Comet 3I/ATLAS reached perihelion on October 30, 2025. This article details the findings from observations of this interstellar comet, including its composition, activity, and orbital behavior, and how this data will inform future missions.
Scientists, including those at the SETI Institute, observed the comet and gathered data on its origin, composition, and trajectory.
Key findings include an unusual prevalence of carbon dioxide over water ice, a nickel-to-iron ratio differing from Solar System comets, and a brightening event near perihelion
Thpe data collected will be valuable for future missions like ESA’s Comet Interceptor, preparing scientists to study future interstellar visitors. The article highlights the role of citizen scientists through the Unistellar Network in contributing to these observations.
Scientists, including those at the SETI Institute, observed the comet and gathered data on its origin, composition, and trajectory.
Key findings include an unusual prevalence of carbon dioxide over water ice, a nickel-to-iron ratio differing from Solar System comets, and a brightening event near perihelion
Thpe data collected will be valuable for future missions like ESA’s Comet Interceptor, preparing scientists to study future interstellar visitors. The article highlights the role of citizen scientists through the Unistellar Network in contributing to these observations.
Scientists have discovered new complex organic molecules spewing from Saturn’s moon Enceladus, indicating complex chemical reactions within its underground ocean and strengthening the case for a dedicated ESA mission to the moon.
Months after arriving in orbit thanks to a Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, NASA’s newest space telescope has started collecting images of the universe. The craft known as SPHEREx — Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer — shared a ride with another NASA mission for the trek on March 11.
The first test images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory have captured light from millions of distant stars and galaxies, and are expected to reveal thousands of previously unseen asteroids. The observatory is expected to revolutionize our understanding of the universe.
NASA's SPHEREx mission aims to study the origins of the universe, the history of galaxies, and the presence of water and pre-biotic molecules in planetary systems. It will conduct an all-sky spectral survey to gather data on over 100 million stars and galaxies, providing insights into large-scale cosmic structures and the history of galaxy formation.
DARPA seeks to develop large bio-mechanical space structures using living organisms like fungal mycelia and hagfish slime, aiming to reduce launch costs and increase adaptability for space exploration.
Researchers have found that computations may require less memory than previously thought, with a new study suggesting that a calculation of X steps requires only the square root of X log X memory slots.
The article discusses technologies to radiation-harden future spacecraft electronics, including silicon carbide semiconductors, advanced CMOS designs, photonics, and nonvolatile memory, to avoid issues like the ones that almost doomed the Europa Clipper mission.
The first part of the largest 3D map of the universe ever made has been released, featuring 14 million galaxies and tens of millions of stars. The mission aims to map a third of the sky over six years, capturing billions of galaxies to better understand dark energy and dark matter.
Provides access to GOES satellite images and data for regions in North America, the Caribbean, Pacific, and South America, including various channels and composite views for monitoring weather phenomena.
