Hidden Stars and Rapid Launches: This Week’s Space Highlights

Introduction

Welcome to another exciting week!

Content:

1. Best image of the week

2. Words from our sponsor

3. Last week news

4. Upcoming events

5. Mobile wallpaper

6. Submissions + Feedback

Best image of the week

This week’s featured image comes from James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble archive, highlighting the Rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud region some 390 light-years away. The image, shared on October 25, 2025, reveals a rich field of Sun-like stars forming within dense dust and gas. The interplay of blue, gold and reddish filaments signals complex stellar nursery activity—dust scattering starlight, jets carving cavities, and young stars lighting up their surroundings. This scene invites us to reflect on our Sun’s early environment and the origins of planetary systems.

Words from our sponsor

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Last week news

• October 25, 2025: SpaceX launched 28 satellites aboard a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, marking its 135th orbital mission of the year, surpassing the total number of missions flown by the Space Shuttle over its entire history. This milestone highlights how launch cadence and reuse are reshaping orbital access. Space+1

• October 22, 2025: A new comet, Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN), emerged after sunset in the southern sky. It was first spotted by the SOHO spacecraft’s SWAN camera and is now visible with binoculars in dark skies. Its elongated tail and fading brightness offer a once-in-a-lifetime view from Earth. EarthSky

• October 21, 2025 (approx): Observers organizing skywatching campaigns for the upcoming Orionid meteor shower were given tips on how to spot early meteors as Earth moves into the dense dust trails. Though the peak is slightly ahead, activity is already picking up and reminding us of meteor-stream dynamics. NASA Science

• October 24, 2025: New modelling studies suggested that the Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) may brighten further as it approaches perihelion, making it a target for amateur astronomers this autumn. Seeing a long-period comet with a visible tail gives insight into primordial Solar System material. wired.com

Upcoming events

• October 29, 2025: Watch for the perihelion passage of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, which reached its closest approach to the Sun around this date. Though it won’t pass near Earth, its hyperbolic trajectory and unique composition make it a prime target for space-craft observations. Wikipedia+1

• October 31, 2025: The Hera mission will attempt a pass through the ion-tail region of 3I/ATLAS, offering the potential to sample material from an interstellar visitor. Though distant, the encounter provides novel in-situ science of non-Solar-System material. arXiv

• November 1, 2025: Skywatchers in moderate latitudes may catch early views of Comet SWAN before dawn, especially from dark-sky locations. This offers the opportunity to track its evolving tail and brightness as it continues its outbound journey.

Submissions + Feedback

If you want to get featured in the next issue, reply to this email with your images and wallpapers to this email.

Also, it would mean a lot if you shared a topic you want me to cover.