DarkSapiens
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darksapiens.bsky.social
DarkSapiens
@darksapiens.bsky.social
Astrophysics, science communication, sci-fi, nerdery (he/him)
Astronomer at @cefca-oaj.bsky.social
https://linktr.ee/darksapiens
Reposted by DarkSapiens
To quote one of the extended project team members in the very early planning stages of this: "We're NASA. This is what we're supposed to do." Just matter-of-factly in a telecon trying figure out how do this…
November 19, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Reposted by DarkSapiens
For this, we had to slew the whole spacecraft while the spacecraft was also orbiting while the comet was moving…
November 19, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Reposted by DarkSapiens
We're a push broom camera, like a scanner in one direction, and not a framing camera like our phones and SLRs. We normally use our orbital motion to carry us over the scene line by line.
November 19, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Reposted by DarkSapiens
Trust in science will increase when we stop all the money being used to fund anti-science political attacks and spread disinformation.
November 19, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Reposted by DarkSapiens
3I/ATLAS images from HiRISE on MRO, as well as from STEREO, Psyche, and Lucy: science.nasa.gov/solar-system....

It looks like the nucleus remains impossible to separate from the coma surrounding it.
View Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Through NASA’s Multiple Lenses  - NASA Science
NASA is in the midst of an unprecedented solar system-wide observation campaign, turning its spacecraft and space telescopes to follow comet 3I/ATLAS, the
science.nasa.gov
November 19, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Reposted by DarkSapiens
Associate Administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Nicky Fox, further points out that 3I/ATLAS is not a danger to Earth. (But it was found by a telescope called the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, part of the Planetary Defense Network, which is pretty awesome.)
November 19, 2025 at 8:08 PM