The interstellar space rock shows off the illuminating effects of its brush with the sun. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. After months of unprecedented observations, astronomers are bidding goodbye to the beloved comet 3I/ATLAS . First spotted in July 2025, the frigid, dusty space rock is only the third known interstellar object to pass through the solar system, offering researchers the rare opportunity to examine a visitor from deep space. Among other discoveries, scientists have since confirmed that the interstellar comet is the fastest ever recorded as well as covered in ice volcanoes --and definitely not extraterrestrial tourists .

Astronomers Are Closing In on the Kuiper Belt's Secrets As next-generation telescopes map this outer frontier, astronomers are bracing for discoveries that could reveal hidden planets, strange structures, and clues to the solar system's chaotic youth. Out beyond the orbit of Neptune lies an expansive ring of ancient relics, dynamical enigmas, and possibly a hidden planet--or two. The Kuiper Belt, a region of frozen debris about 30 to 50 times farther from the sun than the Earth is--and perhaps farther, though nobody knows--has been shrouded in mystery since it first came into view in the 1990s. Over the past 30 years, astronomers have cataloged about 4,000 Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs), including a smattering of dwarf worlds, icy comets, and leftover planet parts. But that number is expected to increase tenfold in the coming years as observations from more advanced telescopes pour in.

From surveys of the pre-Sputnik skies to analysis of interstellar visitors, scientists are rethinking how and where to look for physical traces of alien technology. Science fiction is awash in the material remnants of extraterrestrial civilizations, which surface in everything from the classic books of Arthur C. Clarke to game franchises like and . The discovery of the first interstellar objects in the solar system within the past decade has sparked speculation that they could be alien artifacts or spaceships, though the scientific consensus remains that all three of these visitors have natural explanations. That said, scientists have been anticipating the possibility of encountering alien artifacts since the dawn of the space age. "In the history of technosignatures, the possibility that there could be artifacts in the solar system has been around for a long time," says Adam Frank, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Rochester.

Nicknamed Dracula's Chivito, the disk is 1,000 light-years away from Earth. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Scientists are leaving space fans with one more treat before the year comes to a close. Using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers captured a stunning image of the largest protoplanetary disk ever observed, which just happens to be shaped like a giant celestial sandwich. The massive formation of dust and gas, which astronomers call Dracula's Chivito, resides about 1,000 light-years from Earth and spans roughly 400 billion miles.

America's great journey in space is about to face its most consequential moment in half a century. Everyone agrees: It's a complete disaster. I. Artemis, We Have a Problem As you may have heard, NASA plans to send a crew of astronauts around the moon in early 2026, followed by a lunar landing in 2027. Or maybe you haven't heard. When I told one of my daughters about this plan to send people to the moon, she said, after a long silence: "But I thought we already sent a bunch of people there a long time ago." This is a standard response when I quiz people about Artemis, NASA's program to return to the moon, and this time to stay . It's named for Apollo's twin sister and the goddess of the moon and the hunt. The other day, I was in a gaggle with six neighbors, all highly informed professional people--two of them with long careers at the National Science Foundation--and none knew anything about Artemis except one thing: It's a plan to send people to Mars. Artemis is a moon mission. There is no Mars mission NASA has no Mars rocket, no Mars capsule, no Mars mission crew. What it does have is a very troubled moon program. Artemis faces fundamental engineering challenges that have called into question the program's basic architecture. Reconfiguring a mission this important is hard in the best of times, but the agency is being forced to do it during a year of unprecedented internal turmoil. A new administration always means turnover, but NASA has been in an uncontrolled spin every bit as alarming as the one Neil Armstrong famously pulled out of during in 1966. More than a year ago, President-elect Donald Trump nominated a billionaire entrepreneur and Elon Musk ally, Jared Isaacman, to become NASA administrator. It was an unconventional choice, but Isaacman drew support from many quarters in the space community. Then, right before Isaacman was poised for confirmation by the Senate, Trump and Musk had a nasty falling-out, and Trump yanked Isaacman's nomination. Since Inauguration Day, NASA had been run by acting administrator Janet Petro, a veteran agency official, and with Isaacman out, she remained in charge until one day in July when Trump suddenly named Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy as interim administrator.

The interstellar object is still soaring through our solar system. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. It's understandable why every space agency and astronomy enthusiast around the world is trying to catch a glimpse of 3I/ATLAS . Not only is it the third-known interstellar object to pass through our solar system,it's also the fastest comet ever recorded . But even as it races at 130,00 miles per hour towards its closest distance from Earth, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope recently caught another stunning glimpse of the icy rock.

It's still not aliens, but the interstellar comet keeps getting weirder. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. As comet 3I/ATLAS continues its exciting journey through our solar system, scientists are still learning everything they can about this special space rock. It is only the second interstellar object ever tracked through our solar system and is among the fastest comets ever observed. As the 3I/ATLAS nears its closest distance to Earth, an international team of astronomers now says the space rock may be covered in active, icy cryovolcanoes.

Physicists finally know how much faster time moves on the Red Planet. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Tracking the first astronauts' visit to Mars won't be as simple as watching a clock or marking days off of a calendar. Thanks to relativity, time actually moves faster on the Red Planet than it does here on Earth. For years, scientists have wondered about the exact temporal difference between planets, but physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) finally have an answer.

Karoline Leavitt's family member was swarmed by ICE agents while picking up son from school as child's father tell her to'self deport' Deaths from highly infectious virus are growing... as states brace for widespread outbreaks My book on the Kennedys was used as a'mistress manual' by Olivia Nuzzi... then this wannabe Carolyn Bessette had the nerve to hound me with these outrageous texts: MAUREEN CALLAHAN Katy Perry's legal victory as judge orders disabled veteran to pay singer nearly $2m over Montecito mansion Trump reveals next DC renovation project to remove'Biden filth' after White House ballroom Cracker Barrel CEO whines that she got'fired by America' for woke redesign Kroger employee reveals shocking amount laundry products have increased by... 'biggest price jump I've seen in a single week' Hollywood heir, 23, whose mom Anne Heche died in horror car fireball has secret LOVE CHILD with 43-year-old... now she's telling all Missing Melodee Buzzard's mom'left her daughter with strangers she met at the zoo' Rachel Zoe reveals why she dumped husband of 26 years... and if she has started dating again Horrific moment cops found body of Cowboys star Marshawn Kneeland after he shot himself at end of 145 mph chase'This is pretty lurid' Jenny McCarthy, 53, reveals health emergency that involved NINE surgeries, her'teeth falling out' and'growth' on her eyeballs Maryland grandma, 58, dragged across floor after being deported to country she'has never even visited' The United Nations (UN) has confirmed that Earth's planetary defenses will be observing the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it races through our solar system . Starting on November 27, a global team of scientists with the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) will kick off a two-month campaign to track the comet as it nears our planet . 'While it poses no threat, comet 3I/ATLAS presents a great opportunity for the IAWN community to perform an observing exercise due to its prolonged observability from Earth and high interest to the scientific community,' the UN explains on its website. 'This 3I/ATLAS campaign is the 8th IAWN observing exercise since 2017 - IAWN holds these exercises roughly once a year.' While 3I/ATLAS was only discovered in July 2025, the UN explained that this'comet campaign' has long been planned.

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has captured the imaginations of both amateur and professional skygazers, but it's not the only icy space rock to recently speed past Earth. In October, a pair of comets known as Lemmon and SWAN also left trails of dust and gas as they continued along their vast orbits through the solar system. As luck had it, their timing perfectly aligned with a wave of vibrant auroras generated by one of this year's largest solar eruptions. And judging from NASA's recently released photos, few people had a better vantage point than the astronauts aboard the International Space Station.