kek
anons have worked miracles here.
not everybiody sees them
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
April 12, 2026
Comet R3 (PanSTARRS) Brightens
Comet R3 is brightening rapidly – will it survive? C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) has been slowly brightening and extending an ion tail since its discovery last year. This shedding mountain of dirty ice puts on its best sky show this month, though, because it passes its closest to both the Sun (April 19) and the Earth (April 25). The featured image, showing R3 already sporting a tail extending over 10 degrees, was taken two nights ago from Sion, Switzerland with the big mountain Bietschhorn on the left. Comet R3 will be visible during mid-April before sunrise. Although the future brightness of any comet is hard to predict, the brightness of R3 makes it already a good camera comet and it may become visible to the unaided eye in the next week. Comet R3's physical future is also unknown because, like Comet A1 (MAPS) earlier this month, it may disintegrate when it passes its closest to the Sun. Or it may live to leave the Solar System.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkj7wq-IvIQ
Pole Shift Major Climate Change | S0 News and frens
Apr.12.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YkTfWfey8M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3z-cYx2wQc (Stefan Burns: BIG World Events Begin as a Large Comet Fast Approaches…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvz8mqYo6a4 (thornews: Thoughts about Neptune Saturn Mars Eris Chiron and the Sun in Aries & Near Earth Asteroids AF RN)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcQcFTt6oK0 (MrMBB333: People KNOW something's up! It's getting OBVIOUS!)
https://x.com/StefanBurnsGeo/status/2043165539611353104
https://x.com/MrMBB333/status/2043325405130826022
https://x.com/HawaiiNewsNow/status/2042881715429945573
https://x.com/SunWeatherMan/status/2043270417151086976
https://meteoagent.com/schumann-resonance-forecast
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes-volcanoes/news/299779/Volcano-earthquake-report-for-Sunday-12-Apr-2026.html
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/
KEK
Artemis II Astronauts Back in Houston, Reunite with Families
April 11, 2026 7:28PM
The Artemis II crew of NASA astronauts – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen – has returned to the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston following their historic lunar flyby mission.
The first crewed test flight of NASA’s Artemis program lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. EDT April 1, carrying the first astronauts to travel to the Moon in more than half a century.
During their nearly 10-day mission, the crew completed a record-setting lunar flyby, taking them 252,756 miles at their farthest distance from Earth and 4,067 miles above the lunar surface at their closest approach.
Artemis II splashed down at 8:07 p.m. April 10 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego. Following splashdown and recovery, the four crew members underwent post-mission medical evaluations before returning to shore and boarding an aircraft bound for Houston.
Upon arrival, the crew was welcomed by and reunited with their families, friends, and agency workforce. The crew now will begin their postflight reconditioning, medical and human performance evaluations, and lunar science debriefs.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/04/11/artemis-ii-astronauts-back-in-houston-reunite-with-families/
Barack Obama
@BarackObama
What the Artemis II astronauts did over the last 10 days was a testament to their bravery.
And the fact that they traveled farther from Earth than anyone ever has, re-entered our atmosphere at more than 24,000 mph, and splashed down safely was a testament to human ingenuity.
Thanks to everyone at @NASA for making this mission possible, and for taking us along for the ride.
9:52 AM · Apr 11, 2026
extra Artemis II
https://x.com/BarackObama/status/2043009424919327008
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2042757836061430206
https://x.com/CuriosityonX/status/2043040380363366615
https://mashable.com/article/artemis-ii-lego-set
>red mound
https://www.rt.com/russia/638105-65-years-since-humanitys-first-spaceflight/
https://asgardia.space/en/news/From-Gagarin-to-Artemis-65-Years-of-Human-Spaceflight
https://www1.ru/en/articles/2026/04/12/transport-pervogo-kosmonavta-na-cem-provozali-i-vstrecali-iuriia-gagarina.amp.html
https://thesun.ng/remembering-yuri-gagarin-the-man-who-kissed-sky-first/?amp
65 years since the first spaceflight: Here’s why it happened in Russia
12 Apr, 2026 07:41 | Updated 12 Apr, 2026 08:45
The conquest of frontiers and expansion into the unknown are often considered distinctly American pursuits. And indeed, it’s hard for modern people to grasp the monumental efforts undertaken by early settlers.
However, Russians share a similar passion for filling in blank spaces on maps. And when there were no uncharted territories left on Earth, they turned their gaze toward the stars.
April 12 is Cosmonautics Day in Russia – a day when every Russian can reconnect with their childhood dream of becoming a cosmonaut, and on streets and TV screens across the country, we once again see images of the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin.
Before space
In medieval times, Russian expansion often contradicted the wishes of the country’s rulers. Many of the pioneers settling in the country’s northern and southern frontiers were runaway serfs or simply sought a freer life.
The colonization of Siberia even began against the wishes of Tsar Ivan IV, who was preoccupied with the Livonian War and was reluctant to divert attention eastward. However, the Stroganov merchant family financed an expedition beyond the Ural Mountains.
Soon, Moscow recognized the vast wealth that lay hidden in Siberia, and waves of settlers migrated there.
Some sought riches, while others ventured farther to escape the growing imperial bureaucracy. These pioneers were often generously rewarded with money, trade monopolies, promotions, titles, and land.
When no unclaimed territories remained on earth, restless individuals turned their attention to the skies.
Most Russian philosophers showed little interest in politics or laws but passionately debated the nature of humanity and civilization.
By the late 19th century, spurred by a surge of interest in physics and astronomy, many became interested in space. Thus, Russian cosmism emerged.
Its followers sought to understand humanity’s place in space and arrived at some optimistic conclusions:
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Humans should not submit to nature but should explore and transform it to improve the world
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Humanity will inevitably venture into space and inhabit the universe
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Space exploration has the potential to make people better – they can unite for a common purpose, setting aside wars to pursue new worlds
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Humans are part of the cosmos and should not fear the unknown
Some cosmists were captivated by the ultimate goal of conquering space: Defeating death and even ‘resurrecting ancestors’.
Others, including self-taught scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, focused more on practical matters like the construction of rockets and space stations, believing that these ideas were not mere flights of fancy.
During a time when politics and materialism dominated intellectual discourse, cosmism remained less popular. However, cosmists had their followers.
It is said that one of them visited Tsiolkovsky after the Civil War to discuss his engineering career and was encouraged by the scientist in his plans to build rockets.
This engineer was Sergey Korolev. Little did he know then that he would send the first man into space – a realm where no one had ventured before.
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Engines of the space race
Stalinist industrialization had many issues and brought a lot of unwarranted suffering. Yet it established the infrastructure necessary for rapidly mobilizing vast resources and tilted production capacities toward the military industry.
As a result, when the space race began, the Soviet government was able to swiftly recover from post-war devastation and embark on ambitious new projects.
The space program benefited from close collaboration with military projects.
For example, when there was a need to build a new launch site to test the new R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile, designed to deliver a hydrogen bomb, engineers and generals quickly realized that they could develop space launch vehicles at the same location.
Thus, the world’s largest spaceport, Baikonur, was established. Located in a desolate area far from major population centers yet conveniently close to a railway, it provided ideal conditions for large-scale secret and potentially hazardous projects.
Construction progressed rapidly: Within two years of breaking ground, Baikonur launched Sputnik-1, the first artificial Earth satellite, into orbit.
Sergey Korolev headed the program. He began his scientific career in aircraft engineering but soon transitioned to rocket science.
Like many top engineers of his time, he learned from internationally-renowned former imperial professors who remained in the Soviet Union. Specialists in his field were scarce, so after the war, he collaborated on many classified projects.
Korolev was inspired by the ideas of Tsiolkovsky and urged party officials to pursue space exploration.
The obvious next step after the launch of Sputnik was to send a human into space. The USSR already possessed the resources, technology, and talented scientists for it, but lacked the cosmonaut.
A rigorous search across the nation commenced, following stringent criteria. Candidates had to have military training, impeccable health, and a very calm, resilient character.
Moreover, they had to be short and lightweight enough to fit in the capsule and conserve precious cargo weight in the rocket.
Ultimately, Korolev was presented with three candidates, the leading one being Yuri Gagarin – a 25-year-old senior lieutenant in the Soviet Air Force.
He had a charming smile, loved sports, demonstrated initiative, and had good leadership qualities. Friends noted his enthusiasm for heroism and said his favorite word was ‘work’.
Time for preparation was limited; Korolev was informed that the Americans were also gearing up to send a man into space, and the Soviets needed to beat them.
Scientists, engineers, and cosmonauts worked tirelessly but met the deadlines. By April 1961, it became clear that history would soon be made at Baikonur.
Despite the initial success of space programs, many skeptics, both in the USSR and around the world, thought that a manned flight would end in catastrophe.
The Soviet authorities were cautious. They prepared three statements for the media: One in case of a successful flight, one in case of an emergency landing, and one in case of tragedy.
On April 8, the mission for the space flight was officially approved, with Gagarin confirmed as the pilot. Two days later, an unofficial meeting took place between cosmonauts, engineers, and Soviet military leaders.
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At 3:00 AM on April 12, final checks began on the launch pad. Korolev himself was present. At 5:30 AM, Gagarin was woken up with the words, “Yura, time to get up.”
After a medical check-up, he had breakfast consisting of meat puree, currant jam, and coffee. By 6:50 AM, Gagarin exited the bus at the launch site and climbed into the rocket.
For the next two hours, he ran system checks in coordination with mission control. During this process, a malfunction was discovered – the hatch wouldn’t close – but it was fixed within seven minutes.
At 9:00 AM, one-minute readiness was announced. Gagarin hummed the song ‘Fly, Doves, Fly’. At 9:07 AM, ignition was activated, and Gagarin uttered the legendary phrase, “Let’s go!”
Throughout the flight, Gagarin maintained communication with Earth, professionally reporting on his condition and what he could see. However, even this seasoned pilot couldn’t help but marvel at the breathtaking views around him.
The spacecraft completed one orbit around Earth and landed at 10:53 AM near the village of Smelovka in Saratov Region. The flight lasted 106 minutes.
Close to the landing site, the cosmonaut met the bewildered wife of a local forester and her daughter. Gagarin joked, “Don’t be afraid, comrades, I am a Soviet citizen like you!”
Soon after, military personnel arrived and transported the cosmonaut to their base. Messages of congratulations flooded in from heads of state around the world, from France, Japan, India, and Cuba.
John F. Kennedy also sent a note expressing hope that “the Soviet Union and the United States may work together on the matter of mastering the Universe.”
In the USSR, a wave of patriotism surged. Yet public affection wasn’t directed towards the party, the military, or the scientists, but toward Gagarin himself. He didn’t deliver speeches about the triumph of communism or talk of the ‘enemies of the people’.
Gagarin remained humble, met with ordinary people, and signed autographs. He continued to smile broadly, even during a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II, who broke royal protocol to take a photo with him.
On March 27, 1968, Gagarin died in a plane crash in Vladimir Region while conducting a training flight. He was just 34 years old. The USSR declared a national day of mourning – an unprecedented move for someone who was not a head of state.
Some believe that his early death further solidified Gagarin’s legend. The world never saw him grow older or become involved in politics – though he could have easily become a political figure. Gagarin will forever be remembered as the young, smiling pilot.
Returning
The new leadership in the USSR under Brezhnev showed less interest in the space program.
Korolev’s proposals for missions to the Moon and Mars were rejected as the country faced an increasing shortage of consumer goods, and budgets shifted to other sectors.
With the end of the Cold War, space lost its strategic importance for a long time.
Recently, however, interest in space has been rekindled in Russia. A new space program aims to create a Russian orbital station to replace the ISS, along with a three-phase lunar mission culminating in the establishment of a permanent lunar base.
On Cosmonautics Day, however, Russians tend to focus not on ambitious plans, but rather on the smiling pilot who calmly accepted the offer to journey into the unknown. And they remember the words he spoke shortly after his return:
“Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it!”
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