These space stories made us look up in 2025

What’s Happening

Not gonna lie, Space is always inspiring and 2025 was no exception, with finding Betelgeuse’s buddy, debuting a prolific survey telescope and more.

Space These space stories made us look up in 2025 Sticking a moon landing, hearing the crackle of lightning on Mars and more This picture of the Trifid and Lagoon nebulas combines 678 images taken Rubin Observatory in just over seven hours. During the observatory’s 10-year survey, scientists will combine thousands of images of the same patches of sky. (and honestly, same)

Those stacked images will make bright spots brighter and dark spots darker, allowing fainter and more distant objects to pop.

The Details

RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA By Lisa Grossman at 10:00 am this: via email (Opens in new window) Email Click to on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to on X (Opens in new window) X Click to print (Opens in new window) Print From eclipses on demand to a rare interstellar visitor to the chances of Earth being flung out of orbit, some news in 2025 made us ponder our place in the universe. Here’s a look at some of our favorite space stories.

A rare interstellar visitor The Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on November 30. Hui/Shanghai Astronomical Observatory.

Why This Matters

DePasquale/STScI Our solar system got a new out-of-town guest in 2025, for only the third time that we know of. Comet 3I/ATLAS was spotted on July 1 survey telescope in Chile. Astronomers quickly determined that its orbit was taking it on a quick jaunt through the solar system before sweeping out again.

The scientific community tends to find developments like this significant.

The Bottom Line

Since then, the comet has sprouted a tail, swung around the sun at more than 200,000 kilometers per hour, been photographed the solar system (including from the surface of Mars), shown signs of icy volcanism and sparked discussion of the possibility that it’s an alien spacecraft. For our We summarize the week’s scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

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