Comet G3 (ATLAS) looks breathtaking above future home of world's largest telescope (photos)

February 6, 2025 CONNECT WITH SPACE.COM       Something amazing every day. SIGN UP ⋅   WEBSITE The Launchpad (NASA) These 9 companies will dream up Artemis moon mission tech A bevy of space companies will lend a hand to NASA's moon goals under new contracts centered around the agency's upcoming Artemis missions. Nine companies in seven states are now engaged, under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) Appendix R contracts, making sure NASA's Artemis program uses the best tech possible. Read More Space Quiz! Which of the sun's layers encapsulates the entire solar system? Learn the answer here! Corona Heliosphere Ionosphere Solar flares (F. Millour/ESO) Comet G3 (ATLAS) looks breathtaking in these photos Veteran comet hunters have called G3 (ATLAS) the "Great Comet of 2025" due to its daytime visibility and spectacular nighttime sightings. In these gorgeous photos from the Paranal Observatory, it's not hard to see why. Gaze in amazement Skywatching See the moon and Jupiter grab 'the Bull' by the horns (Chris Vaughan/Starry Night) Roughly 45 minutes after sundown, look high in the southeast, more than two thirds of the way up from the horizon to the point directly overhead and you'll see the moon. Hovering about 5.5 degrees above it will be brilliant Jupiter. Don't miss this one! Full Story: Space (2/5)  Spaceflight German company Atmos launching 1st cargo-return capsule (Atmos Space Cargo) Germany's Atmos Space Cargo announced today (Feb. 5) that its first Phoenix reentry capsule will fly on SpaceX's Bandwagon 3 rideshare mission. Phoenix is designed to haul material down to terra firma, providing a safe ride home for a variety of high-value products that will be made in orbit, particularly in the biomedical field. Full Story: Space (2/5)  Science & Astronomy PUNCH probes launch for solar study mission this month (NASA) Soon, NASA intends to tackle yet another solar conundrum that has to do with both the corona and the solar wind. Full Story: Space (2/5)  Entertainment The Fantastic Four meets Saturn V in 'First Steps' trailer (U.S. Space & Rocket Center) Disney's Marvel Studios launched its highly anticipated first look at "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" on Tuesday (Feb. 4), by broadcasting live from a site that is well-suited to fit into the 1960's-inspired, retro-futuristic world that serves as the film's backdrop. Full Story: Space (2/5)  Star Trek 'This idea that it takes like 250 years for Pluto to orbit the sun, I think that's just bizarre.' Star Trek scion Adam Nimoy talks our favorite (dwarf) planet for 'I Heart Pluto' festival (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute) Join Adam Nimoy (Son of "Star Trek's" Leonard Nimoy), New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern, comet-hunting superstar David Levy and moderator David Eicher, Editor-in-Chief of Astronomy magazine, for an evening panel discussion at the Orpheum Theater on Feb. 15. Full Story: Space (2/5)

US-Japan summit: what to expect; Karman Moves Forward with IPO; HELIOS directed-energy weapon hits drone

February 06, 2025

US-Japan summit: what to expect Tokyo (AFP) Feb 6, 2025 Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba travels to the United States on Thursday, aiming to agree with President Donald Trump on steps to strengthen the two countries' alliance. ... more

Trump calls for work on new Iran nuclear deal to begin 'immediately' Washington (AFP) Feb 5, 2025 US President Donald Trump called Wednesday for a "verified nuclear peace agreement" with Iran, after withdrawing from a similar deal in his first term and instituting a so-called "maximum pressure" policy. ... more

U.S. Navy intercepted test drone with HELIOS directed-energy weapon Washington DC (UPI) Feb 5, 2025 The U.S. Navy has developed a directed-energy weapon that can intercept unmanned drones and possibly cruise missiles while enhancing naval operations in combat areas. ... more

Karman Moves Forward with Initial Public Offering Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 06, 2025 Karman Space and Defense ("Karman"), a company specializing in mission-critical systems for missile, defense, and space programs, has announced the launch of its initial public offering (IPO), compr ... more

Study refutes nuclear test allegations after 2024 Iran earthquake Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 06, 2025 A comprehensive study has debunked allegations that a magnitude 4.5 earthquake in Iran was a covert nuclear weapons test, a claim that spread widely across social media and some news outlets in Octo ... more

US VP Vance to attend security meet in Munich Berlin (AFP) Feb 5, 2025 US Vice President JD Vance will travel to Germany for a high-level security forum in Munich next week, Berlin said Wednesday. ... more

Japan's 'geeky' PM Ishiba to navigate Trump relations Tokyo (AFP) Feb 6, 2025 Days after Donald Trump's 2016 election victory, Japan's then-prime minister Shinzo Abe rushed to deliver him a gold-plated golf club, becoming the first leader to visit and setting the tone for a relationship both men said was close. ... more

Moving troops, armaments across Europe 'problematic': EU auditors Paris (AFP) Feb 5, 2025 Moving troops and armaments across Europe remains "problematic" and it is unclear "who does what" when it comes to mobility, EU auditors said Wednesday, as the continent races to build defences in the face of Russia's war in Ukraine. ... more

South Korea and Australia ban DeepSeek on government devices restrict access Seoul (AFP) Feb 6, 2025 South Korean ministries and police said Thursday they were blocking DeepSeek's access to their computers, after the Chinese AI startup did not respond to a data watchdog request about how it manages user information. ... more US Marine vet acquitted in NY subway death joins tech firm Washington (AFP) Feb 5, 2025 A US Marine veteran who was acquitted in the chokehold death of a homeless man on the New York subway - a high-profile case highlighting the divisive issue of race in America - has been hired by a major Silicon Valley firm allied with Donald Trump. ... more EU: Legal foundations laid in Europe to hold Russia account for Ukraine war Washington DC (UPI) Feb 5, 2025 Senior legal experts have laid the foundations to establish a special tribunal to hold Russia accountable for its war against Ukraine, according to officials, who said the move represented a major step toward securing justice for the victims of Russian President Vladimir Putin's war of aggression. ... more Rocket Lab and iQPS finalize arrangement for four Electron missions Sydney, Australia (SPX) Feb 05, 2025 Rocket Lab USA, Inc. has secured an agreement with the Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS), a Japanese Earth observation company specializing in high-resolution imagery, to deliver fo ... more Cook Islands to seal partnership with China as NZ bristles Sydney (AFP) Feb 6, 2025 The Cook Islands prime minister will agree on a plan for a strategic partnership with China on a state visit starting Monday, his office has confirmed, despite a public rebuke from close partner New Zealand. ... more Israel defence minister orders army to plan for 'voluntary' departures from Gaza Jerusalem (AFP) Feb 6, 2025 Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Thursday that he had ordered the army to formulate a plan to allow Palestinians to leave Gaza. ... more Malawi prepares to withdraw troops from DR Congo Lilongwe, Malawi (AFP) Feb 6, 2025 Malawi has ordered its military to prepare to withdraw from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group has launched a new offensive, the president's office said. ... more KAIST develops AI-driven performance prediction model to advance space electric propulsion technology Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Feb 05, 2025 Hall thrusters, an essential propulsion technology for space missions such as NASA's Psyche asteroid mission and SpaceX's Starlink satellites, operate using plasma to achieve efficient thrust. The r ... more Europa Clipper Charts Course to Jupiter With First Stellar Snapshots Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 05, 2025 Three months after lifting off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Europa Clipper spacecraft still has 1.6 billion miles (2.6 billion kilometers) ahead before it settles into Jupiter's ... more Trump reinstates 'maximum pressure' campaign on Iran Washington DC (UPI) Feb 4, 2025 President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a memorandum to restore the so-called maximum pressure campaign on Iran from his first administration, which failed to achieve its goal of bringing about a new deal with Tehran to prevent it from securing a nuclear weapon. Instead, the Middle Eastern country has escalated its nuclear weapons program. ... more