New image of Thackeray's Globules & Bus-sized asteroid flies safely by - Space News (May 25, 2026)

Dark, tadpole-shaped clouds in a new NASA image might be hiding stars that have not even begun to shine yet.[8] Welcome to The Automated Daily, space news edition. The podcast created by generative AI. I am TrendTeller, and today is May 25th, 2026. In the next few minutes, we will look at how that eerie new image of Thackeray's Globules is changing the way we picture stellar nurseries, why a small asteroid cruising past Earth today is a reminder that planetary defense is a very real, very active field, what to expect from an upcoming Russian spacewalk outside the International Space Station, and how another Starlink launch is helping reshape our planet’s communications infrastructure.[8][15][3][9] As always, the goal here is simple: give you a clear, calm overview of what is happening above our heads and why it matters, without drowning you in jargon. Let us get started with that cosmic cloudscape.

New image of Thackeray's Globules

NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day today features a stunning portrait of Thackeray's Globules, a set of dark, knotted clouds silhouetted against the rich blue glow of a star-forming region.[8] At first glance they look almost like smudges or drops of ink, but those irregular brown shapes are actually dense clumps of gas and dust embedded in a much larger nebula. These globules block the light behind them, which is why they appear as dark shapes set against a bright background, and that contrast makes the fine structure inside them really stand out in the new image.[8] What makes Thackeray's Globules scientifically interesting is that they may represent early stages in the birth of new stars, or in some cases the disruptive aftermath of nearby massive stars blasting their surroundings with radiation and stellar winds.[8] In regions like this, gravity is constantly competing with those powerful external forces: parts of a globule may be collapsing inward to form protostars, while other parts are being eroded and shredded by intense ultraviolet light from young, hot stars nearby. By studying the detailed shapes and edges in images like this, astronomers can infer how fast material is being stripped away and how much might still have time to collapse and light up as future suns. Even though this is just one frame from one patch of sky, it captures that broader story of how messy and dynamic star formation really is.[8] For the rest of us, the image is a reminder that space is not just empty blackness dotted with stars, but a place filled with structure and texture on many scales. You can see smooth glowing gas, sharp-edged dark knots, and hints of finer filaments all sharing the same scene, almost like weather patterns carved into a cosmic cloud deck.[8] That visual richness is part of why NASA’s daily image project has such staying power: it turns complex astrophysics into something anyone can appreciate at a glance, while still giving researchers a chance to zoom in and measure the physical processes at work.

Bus-sized asteroid flies safely by

While that mysterious scene plays out far away, there is a small visitor passing our own planet today that is much closer to home: a near-Earth asteroid designated 2026 KW is making what NASA calls a close approach, though in cosmic terms it is still a very safe distance away.[15] The latest entry on NASA’s Asteroid Watch dashboard notes that this object is roughly the size of a bus and will pass at a distance of around 1.7 million miles, several times farther than the Moon.[15] That means there is no danger, but the flyby is close enough to keep it on the agency’s list of objects worth tracking. Events like this are not rare—near-Earth space is busier than many people realize—but they are important checkpoints for the planetary defense community.[15] Every flyby provides another opportunity to refine the asteroid’s orbit, update its future path, and test the performance of our detection and tracking systems. The fact that we can catalog an object only a few dozen feet across and confidently predict when it will pass by, and how far away it will be, is the result of decades of survey work and careful orbit modeling.[15] It is the same capability that underpins more dramatic efforts, like NASA’s DART mission that demonstrated we can change the path of an asteroid, and ESA’s Hera mission that is en route to study the aftermath of that test in detail.[27] For listeners, the key takeaway is that “close approach” does not mean “impact threat” in everyday usage. NASA defines a close approach as anything that comes within a certain number of millions of miles, and only much larger objects that pass significantly closer are classified as potentially hazardous.[15] Today’s visitor does not fall into that category. Instead, it is another quiet success story for the network of observatories and analysts who monitor these rocks night after night, doing the unglamorous but essential work of making sure we are not caught off guard by something truly dangerous in the future.

Upcoming Russian spacewalk at ISS

Up in orbit, preparations are underway for a different kind of high-stakes operation: a Russian spacewalk outside the International Space Station scheduled for May 27, with NASA announcing it will provide live coverage of the event.[3] Two Roscosmos cosmonauts are set to leave the confines of the station and work in the vacuum of space for several hours, performing tasks that typically include installing equipment, routing cables, or maintaining external systems.[3][21] Spacewalks are among the most challenging and choreographed activities astronauts carry out, requiring detailed planning, careful rehearsal, and constant coordination between the crew and mission control teams on the ground. According to NASA’s update, coverage will begin shortly before the cosmonauts exit the airlock, giving viewers a chance to see how they prepare, suit up, and transition into the actual work portion of the excursion.[3] Cameras on their helmets, on the station’s exterior, and inside mission control make these broadcasts a rare chance for the public to see orbital construction and maintenance as it happens, rather than just in highlight reels. For engineers and planners, each spacewalk is also a learning opportunity, refining procedures that will be essential as agencies pivot from maintaining the ISS to building out new infrastructure around the Moon and, eventually, beyond.[21] Even though this particular spacewalk is part of the station’s ongoing routine—there is no single dramatic demonstration or new technology on display—it still matters. The ISS has been continuously inhabited for more than two decades, and that long lifetime depends on many such maintenance outings to replace hardware, upgrade systems, and keep the station in good working order.[20][21] Watching crews from different countries work outside together, with NASA providing coverage of a Russian-led activity, is also a reminder that despite tensions on the ground, orbital operations remain one of the more stable areas of international cooperation. For a program defined by long-term partnership, that continuity is a story in itself.

SpaceX Starlink launch from Florida

Back on the launch pad, commercial spaceflight is pressing ahead as usual. SpaceX’s launch schedule shows a Falcon 9 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida today, carrying another batch of Starlink communications satellites to low Earth orbit.[9] Regional launch calendars for Florida’s Space Coast list a morning liftoff time, with the rocket expected to fly to the east and then land its first stage on a droneship downrange, continuing the company’s pattern of reusable operations.[44] While another Starlink launch might sound routine by now, the cadence is a big part of what makes this story significant. Each of these missions adds dozens more satellites to the Starlink constellation, which already numbers in the thousands and is designed to provide broadband internet coverage across much of the globe.[9] The rapid growth of the network is changing how remote communities, ships at sea, and even research stations connect to the wider world, but it is also driving new debates about space traffic, orbital debris, and the impact of satellite megaconstellations on astronomical observations.[17][17] Astronomers have raised concerns about bright satellite trails in telescope images, and operators have responded with various mitigation strategies, but this is still an evolving conversation as more and more hardware reaches orbit. From a launch perspective, today’s flight is another data point in the shift from space as a place for rare, flagship missions to a domain with frequent, almost airline-like operations for certain providers.[9][44] A steady drumbeat of launches builds up both capability and expectations: customers come to assume that going to orbit can be scheduled in weeks or months instead of years, and engineers design new missions around those assumptions. So even if the payload is familiar, the pace and reliability behind it are reshaping the economic and operational landscape of low Earth orbit.

That is it for today’s journey through the latest from space. We saw how a new image of Thackeray's Globules offers a hauntingly beautiful snapshot of star formation in action, how a small asteroid quietly passing by Earth illustrates the steady, behind-the-scenes work of planetary defense, what a coming Russian spacewalk tells us about the health and longevity of the International Space Station, and how yet another Starlink launch reflects the new rhythm of commercial spaceflight.[8][15][3][9] If you found this useful, consider sharing it with a friend who likes to look up at the night sky, or someone who simply enjoys knowing what is happening beyond our atmosphere. I am TrendTeller, and this has been The Automated Daily, space news edition. The podcast created by generative AI. Thanks for listening, and until next time, keep your curiosity in orbit.

New image of Thackeray's Globules & Bus-sized asteroid flies safely by - Space News (May 25, 2026)

Our Sponsors

Today's Space News Topics