TYBs
NASA Astrronomy Picture of the Day
October 2, 2026
The Complete Sharpless Catalog: 313 Nebulas
What does it take to image hundreds of nebulas? Today’s image contains the entire Sharpless Catalog of H II Regions, totaling 313 objects. Zoom in and explore! You may spot fan favorites like the Eagle (Sh2-49), Heart (Sh2-190), and Orion (Sh2-281) Nebulas. Despite its name, this catalog contains more than the glow of ionized hydrogen that makes up H II regions. There are planetary nebulas (the Medusa Nebula, Sh2-274) and supernova remnants (the Spaghetti Nebula, Sh2-240) as well. Astrophotographer Bing Xin traversed the dark skies of Eastern China and Inner Mongolia to catch them all. Narrowband filters that primarily capture light from ionized hydrogen and oxygen as well as red-green-blue filters were used. Each object took 2 to 6 hours to capture, with the entire catalog taking around 800 hours to complete! Which object is your favorite?
https://science.nasa.gov/apod/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaFqm8qxVSU
Solar Watch, Shocking Ring Change, Deadly Volcano | S0 News and FRIDAY frens
Oct.2.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7AJPG7dkd8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ACtQ6iGhno (Tamitha Skov: A Stormy Side Swipe, Heart-Shaped Hole & Brighter Days Ahead | Solar Storm Forecast 01 October 2026)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6DM9Rqz5lg (Ryan Hall Y'all: Be CAREFUL What You Wish For…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZt7BRi_RiQ (MrMBB333: IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING BIG IS BREWING!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsBIyReu-yU (Mr Weatherman: This Spin is Shifting North…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdQ0fVHMIOM (Ray's Astro: SUPER EL NIÑO 2026 | Are We Ready for the Biggest Since 1877?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yStHp7lypwY (Brandon Ivey: TORNADO Tosses Hay Baler in KANSAS tornado outbreak!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_2H7Hzt65M (EarthMaster: 100's of Earthquakes and major inflation at Hawaii Volcano. Whats next? Thursday Night update)
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wildfires
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-forecasts/october-heat-wave-to-bring-100-degree-temperatures-wildfire-risk-to-southern-california/1940877
https://www.unmannedairspace.info/uncategorized/drone-in-a-box-systems-could-help-fight-the-rising-risk-of-wildfires/
https://dailydispatch.com/fire-news/wildland/alabama-forestry-commission-deploys-ororatech-satellite-technology-for-wildfire-response/
https://www.wwaytv3.com/evacuation-alert-residents-being-evacuated-due-to-forest-fire-near-shallotte/
https://www.wral.com/news/ap/48527-algerian-lawmakers-pass-a-bill-restoring-the-death-penalty-for-arson/
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storms and floods
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/climate-adaptation-science-centers/regional-super-el-nino-impacts-hawaii-and-us-affiliated
https://www.sa.gov/Directory/News-Releases/City-Continues-to-Monitor-Storms-and-Flooding
https://www.ktoo.org/2026/10/02/second-glacial-outburst-flood-in-juneau-crested-at-10-18-feet/
https://www.accuweather.com/en/severe-weather/video-semi-slides-across-omaha-highway-amid-record-nebraska-rain/1940911
https://www.nbcmiami.com/video/nbc-6-news/heavy-rain-floods-parts-of-south-florida-thursday/3867218/
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3330248/flooding-persists-in-31-provinces-bangkok-affecting-124m-households
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3330240/thai-airways-ceo-ousted-over-flood-mishaps
https://www.citinewsroom.com/2026/10/hohoe-floods-5140-residents-displaced-412-houses-affected/
https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2026/10/02/upper-thailand-faces-very-heavy-rain-and-floods-from-oct-4-7
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hurricanes and frens
https://www.weatherbug.com/news/Could%20October%20Break%20the%20Hurricane%20Drought
https://www.foxweather.com/earth-space/iconic-holei-sea-arch-collapses-hawaii-volcanoes-national-park-collapses
https://weather.com/2026/10/02/storms/hurricane/why-hurricane-nolo-could-turn-into-typhoon
https://weather.com/2026/10/02/forecast/regional/hurricane-polo-southwest-plains-flash-flooding
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/choi-wan-moves-away-but-guam-s-wind-and-rain-linger/article_8e3ba667-cbd5-4843-b76b-b5a9b949c8c3.html
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/10/Earth_from_Space_Typhoon_Surigae
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earthquakes
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/10/261001095521.htm
https://cedarnews.net/newstasks/1024098/m2-3-earthquake-strikes-near-volcano-hawaii/
https://www.teneriffa-news.com/en/news-en/canary-islands-news/3-2-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-off-fuerteventura-coast_1474482.html
https://www.surfer.com/news/kilauea-volcano-earthquake-video
https://southtahoenow.com/10/02/2026/lake-tahoe-earthquake-shakes-some-residents-awake-friday-morning
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes/quake-info/23405602/mag4quake-Oct-2-2026-Papua-New-Guinea-Bougainville-Region-PNG.html
https://aktualita.co/en/regional/51-magnitude-earthquake-hits-selayar-islands-residents-feel-tremors
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/emergencies/1687311/magnitude-5-point-3-earthquake-strikes-25km-east-of-new-plymouth
https://reliefweb.int/report/venezuela-bolivarian-republic/venezuela-earthquakes-situation-report-10-october-2-2026
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volcanoes
https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/october-1-2026-cracks-upper-caldera-floor-kaluapele-kilauea
https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/news/volcano-watch-intrusion-during-eruption-summit-kilauea
https://ticotimes.net/2026/10/01/costa-rica-rincon-de-la-vieja-yellow-alert
https://phys.org/news/2026-10-magma-reservoirs-beneath-masaya-volcano.html
https://watchers.news/2026/10/02/the-weekly-volcanic-activity-report-september-24-30-2026/
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dailys
https://schumannresonance.today/
https://www.weather.gov/
https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/
https://www.tornadohq.com/
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes-volcanoes/news/369450/Volcano-earthquake-report-2026-10-02.html
https://www.spaceweather.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=02&month=10&year=2026
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Crew-13 Members Enter Station, Join Expedition 75
October 1, 2026 10:01PM
NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov have entered the International Space Station following Dragon’s hatch opening at 9:19 p.m. EDT.
Crew-13 now joins Expedition 75 crew, which includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, and Anil Menon, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov, Anna Kikina, and Andrey Fedyaev already aboard the orbiting laboratory.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/10/01/crew-13-members-enter-station-join-expedition-75/
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/10/01/dragon-docks-bringing-spacex-crew-13-to-station/
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/10/01/spacex-crew-13-approaching-station-aboard-dragon/
https://x.com/Space_Station/status/2105831994848362922
https://x.com/astro_anil/status/2105827929926058332
https://x.com/NASA/status/2105842656429432894
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCCJRyhxZSo (NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 Arrival & Welcome Remarks)
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-adds-new-science-investigations-for-moon-base/
https://science.nasa.gov/lunar-science/
moar
https://science.nasa.gov/roses25_sciact_selections/
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/rains-swamp-the-gandak-river/
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/langley/nasa-model-wing-lights-up-during-first-pressure-sensitive-paint-tests/
https://www.nasa.gov/ames/dr-natasha-schatzman-receives-vertical-flight-society-vfs-award/
NASA Adds New Science Investigations for Moon Base
Sep 30, 2026
NASA selected three new scientific investigations and their payload suites to advance our knowledge of the Moon and help pave the way for building humanity’s first lunar outpost, Moon Base.
The suite of science instruments and technologies was selected through NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) program and will fly to the lunar surface using the CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative as part of the agency’s Moon Base Program.
The payloads will help researchers understand lunar resources, map natural shelters, and assess environmental hazards, laying the foundational groundwork for a safe and sustained human presence under the agency’s Artemis and Moon Base programs.
“NASA Science is building the ultimate interplanetary survival guide to ensure that science goes first to the lunar surface to provide our future astronaut crews with the vital information, resources, and safety precautions needed ahead of time to survive the night on the Moon,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “These PRISM selections will directly help NASA minimize risks to our astronauts while maximizing our agency goals as we set up humanity’s first lunar outpost in preparation for sending the first astronauts to Mars.”
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The three payload suites are:
Lunar Environment Monitoring Station – South Pole (LEMS-SP):
The autonomous LEMS-SP instrument suite will serve as a long-term environmental and hazard monitoring station.
The instrument will be designed to help build a picture of the lunar environment by monitoring falling micrometeoroids and tracking the abundance of volatiles, or materials that can easily shift into gas, that drift into the Moon’s thin outer layer of gases.
Using a short‑period seismometer to detect seismic events, the instrument could deliver the critical hazard assessments needed to ensure the physical safety of Moon Base hardware.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Mehdi Benna, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Geophysical Investigation for Mapping Lunar Interior (GIMLI):
The GIMLI payload will be deployed at the Marius Hills Pit on the lunar surface to hunt for subterranean lava tubes and aid in our understanding of fundamental lunar volcanic processes.
The payload will scan beneath the Moon’s surface to see whether the Marius Hills Pit leads into a large underground lava tube. If it does, these natural underground spaces could offer future astronauts ready‑made protection from extreme temperatures and harmful radiation — important groundwork for safe, long‑term living on the Moon. Confirming these void spaces now could shift future habitat planning, offering natural, ready-made shelters that provide crucial thermal stability and shielding from deadly ionizing radiation and micrometeoroid bombardment.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Nathaniel Putzig, Planetary Science Institute
Depth Imager with Spectral and Color Optics (DISCO):
The DISCO payload will provide the first direct, on-the-ground measurements of ice hidden in lunar micro-cold traps and also will lay the groundwork for lunar resource utilization and surface operations.
The payload will study how the lunar surface behaves, from how rocket exhaust disturbs the ground to how stable it is for mobility, while also pinpointing where ice exists and how much of it is there.
Together, this information will help NASA design safe surface operations and develop the technologies needed to turn ice into a usable resource for the future Moon Base.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Ariel Deutsch, NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley
“Each new PRISM selection strengthens our ability to deliver ambitious, transformative science to the lunar surface,” said Brad Bailey, director of the Exploration Science Strategy Integration Office in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
“These investigations exemplify how Artemis and Moon Base are expanding the frontier of lunar exploration, advancing innovative technologies, deepening our understanding of the Moon’s environment, and paving the way for future astronaut missions.”
NASA is increasing its cadence of lunar missions to build a Moon Base, delivering science investigations and technology payloads that contribute to American scientific preeminence, strengthen a sustained presence on the Moon, and advance future human exploration.
NASA’s CLPS initiative supports the Moon Base Program, as the agency works with American companies to deliver scientific, exploration, and technology payloads to the Moon’s surface and orbit.
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https://www.accuweather.com/en/space-news/a-storied-nasa-observatory-could-be-weeks-away-from-falling-to-earth-after-failed-rescue-attempt/1941220
moar
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/smallsatellites/2026/10/01/nasa-smallsats-launch-to-advance-science-technology-orbital-operations/
https://www.miragenews.com/nasa-opens-applications-for-new-flight-directors-1754531/
https://www.isu.edu/news/2026-fall/nasa-science-officer-and-isu-alum-to-give-talk-during-homecoming-week.html
https://x.com/CaptMarkKelly/status/2105744843909509607
A storied NASA observatory could be weeks away from falling to Earth after failed rescue attempt
Oct 1, 2026 5:02 PM PDT | Updated Oct 1, 2026 5:02 PM PDT
A daring mission failed to rescue NASA’s Swift telescope, and the nearly 22-year-old observatory will soon burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.
A celebratedspace telescope is rapidly dipping from its once-stable orbit and falling to Earth just shy of the 22nd anniversary of its launch.
The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory will soon have to cease its science observations after a daring rescue mission’s attempt to boost its orbit failed over the summer.
Named after fast-flying birds, the telescope could quickly pivot to observe blink-and-you-miss-it cosmic events like flaring black holes.
The telescope was originally designed to study the most powerful explosions in the universe, called gamma-ray bursts, but scientists have also used it to observe other types of cosmic flashes, as well as asteroids and comets.
The 3,200-pound (1,452-kilogram) observatory is currently located about 200 miles (325 kilometers) above Earth.
But engineers estimate that once Swift driftsbelow 185 miles (300 kilometers) in early to mid-October, operating the telescope will become a challenge, according to NASA. Then, Swift will drop from orbit and is expected to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere during the plunge.
“While it’s possible some hardware from the Swift spacecraft may survive re-entry due to its size, the probability of debris causing significant property damage or physical harm to anyone is very small,” according to statement from space-tracking company LeoLabs shared with CNN via email. “More likely, as is the case with most debris that survives re-entry, it will fall into the ocean or on land that’s uninhabited.”
NASA didn’t respond to request for comment on the potential risks related to the observatory’s reentry.
Scientistshoped that a rapidly produced satellite called LINK, which was developed, built and launched by Arizona-based Katalyst Space Technologies in just nine months, could grapple the telescope and lift it into a stable orbit.
The rescue mission to boostSwiftfailed just a few weeks after launchingLINK in early July as the satellite spun out of control in space.
“From the beginning, this was a high-risk, high-reward mission,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, Astrophysics Division director at NASA, in a statement. “Without intervention, Swift was going to re-enter the atmosphere by year’s end.”
But NASA and Katalyst say LINK’s modified mission was not a wasted effort, with bothgroups learning lessons that could aid future space operations.
“And while we’ll be sad to see Swift’s mission come to a close, we knew this boost effort would be valuable to the agency on multiple levels — advancing U.S. spacecraft servicing technology, challenging us to meet unprecedented mission timelines, and testing how we operate satellites to extend their time in low Earth orbit,” Domagal-Goldman further stated. “We’re very proud of how quickly this team got so far, and we’re capturing lessons learned to ensure we’re ready to go even farther.”
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A modified mission
Katalyst decided to forge ahead with its plan for LINK to rendezvous with Swift in mid-August, but as a demonstration rather than a rescue because of LINK’s ongoing orientation issues in space.
While Katalyst’s engineers were able to use the satellite’s thrusters to slow its unexpected spin and upload new flight software, the maneuverthat reoriented LINK in space also depleted its propellant.
“As a result, Katalyst and NASA together determined that LINK no longer had sufficient fuel to safely execute the planned capture and orbit-raising phase of the mission,” according to Katalyst.
The satellite came within 7.5 to 9 miles (12 to 15 kilometers) of Swift the first week of September, practicing how a futureservicing mission may approach a satellite or telescope — especially one like Swift, which wasn’t designed to be serviced in space.
LINK also deployed its three robotic arms, which were originally intended to grab Swift, and fired its three electric propulsion thrusters.
The satellite operated in space for 85 days before reentering Earth’s atmosphere on September 25, according to Katalyst.
“LINK was built to take on a problem that did not have an easy solution,” said Ghonhee Lee, CEO of Katalyst Space.
“While we did not accomplish every objective we set out to achieve, in less than a year we went from mission concept to launching and operating the first commercial space robot. This is a foundation we can build on.”
Katalyst will apply data and lessons from LINK’s mission to its next generation of spacecraft that could be used to service existing missions in space.
“The future of space will require spacecraft that can do more once they get there. We’re building toward that future,” Lee said.
Last glimpses of the cosmos
The Swift Observatory, which does not have an established observational replacement waiting in the wings, has served as an astrophysics multitool in low-Earth orbit since it launched in November 2004.
Swift’s mission scientists have slowly been turning the telescope’s instruments back on to collect data and make observations right up until the end — which is actually accelerating the observatory’s decline.
The instruments were shut off for months to reduce power use and keep Swift from sinking.
Swift was steadily losing altitude due to atmospheric drag, which was only magnified by an increase in solar activity over the past couple of years as the sun reached the peak of its 11-year cycle in 2024.
Intense flares and coronal mass ejections caused Earth’s atmosphere to expand, which intensified the drag on Swift, leading scientists to predict it would descend toward our planet in the fall, according to NASA.
“When Neil Gehrels, Swift’s namesake, designed the observatory, nothing like it had ever launched,” said S. Bradley Cenko, Swift’s principal investigator at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
“He would have celebrated that this boost effort was part of Swift’s legacy, that it allowed NASA to try something new and daring even though the outcome wasn’t guaranteed.”
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Nick Sortor
@nicksortor
I’m out here casually walking a quaint Florida beach around midnight, talking to @RealAmVoice about pool camera strategies
And @elonmusk decided to rain down MULTIPLE extra suns, making me feel like I was in some sort of fever dream
I love this place 🤣
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
@NASAAdmin
It was a good day at @NASAKennedy and @SLDelta45 🇺🇸
6:36 AM · Oct 2, 2026
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2106015363578433625
moar
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2106014492077228126
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2106011482035216561
https://x.com/NRO_gov/status/2105937100730204346
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2106010219222331592