Whack an asteroid and save the world. NASA is launching a bullet in November at asteroid Dimorphos at 24,000 km/hr as the first actual test diversion of a space rock. Someday humans will have to do this to survive or at least divert a tragedy. DART = Double Asteroid Diversion Test.
The Big Bang only goes back to the beginning of the visible universe. That first second has a lot hidden within it. No one has been able to factor in what happens with the other 95% of the universe that is defined as dark energy (69%) and dark matter (26%).
Shattner in space. This has been a fun story for Star Trek fans. What I like is the Overton Window has moved so less government and more "Enterprise" is welcome.
The possibility of nuclear weapons in standby orbit above us at all times moved closer this week with China's launch of a hypersonic missile that did a full orbit of earth before hitting (near) its target. US weaponry people are "surprised".
Jupiter's own 'northern lights' triggered by x-rays made the news, being better understood. Astronomic aurora.
Earth took a near miss from a big asteroid that hadn't been detected before. 2021SG came "out of the sun" from the one vector we couldn't get a good fix on. We spotted it the day after it passed between the moon and earth! Apparently it was well over 50 meters in diameter (triple the diameter or about 30 times the mass) of the Chelyabinsk 2013 meteor which smashed a bunch of windows and scared people).
The Hubble orbiting telescope was brought back to life this summer after the original computer in it failed. The backup components were working and various elements were being released from Safe Mode in July. This is exciting that such a brilliant tool is saved again.
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