introduce pollutants into the upper stratosphere. In other words, it's an atmospheric stab for science.

Last moments

ESA is strongly backing an ambitious Zero Debris approach, an undertaking that aims to prevent more space debris by attempting to lower the risk that spacecraft will produce debris from collisions.

As part of that, ESA scientists are studying what happens when satellites burn up. Reentry science is an essential element of what's dubbed "design for demise" efforts, said Holger Krag, ESA Head of Space Safety.

"We need to gain more insight into what happens when satellites burn up in the atmosphere as well as validate our re-entry models," Krag said in an ESA statement focused on the Draco initiative.

"That's why the unique data collected by Draco will help guide the development of new technologies to build more demisable satellites by 2030," said Krag.

Strain gauge

Draco's sensors will be measuring temperatures, gauging the strain on the various parts of the satellite itself, and register the surrounding pressure.

Four additional cameras will be pointing at the spacecraft to watch the destruction and collect contextual information.

Planned for 2027, the Draco satellite is anticipated to tip the scales at between 330 to 440 pounds (150-200 kilograms).

About the size of a washing machine, Draco would purposely pile-drive itself over an ocean uninhabited area just some 12 hours after being put into Earth orbit.

Fiery frenzy

Outfitted with 200 sensors and 4 cameras to record its fiery frenzy, the 1.3 foot diameter (40 centimeters) capsule would store data safely onboard. Once its parachute is deployed, Draco would connect to a geostationary satellite, outputting its data.

According to ESA planners, there will be about a 20-minute window to transmit telemetry before it splashes down into the ocean, concluding the Draco mission's assignment.

If all goes well, Draco would collect "real-world data" on what occurs as space hardware takes the heat, shatters and scatters during reentry. It's a process that researchers can only mimic today on Earth in wind tunnels or via computer models.

"Understanding how different materials behave as they burn up," ESA explains, "could help engineers design satellites that fully disintegrate, leaving nothing behind in orbit or in the atmosphere."

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Ablation products

The case for Draco data is front-and-center explain space debris experts.

"Reentries create several issues for general space sustainability," said Aaron Boley, a professor at the University of British Columbia for physics and astronomy and co-director of the Outer Space Institute.

If uncontrolled, they impose casualty risks to people on the ground and in aircraft in flight, Boley told Space.com, and can further be disruptive to air traffic should there be sudden airspace closures in reaction to the reentries.

"They also deposit ablation products directly into the upper atmosphere," Boley said.

One approach to addressing casualty risks is to design spacecraft to demise entirely, but this exacerbates the atmosphere pollution problem, said Boley.

"Moreover, reentry ablation models are insufficiently verified due in part to limits on lab testing."

Complex problems: safety and pollution

Experiments that can monitor the on-the-spot demise of a satellite and the types of emission products that are produced upon reentry are very valuable for addressing the interconnected and complex problems of safety and pollution, Boley added.

While not taking part in the Draco project, Boley said that characterizing the types of ablation products "is of high priority" as doing so enables investigators "to better understand how reentry emissions will affect upper atmosphere aerosols and associated chemistry, with implications for ozone, climate balance, upper atmosphere polar clouds, and atmospheric transmission," said Boley.

Piece of the puzzle

Leonard Schulz is a researcher at the Technische Universität Braunschweig's Institute of Geophysics and Extraterrestrial Physics in Braunschweig, Germany.

Also not engaged in ESA's Draco initiative, Schulz said that the results of the undertaking would be eagerly awaited.

"In-situ measurements are one important piece of the puzzle missing to better understand destructive spacecraft re-entry and its effects on the atmosphere," he told Space.com.

"I look forward to the results of this mission. Hopefully, it can serve as a pathfinder for in-situ observations of spacecraft fragmentation and especially their ablative behavior," said Schulz.

Relevant data

Similar in view is Luciano Anselmo, a researcher at the Space Flight Dynamics Laboratory within the National Research Council's Institute of Information Science and Technologies in Pisa, Italy.

Draco will be a single spacecraft reentry, with a specific trajectory, mass, and design, Anselmo said.

Not involved in the Draco program, Anselmo told Space.com that the experiment aims to be as representative as possible and, if successful, will allow for the collection of a lot of relevant data.

"This data could not only prove to be much more generally applicable than one might initially think," said Anselmo, "but could also reveal something unexpected, fostering new lines of investigation."

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https://www.space.com/science/particle-physics/large-hadron-collider-reveals-primordial-soup-of-the-early-universe-was-surprisingly-soupy

https://news.mit.edu/2026/study-infant-universes-primordial-soup-was-actually-soupy-0128

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269325008767

Large Hadron Collider reveals 'primordial soup' of the early universe was surprisingly soupy

January 30, 2026

Waiter, there's a quark in my soup!

Using the world's most powerful particle accelerator, CERN's Large Hadron Collider, scientists have discovered that the trillion-degree hot primordial "soup" that filled the cosmos for mere millionths of a second after the Big Bang actually behaved like a liquid, making it akin to a literal soup.

This primordial soup was composed of a plasma of particles called quarks and gluons that rapidly cooled, causing these two types of particles to fuse and create fundamental particles like protons and neutrons, which today sit at the heart of all atoms that make up the matter all around us.

Today, quarks and gluons are only found locked up in the particles they comprise, with one exception. By smashing together heavy atoms of lead traveling at near-light speeds using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), scientists can create a high-energy environment that briefly frees gluons and quarks from this atomic bondage, recreating the quark-gluon plasma of the early universe.

Using the 17-mile (27 kilometers) long accelerator located near Geneva, Switzerland, a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) generated quark-gluon plasma.

Within this pseudo-primordial soup, they observed quarks creating "wakes" as they raced through the plasma, akin to the trail created by a boat as it travels through water.

This is the first evidence that this quark-gluon plasma reacts to particles speeding through it in the same way that liquid does, splashing and rippling, acting as a single unified liquid rather than randomly scattering as individual particles would.

This cohesion means the plasma-quark gluon wasn't just a fluid, a term which can include a liquid or a gas, but acted as a liquid. Scientists say it could settle some long-standing questions about what the universe's earliest 'stuff' was like.

"It has been a long debate in our field on whether the plasma should respond to a quark," team member Yen-Jie Lee, professor of physics at MIT, said in a statement.

"Now we see the plasma is incredibly dense, such that it is able to slow down a quark, and produces splashes and swirls like a liquid. "So quark-gluon plasma really is a primordial soup."

To observe the wakes created in quark-gluon plasma by travelling particles, Lee and colleagues used the LHC's Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector to develop a technique that also allowed them to measure the size, speed, and extent of these wakes, and how long it takes for them to ebb and dissipate. This information could be critical to better understanding both the properties of quark-gluon plasma and how it behaved during the first microseconds of the cosmos.

"Studying how quark wakes bounce back and forth will give us new insights on the quark-gluon plasma's properties," Lee said. "With this experiment, we are taking a snapshot of this primordial quark soup."

You might want to blow on this soup for a while

The quark-gluon plasma wasn't just the first liquid to have existed in the universe, but with a temperature of many trillions of degrees, it is also the hottest liquid that ever existed.

The primordial soup is considered to have been a near-perfect liquid, which means its quark and gluon contents flowed together as a smooth, frictionless fluid.

Though there are many models of quark-gluon plasma, one theory, dubbed the "hybrid model," suggests that this primordial soup should react like any other liquid when particles pass through it at speed.

In the hybrid model, a jet of quarks moving through the quark-gluon plasma should create a wake as it causes this plasma ocean to ripple and splash.

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There have been many experiments at the LHC and other particle accelerators that have attempted to see this effect in action.

Those experiments are only made possible through slamming heavy charged atoms, or heavy ions, together at near light-speed, which can generate a droplet of primordial soup that lives for no more than a quadrillionth of a second.

Scientists continue to attempt to take snapshots of this primordial soup to understand the characteristics of quark-gluon plasma.

In the attempt to identify wakes in the quark-gluon plasma, scientists have been hunting for pairings of quarks and their antimatter counterparts known as anti-quarks.

When a quark races through plasma, an anti-quark should exist, travelling at precisely the same speed but in the opposite direction. Both particles, according to the hybrid model, should create detectable wakes. Sounds simple enough, but there's a fly in this soup.

"When you have two quarks produced, the problem is that, when the two quarks go in opposite directions, the one quark overshadows the wake of the second quark," Lee explained.

This team realized that finding the wake of a quark would be simpler if there were no second quark obscuring it.

"We have figured out a new technique that allows us to see the effects of a single quark in the quark-gluon plasma, through a different pair of particles," Lee added.

Boson croutons

Instead of hunting for quark pairs, Lee and colleagues looked for quarks travelling in unison with a neutral elementary particle called a Z-boson, which has little effect on its surroundings. The benefit of Z-bosons is that they have a specific energy, and that makes them comparatively easy to spot.

"In this soup of quark-gluon plasma, there are numerous quarks and gluons passing by and colliding with each other," Lee said. "Sometimes when we are lucky, one of these collisions creates a Z boson and a quark, with high momentum."

In these circumstances, the quark and Z-boson should slam into each other and bounce off in opposite directions, with the quark leaving a wake, but with the Z-boson not leaving one due to its lack of impact on the surrounding quark-gluon plasma.

That means any ripples spotted in this situation are made by a quark alone.

After observing 13 billion LHC collisions, Lee and the team identified around 2,000 instances in which a Z-boson was produced.

During these events, the scientists consistently observed a fluid-like pattern of splashes travelling in the opposite direction of the Z bosons they detected.

That, they determined, was the sought-after quark wake effect. Indeed, the patterns observed conformed to ripple-predictions made by the hybrid model of quark-gluon plasma.

"We've gained the first direct evidence that the quark indeed drags more plasma with it as it travels," Lee concluded. "This will enable us to study the properties and behavior of this exotic fluid in unprecedented detail."

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Space Force activates component command to NORTHCOM

Jan. 30, 2026

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The U.S. Space Force activated a new Component Field Command today, Jan. 30, 2026, at Peterson Space Force Base, Colo.

The command, titled U.S. Space Forces Northern, serves as the Space Force service component to U.S. Northern Command.

This is the seventh Space Force service component activation since November of 2020 when Space Forces Indo-Pacific stood up.

“Space Forces Northern is poised to bring the most advanced space capabilities to bear, under General Guillot’s authorities, to ensure NORTHCOM can deter, detect, deny, and defeat any threats to the homeland,” said Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman.

“There is no higher calling than protecting your neighbors, your families, and your homeland from harm. These Guardians are the first line of that defense, and I’m confident they will succeed.”

Space Force Service components provide regionally tailored operational effects to combatant commanders to increase their lethality of forces, sustain freedom of maneuver, enable and support deterrence against adversaries, and support order mission requirements.

“As technological and numeric threats to the Nation intensify, Space Forces Northern will bring crucial capabilities to the Homeland Defense mission, including enhanced domain awareness; missile warning and tracking; positioning, navigation, and timing; SATCOM; and the capacity for orbital and electromagnetic warfare,” said Gen. Gregory Guillot, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command commander.

SPACEFOR-NORTH will guide development and delivery of Space capabilities that enable joint lethality and effectiveness for homeland defense.

Additionally, in coordination with U.S. Space Command, they will design future requirements for Space capabilities or effects required to achieve USNORTHCOM objectives.

“Increased global use of space requires combatant commanders to develop competencies in space operations,” said Brig. Gen. Robert Schreiner, SPACEFOR-NORTH commander.

“SPACEFOR-NORTH will focus on delivering distinct Space capabilities to USNORTHCOM in order to preserve freedom of action and provide independent options in, from, and to space.”

To date, six Space Force Service components have been activated. This included Space Forces – Indo-Pacific (Nov 2022), Central (Dec 2022) Space (Dec 2023), Europe-Africa (Dec 2023).

This includes subordinate components Space Forces Korea (Dec 2022) and Japan (Dec 2024) under Space Forces – Indo-Pacific.

https://www.ussf-cfc.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4394201/space-force-activates-component-command-to-northcom

Ukraine hit by nationwide blackouts (VIDEOS)

31 Jan, 2026 10:35

Several Ukrainian cities, as well as part of Moldova, have been hit by a large-scale blackout, local officials report, saying the shutdown was caused by a cascading failure on key power lines.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmigal said the incident began at around 11 AM Saturday when a “technological failure” led to the simultaneous shutdown of a 400-kilovolt power line linking the energy systems of Romania and Moldova and a 750-kilovolt line connecting western and central Ukraine.

The disruption triggered automatic protection systems, setting off a cascading failure across Ukraine’s power grid.

Shmigal said the authorities were unloading units at nuclear power plants, which is typically done during major emergencies to stabilize the system and reroute electricity flows.

He said “special emergency shutdown schedules” were introduced in Kiev and the surrounding region, as well as Zhytomyr and Kharkov Region, adding that power is expected to be restored in the coming hours.

Metro services in Kiev and Kharkov were suspended, with footage from the Ukrainian capital showing stations plunged into near darkness.

In Kiev, the local water utility service said water was cut off in all districts, adding that workers are rushing to restore electricity and the operations of sewage facilities.

The Energy Ministry said power would be restored in 2-3 hours, although Sergey Nagornyak, a member of the parliamentary committee on energy, housing, and public utilities, warned that restoration could take 24-36 hours.

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky said he was briefed on the situation, adding that the key task is “to stabilize the situation as soon as possible.”

Power outages were also reported in neighboring Moldova, where the authorities said the disruption in Ukraine’s energy system caused a sharp drop in voltage on cross-border transmission lines.

Parts of the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, were left without electricity, along with several other regions of the country, Moldovan officials and local media report.

A video from Chisinau shows a long line of trolley buses, apparently immobilized by the shutdown.

Ukraine’s power grid has been in a severely degraded state following repeated Russian strikes on energy infrastructure. The impact has been compounded by harsh winter conditions, with temperatures in parts of the country dropping below -10 C.

Moscow has said the strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities are in response to Kiev’s attacks deep inside Russian territory, including strikes targeting critical infrastructure and civilian areas.

https://www.rt.com/russia/631801-ukraine-nationwide-blackout/

https://t.me/stranaua/224834

Kyiv and Kharkiv Hit in Overnight Drone Assault as Air Defenses Respond

January 31, 2026

Explosions Reported in Kyiv and Kharkiv

According to Novyny.live: In the early hours of January 24, 2023, explosions rocked Kyiv following an attack by Russian drones.

The head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, Timur Tkachenko, warned of several drone groups approaching the capital. Ukrainian air defense forces were actively engaged in neutralizing the aerial threat over Kyiv.

The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also issued a warning about a potential ballistic missile threat to the city.

Consequently, residents were advised to remain in shelters until the official all-clear signal was given. These attacks are part of a broader pattern of intensified strikes on Ukrainian cities, often targeting civilian infrastructure.

Kharkiv Under Sustained Attack

Separately, over the preceding hour, Russian forces launched a mass drone assault on Kharkiv, where more than a dozen explosions were heard.

The attack resulted in damaged buildings, at least one fire, and civilian casualties in Kharkiv. The situation remains tense, with air defense units continuing their mission to protect the population.

This assault is part of the ongoing military conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which has continued since 2014.

The increasing intensity of aerial attacks highlights a growing threat to civilians and underscores the urgent need for enhanced security measures in Ukrainian cities.

The situation in Kharkiv, in particular, emphasizes the critical importance of effective air defense operations and the readiness of local authorities to respond to emergencies.

https://112.ua/en/nicna-ataka-droniv-na-kiiv-sili-ppo-vidbivaut-udar-136840

https://112.ua/en/harkiv-atakuvali-sahi-vorog-zavdav-udaru-bezpilotnikami-po-industrialnomu-rajonu-136845

other Russia and Ukraine

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4086261-air-defense-forces-destroy-64-of-85-russian-drones-attacking-ukraine-since-evening.html

https://112.ua/en/nicna-ataka-droniv-na-kiiv-sili-ppo-vidbivaut-udar-136840

https://english.nv.ua/nation/russian-drone-attacks-utility-vehicle-in-donetsk-oblast-one-specialist-killed-two-injured-50579951.html

https://censor.net/en/videonews/3598244/the-67th-brigade-shot-down-six-enemy-drones

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/01/31/8018829/

https://www.irishstar.com/news/world-news/russian-soldiers-surrender-ukrainian-armed-36631898

https://caliber.az/en/post/ukraine-creates-new-command-to-counter-russian-drone-safari

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4086192-russia-deliberately-strikes-logistics-routes-seven-drone-attacks-on-railway-facilities-in-24-hours.html

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-crime/4086037-kyiv-police-foil-fraudulent-scheme-involving-fake-drone-production-for-afu.html

32 Gazans said killed in wave of strikes as IDF responds to truce violation

January 31, 2026 5:52 pm

At least 32 Palestinians, including women, children and Hamas police officers, were reported killed in a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip overnight and into Saturday morning — one of the highest death tolls since the October ceasefire — as the Israeli military confirmed it targeted terror commanders and infrastructure in response to what it called a “violation of the ceasefire agreement.”

The Israel Defense Forces said its strikes targeted four commanders in the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups, as well as a weapons depot, an arms manufacturing site and two rocket launching positions.

“The terror organizations in the Strip systematically violate international law, while brutally exploiting civilian institutions and operating in the presence of the local population,” the military said in a statement.

Hamas’s civil defense agency said it had retrieved the bodies of 32 people killed in seven different locations since Saturday morning.

Hamas authorities claimed that around a quarter of those killed were children, about a third were women, one was an elderly man, and five were officers in the Hamas-run police force.

The Hamas-run health ministry reported another 30 people wounded, some in critical condition.

The tolls could not be independently verified, and Israel did not release its own casualty figures.

Among the reported strikes was an attack on the Sheikh Radwan police station in Gaza City, which Hamas’s interior ministry said was hit Saturday morning.

Palestinian media put the death toll from the police station at 16, including officers and detainees.

Hamas’s interior ministry said the dead at the police station included several civilians and at least five officers, including one with a rank equivalent to colonel, two of a rank equivalent to major, and two of a rank equivalent to lieutenant.

At least 15 police officers were also wounded, the ministry said.

Elsewhere, Palestinian media reported three people killed in an Israeli strike near an UNRWA school in the Nasser district of western Gaza City.

Hamas accused Israel of carrying out a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement,” claiming that 12 people killed in overnight strikes included six children, and that seven of the dead belonged to a single family sheltering in a displaced peoples’ camp in Khan Younis.

According to the military, the strikes were launched after eight gunmen emerged from a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah on Friday.

The IDF said at the time that three of the gunmen were killed in strikes and a fourth, described as a key Hamas commander, was captured.

The army said the incident in Rafah constituted a breach of the ceasefire.

The flare-up in violence came a day before Israel was set to reopen the Rafah Crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt for pedestrian traffic in both directions at the start of next week, in accordance with the ceasefire deal

Israeli fire has killed more than 500 people — most of them civilians, according to Gaza health officials — since the US-brokered truce between Hamas and Israel took effect in October after two years of war.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/at-least-28-gazans-said-killed-in-wave-of-strikes-as-idf-responds-to-truce-violation/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/egypt-urges-restraint-ahead-of-rafah-crossing-opening-condemns-idf-strikes-as-truce-violation/

https://www.wzdm.com/2026/01/31/idf-says-gaza-strikes-hit-terrorists-weapons-facilities-after-ceasefire-breach-hospitals-report-30-killed/

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2026-01-31/ty-article-live/u-s-says-it-discussed-gaza-cease-fires-second-phase-with-uae/0000019c-1234-d0f1-abfd-3674be840005

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-interior-ministry-says-gaza-city-police-station-hit-in-idf-drone-strike/

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1qe600cl11e

other Israel

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-january-31-2026/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-earlier-strike-on-south-lebanon-killed-hezbollah-operative/

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-885091

https://www.rt.com/india/631786-india-mediator-palestine-israel-foreign-minister-shahin/

https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202601258930

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/6-killed-several-injured-in-explosions-in-southern-southwestern-iran-report/3816415

other Iran

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2026-01-31/satellite-photos-show-activity-at-iran-nuclear-sites-as-u-s-threatens-military-strikes

https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-military-warns-iran-not-tolerate-any-unsafe-actions-ahead-live-fire-drills-strait-hormuz

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/iranian-nuclear-agency-chief-says-country-can-defend-itself-even-without-nuclear-weapons/3816590

Mysterious blasts in Iran: IRGC denies Navy chief killed, Israel rejects role

January 31, 2026

Summary

• Two explosions struck southern Iran on Saturday, one in Bandar Abbas and the other in Ahvaz, killing several people. The Revolutionary Guard denied reports that its Navy chief was killed in the blasts, while Israel rejected any involvement.

• Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said recent developments showed Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and European countries were seeking to provoke unrest and sow division.

• The Kayhan newspaper, overseen by a representative of Supreme Leader, called for the expulsion of European Union ambassadors from Iran in response to the EU’s decision to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization.- - Iran's top security official Ali Larijani contacted officials in regional countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, last week and warned that Tehran would target US embassies in those countries if the United States attacks Iran, an Iranian government source told Iran International.

• US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had directly communicated a deadline to Iran for reaching a deal with the United States.

• Decision-making circles in the United States and Israel have moved past diplomacy with Iran, viewing military action as effectively decided, with only the timing still under debate, a Western source familiar with coordination talks told Iran International.

26 minutes ago

'IRGC in panic mode': Trump posts video of heavy police presence in Tehran

US President Donald Trump on Saturday posted a video showing a heavy police presence in Tehran and reposted a comment that said, “HAPPENING NOW – Tehran. The IRGC are in panic mode. Fully sh*tting their pants.”

https://twitter.com/IranIntl_En/status/2017650923296747810

42 minutes ago

Security presence surges on streets of Tehran, Ardabil and Kermanshah

Security and law enforcement forces of the Islamic Republic have significantly increased their presence across parts of Iran, with reports pointing to an unusual buildup in Tehran as well as the western cities of Ardabil and Kermanshah, according to eyewitness accounts and local monitoring groups.

The Telegram channel Bazaar Civil Protest reported, citing field observations, that the deployment of security and police forces in Tehran has risen to an unprecedented level.

The reports describe the large-scale positioning of foot patrols and vehicles, an increase in security patrols, and the organized presence of multiple units across different parts of the capital.

According to witnesses quoted by the channel, the heightened security presence reflects concerns within the authorities over the possibility of renewed unrest.

The same source said similar deployments have been observed in Ardabil and Kermanshah, suggesting a broader security alert beyond Tehran amid fears of fresh protests.

1/2

>>24199522

51 minutes ago

IRGC outlet says Iran accepted nuclear limits but Trump seeks disarmament

A website affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said Tehran had accepted sweeping nuclear restrictions, inspections and even the removal of highly enriched uranium, but Trump is not seeking negotiations but the disarmament and humiliation of Iran.

“Iranians know the nuclear issue is merely a pretext, because the reality is that Iran accepted everything reasonable and logical in this case, from extensive limitations to inspections and even readiness to remove highly enriched uranium within a defined framework," reads an article published by Basirat news website, which is affiliated with the IRGC's political department.

“Trump is not talking about negotiation; he is talking about surrender — a surrender that means stripping national will, weakening defensive power, and ultimately returning Iran to dependency.”

“What the United States wants is not reassurance, but the disarmament of Iran for the purpose of humiliation and fragmentation," the article added.

In a report earlier this week, Axios quoted US officials as saying any deal with Iran would have to include the removal of all enriched uranium from Iran, a cap on Iran's stockpile of long-range missiles, a change in Iran's policy of supporting proxies in the region and a ban on independent uranium enrichment in the country.

1 hour ago

Famed composer quits state-run film festival in protest at killings

Renowned Iranian composer Sohrab Pournazeri announced he is withdrawing from the state-run Fajr Film Festival after learning that several films he composed music for were selected.

"In these dark days, I consider participation in any celebration or festival to be a trampling of the blood of young people and an added burden of grief on the hearts of the mourning mothers and fathers of my homeland," he said in a post on his Instagram.

1 hour ago

Iran does not need nuclear weapons for defense, atomic chief says

Iran does not require nuclear weapons to defend itself, said Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, insisting the country has sufficient deterrence capabilities without them and reiterating that such arms have no place in Iran’s military doctrine.

2 hours ago

Iran arrests three signatories of statement blaming Khamenei for killings

Iranian authorities have arrested Mehdi Mahmoudian, Abdollah Momeni and Vida Rabbani, three of the seventeen signatories of a recent statement accusing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei of responsibility for what it called crimes against humanity during January’s crackdown, Tahkim Melat reported citing informed sources.

The sources added that there is no confirmed information about the arresting authority or the charges against them.

4 hours ago

Israel not involved in Iran blasts, officials tell Reuters

Israel is not involved in a series of blasts that occurred in Iran on Saturday, two Israeli officials told Reuters.

4 hours ago

Resident says building hit in Bandar Abbas blast had no gas lines

The building damaged in a blast in Bandar Abbas on Saturday was not connected to a gas network, said a resident contradicting reports by some Iranian media that attributed the incident to a gas explosion.

In a video shared after the blast, the resident said the building had never been fitted with gas piping. State media later said that the cause of the incident was under investigation.

The head of crisis management at the Hormozgan Governorate said the blast left 14 people injured and one person dead.

Some reports said the blast killed the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, Alireza Tangsiri, which the IRGC’s public relations office denied.

2/2

>>24199517

Anytime everybody wants to stop killing eachother, that would be great

Drone strikes in Ethiopia’s Tigray kill one amid fears of renewed conflict

31 Jan 2026

One person has been killed and another injured in drone strikes in Ethiopia’s ‍northern Tigray ‍region, a senior Tigrayan official and a humanitarian worker said, in another sign of renewed conflict between regional and federal forces.

The Tigrayan official on Saturday said the drone strikes hit two Isuzu trucks near Enticho and Gendebta, two places in Tigray about 20km (12 miles) apart.

The official said the Ethiopian National Defence Force launched the strikes, but ​did not provide evidence.

A local humanitarian worker confirmed the strikes had happened. Both asked not to be named, the Reuters news agency reported.

It was not immediately clear what the trucks were carrying.

TPLF-affiliated news outlet Dimtsi Weyane posted pictures on Facebook that ‌it said showed the trucks damaged in the strikes. It said the trucks were transporting food ‌and cooking items.

Pro-government activists posting on ⁠social media said the trucks were carrying weapons.

Ethiopia’s national army fought fighters from the Tigray People’s ⁠Liberation Front (TPLF) for two years until late 2022, in a war ​researchers say killed hundreds of thousands through direct violence, the ‍collapse of healthcare and famine.

Fighting broke out between regional and national forces in Tsemlet in the disputed territory of western Tigray earlier this week, an area claimed by forces from the neighbouring Amhara region.

Tension has been brewing over the presence of troops from Amhara and the neighbouring country of Eritrea in Tigray, violating a peace deal in November 2022 that ended the war.

Last year, the head of Tigray’s interim administration established by Addis Ababa was forced to flee Mekele, the regional capital, amid growing divisions within the TPLF, which controlled all of Ethiopia before being displaced by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Addis Ababa accuses the group of forging ties with neighbouring Eritrea and “actively preparing to wage war against Ethiopia”.

Earlier this week, national carrier Ethiopian Airlines cancelled flights to Tigray, where residents rushed to try to withdraw cash from banks.

The Tigray ‌war ended in 2022, but disagreements have continued over a range of issues, including contested territories in western ‍Tigray, and the delayed disarmament of Tigray forces.

The province is also suffering the effects of United States President Donald Trump’s funding cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) last year, which was once Ethiopia’s largest source of humanitarian aid.

Humanitarian organisations say up to 80 percent of the population is in need of emergency support, and funding shortfalls are placing a strain on the health system.

The African Union’s chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, on Friday urged all parties to “exercise maximum restraint” and “resolve all outstanding issues through constructive dialogue”.

He emphasised the importance of preserving the “hard-won gains achieved under the AU-led Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA)” signed in Pretoria in 2022.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/31/drone-strikes-in-ethiopias-tigray-kill-one-amid-fears-of-renewed-conflict