The Great Comet of 2025 and Other Stunning Space Images of the Week – Indian Defence Review
Astronomers have captured a rare final glimpse of Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) before it vanishes for half a million years. Meanwhile, new space images reveal solar activity, orbital photography, and advances in aerospace technology.A newly captured image of Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) offers a final glimpse of what has been dubbed the Great Comet of 2025, a celestial visitor that won’t return for another half a million years. This rare spectacle has drawn attention from astronomers and skywatchers alike, marking one of the most anticipated astronomical events of the year.Meanwhile, space agencies and observatories continue to unveil stunning new imagery, including a massive coronal hole on the Sun, an astronaut’s long-exposure shot from the ISS, and progress in supersonic flight technology. Live Science reports that these discoveries, along with ongoing planetary missions, are shaping an eventful year for space science and exploration.A striking new photograph taken near Firmat, Argentina, captures Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) as it begins to disappear over the horizon. The comet’s reflection in a nearby puddle provides an unexpected secondary perspective of this fleeting celestial body.Daylight-visible comets are exceptionally rare. In the past century, only a handful have been bright enough to be seen with the naked eye during the day, including Comet McNaught in 2007 and Comet West in 1976. C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is expected to be one of the brightest comets of the decade before it moves into the outer reaches of the solar system, not to return for approximately 500,000 years.On 29 January 2025, solar observers identified a 500,000-mile-wide coronal hole on the Sun’s surface. This structure, significantly larger than Earth, is releasing high-speed solar wind towards our planet at speeds exceeding 500 km/s (310 miles/s).The fast-moving stream of charged particles, expected to arrive by 31 January, could cause minor geomagnetic storms (classified as G1 level). While these storms pose no major threat to infrastructure, they may enhance auroral activity, leading to particularly vivid northern and southern lights visible at high latitudes. The observation was made using NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), a satellite dedicated to monitoring the Sun’s activity.An image taken by NASA astronaut Don Pettit aboard the International Space Station (ISS) provides a unique view of Earth at night. Using a Nikon Z 9 camera with a 24mm lens, Pettit captured a 20-second exposure showing city lights streaked across the surface below, with the stars above appearing elongated due to the station’s motion.This photograph was taken on 23 January at 04:56:19 GMT while the ISS was passing over North America, near Mérida, Mexico. The combination of blurred city lights, a glowing atmospheric layer, and stars in the background offers a visually striking representation of orbital motion.In related aerospace news, NASA and Lockheed Martin have released images of the X-59 “quiet” supersonic jet undergoing tests at the Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California. The aircraft, designed to minimise the disruptive effects of sonic booms, is a key part of NASA’s efforts to develop next-generation supersonic passenger travel.Recent tests focused on the afterburner system, which injects extra fuel into the hot exhaust for increased thrust. Once operational, the X-59 could pave the way for commercial aircraft capable of flying faster than sound without producing disruptive sonic booms over populated areas.Continuing its ambitious deployment of global satellite internet infrastructure, SpaceX successfully launched and recovered a Falcon 9 booster after placing 23 new Starlink satellites into orbit.The mission, launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, marked SpaceX’s 401st successful booster recovery and was also the 11th Falcon 9 mission of 2025. These continued launches are essential to expanding Starlink’s satellite network, which aims to provide broadband access to remote regions worldwide.Astronomers have unveiled the largest-ever image of the Andromeda Galaxy, compiled from a decade of observations by the Hubble Space Telescope. This massive mosaic captures the light of nearly 200 million stars, offering the most detailed panoramic view of our neighbouring galaxy to date.The final image serves as a valuable resource for astronomers studying stellar populations, galactic structure, and star formation within Andromeda, which is on a slow collision course with the Milky Way, expected to merge in about 4.5 billion years.Another recent milestone in planetary exploration was achieved by the ESA-JAXA BepiColombo spacecraft, which completed its sixth and final flyby of Mercury. During this manoeuvre, BepiColombo passed just 185 miles (295 km) from the planet’s nightside, capturing detailed images of its surface.This approach offers a preview of the close-up observations the spacecraft will conduct once it enters its primary orbit around Mercury in 2026. Scientists are eager to study the planet’s magnetic field, surface composition, and extreme temperature variations, which range from 430°C (806°F) during the day to -180°C (-292°F) at night.Comment Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
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