Astronomy in 2025: This Year’s Most Captivating Discoveries in Space and the Cosmos
Here is a look at just a few of the biggest developments in astronomy that The Debrief has been tracking in 2025.
Micah Hanks
Micah Hanks is creator, co-founder, and Editor-in-Chief of The Debrief. He covers science, defense, and technology in his writing and podcasts, and you can find him at micahhanks.com and on X @MicahHanks.
A New “Cloaking Device” is Unveiled, Ancient Technology Emerges, and the Space Force’s New ‘Ghosts, Gods, and Monsters’
This week in our top stories, researchers unveil a novel "cloaking device" that can shield complex objects from detection, and more.
“We Did Not Expect Anything Like This”: How a Black-Market Archaeological Discovery Helped Unearth a Lost Ancient Fortress
A collection of silver coins sold on the black market has led European archaeologists to the discovery of...
3I/ATLAS Is Making Its Closest Approach to Earth Today—Here’s Everything You Need to Know
On Friday, interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS makes its nearest approach to Earth. Here's what you need to know, and how to track the alien visitor.
White House Backs Sweeping Reforms as Congress Advances 2026 Defense Authorization Bill
This week, Congress has advanced the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) toward becoming law.
NASA Spots a Mysterious “Siberian Snowman” in New Satellite Images
Satellite imagery of a remote village that once served as a Soviet supply port during the Cold War has revealed an odd discovery—one that resembles an iconic wintertime mainstay.
Colossal Foundation Expands Its Ambitious Genetic Rescue and De-Extinction Programs to Save Endangered Species
Colossal Foundation, the nonprofit element of the Texas-based de-extinction and conservation science company Colossal Biosciences, has announced a $50 million funding boost that is advancing its efforts to support wildlife recovery projects.
Mysterious ‘Little Foot’ Could Be an Unidentified Humanlike Species, Researchers Conclude
Scientists challenge past conclusions about "Little Foot," an enigmatic ancient human fossil, now arguing that it is an unidentified species.
A Real-Life ‘Star Wars’ Discovery, Einstein Vindicated Again, and Solving a Deadly 4000-Year-Old Mystery
This week, astronomers have spotted a 'Tatooine' world, Einstein has been proven right (again), and a Bronze Age mystery comes into focus.
This Enigmatic Ancient Script Hidden Within the Dead Sea Scrolls Was Thought to be Indecipherable—Until Now
A researcher has solved one of the longstanding riddles of the Dead Sea Scrolls by deciphering a hidden script within the famous texts.
NASA Says an “Anomaly” Has Led to Sudden Signal Loss with One of Its Spacecraft Orbiting Mars
This week, NASA revealed that one of its spacecraft currently in orbit around Mars has inexplicably lost signal due to an "anomaly."
Was This the First Fire? Archaeologists Unearth New Evidence That Could Solve a Burning Ancient Question
New research by English archaeologists presents strong evidence for the earliest known use of fire by ancient humans.
A Webb Telescope Discovery “That Shouldn’t Exist,” a Mysterious Stairway to Nowhere, and Support for Near-Death Experiences
This week, JWST discoveries, archaeological mysteries, and neuroscience research into the mystery of near-death experiences are all featured in the news.
A Curious Stairway to Nowhere Led Archaeologists to the Discovery of a “Lost Pompeii,” New Research Reveals
Archaeologists are digitally reconstructing “lost” portions of Pompeii, offering an unprecedented glimpse at one of history's most enigmatic cities.
Classified Report Concludes Defense Secretary’s Signal Messages Were a Safety Risk to U.S. Personnel
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's use of the Signal messaging app for official communications may have put U.S. personnel at risk, a new Inspector General report argues.
‘Ice Volcanoes’ Are Erupting All Over 3I/ATLAS, as Scientists Say the Alien Visitor “May be a Primitive Carbonaceous Object”
The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS may be showing signs of active eruptions from ice volcanoes on its surface, according to new analysis of the unusual space object.
Universal Consciousness Before the Big Bang, the Launch of “UAlbany Project X”, and Extremophile Survival in Space
In news this week from The Debrief, scientists are looking at the idea of pre-Big Bang "universal consciousness," extreme organism survival in space, and the launch of a cutting-edge new UAP research initiative.
“UAlbany Project X”: How a Team of New York Physicists is Launching a Cutting-Edge Investigation into Aerial Mysteries
Physicists at the University at Albany have launched 'UAlbany Project X,' a long-term scientific study of unidentified anomalous phenomena.
“Bronze Age People Didn’t Do That”: English Team Unearths “Unprecedented” Evidence of 4500-Year-Old Ancient Monument
British archaeologists have made a discovery they believe points to an unusual ancient monument that once stood in Northwest England 4,500 years ago.
Roman Space Telescope Update: NASA Teases Exciting News on Its Next Flagship Observatory
NASA is heading into the holidays with long-awaited good news about its next flagship observatory, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
NASA Spacecraft Discovery Could Solve the Riddle of This Mysterious Feature Buried Under Thousands of Feet of Martian Ice
NASA scientists say they may have finally identified an unusual feature hidden beneath thousands of feet of ice near the Martian south pole.
Colossal Structures Within the Earth, DARPA’s New Deep-Space Network, and Genetically Engineered Fungi for Food
This week, we examine colossal structures deep within the Earth, DARPA's new deep-space network for tracking tiny spacecraft, and a new genetically modified source of plant-based protein.
“These Are Not Random Oddities”: New Clues Emerge About Anomalous Continent-Sized Structures Deep Within the Earth
New insights into a pair of colossal, continent-sized structures 1,800 miles beneath the Earth’s surface have revealed clues into how the planet formed and evolved.
NASA Finally Reveals Long-Awaited 3I/ATLAS Images—There’s Still No Sign of Aliens
This week, NASA finally released long-awaited images of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, following weeks of silence during the record-long U.S. government shutdown.
Russian Archaeologists Have Located a Lost Medieval ‘Necropolis’ Beneath One of the World’s Deepest Lakes
Archaeologists have found a lost Silk Road settlement including the remains of a submerged necropolis within the world's eighth-deepest lake.
A Hypersonic Breakthrough, Ancient Pyrotechnology, and Ant Queens with ‘Chemical Weapons’
This week in news from The Debrief, we examine recent hypersonic experiments that have confirmed a 60-year-old turbulence theory, along with evidence of ancient pyrotechnology and more.
An Unexpected Discovery in Lunar Soil Samples Could Solve a Magnetic Moon Mystery
Scientists have made a surprise discovery in lunar soil samples that could help unravel the mystery behind the Moon’s magnetic anomalies.
Eerie Sightings of “Sea Serpents” Have Haunted Sailors for Centuries—We Went to a Famous Monster Hunter for Answers to the Mystery
Tales of sea serpents have haunted seafarers for centuries, and Scottish researcher Adrian Shine offers a naturalist's view on some of history's most famous cases.
Neanderthals’ Disappearance May Not Have Been from Extinction, Controversial New Study Argues
Neanderthals may not have truly gone extinct, according to a new mathematical model that suggests they underwent genetic dilution over time.
Longest Government Shutdown in U.S. History Ends Amid New Epstein Controversy
This week, a political win following the longest U.S. government shutdown is eclipsed by fallout from newly released Epstein emails.
Hidden Inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, a Tantalizing Discovery May Soon “Write a New Chapter in the History of the Pharaohs”
A discovery within the Great Pyramid of Giza could soon reshape our understanding of ancient Egypt, according to tantalizing new claims.
3I/ATLAS Radio Signal Detections Offer New Confirmation of What Many Astronomers Have Been Saying for Months
New radio observations of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS leave little question about the object’s natural origin.
An Odd Discovery in the Alps, a Promising New Cancer-Killer, and Our Hidden “Seventh Sense”
This week, The Debrief reports on new cancer-killing therapies, a new seventh sense, and why archaeologists have turned to the public after making an odd discovery.
Officials Seek Answers as Mysterious Vehicle Revealed by Melting Ice in the Swiss Alps Prompts Speculation Online
Archaeologists are asking the public to help them identify a mysterious early 20th century vehicle revealed by melting ice in the Swiss Alps.
Cancer Breakthrough: Nanomedicine ‘Hack’ Unleashes Common Drug’s Hidden Power to Kill Cancer Cells Up to 20,000 Times More Effectively
A common chemotherapy drug’s hidden potential for becoming a game-changing weapon in the fight against cancer has been revealed by researchers at Northwestern University.
“Chaos in the Skies”: FAA Slashes Flights Amid Deepening Shutdown Crisis
This week, U.S. aviation faces its most severe crisis in decades as the FAA prepares to cut air traffic across 40 major airports amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Cutting-Edge Cancer Treatment, Modeling the Cosmos on a Laptop, and Unearthing the Ancient Greek Labyrinth
This week in news from The Debrief, we're covering promising new cancer treatments, archaeological discoveries, and new technologies for modeling the cosmos.
4000-Year-Old Labyrinth Discovery, Dubbed “One of the Most Important Archaeological Finds” of the Century, Brings New Life to the “Myth of the Labyrinth”
A remarkable discovery in Crete has reinvigorated debate over the origins behind the ancient Greek myth of the labyrinth.
Scientists Use Novel Materials That Mimic Wormholes and Multiple Realities to “Transcend the Limitations of Physical Dimensions”
Researchers report the successful use of nonlocal artificial materials to mimic the effects of wormholes and multiple realities.
Did 3I/ATLAS Just Show Signs of Technology? Interstellar Object Displays ‘Non-Gravitational Motion’ as it Swings Past the Sun
A new report offers the latest confirmation of 3I/ATLAS and its interstellar origins, as scientists still debate over its unusual properties.
Astronomers Say They Just Detected Radio Signals Coming from This Comet
This week, astronomers in China have detected a series of unusual radio signals from comet 12P/Pons-Brooks.
A New Object Lurking Near the Sun, Altering Matter with Light, and a Levitation Breakthrough
This week in stories from The Debrief, a team of physicists is using light to alter the magnetic nature of matter at room temperature, along with other innovations in science and technology.
Levitation Breakthrough Enables Scientists to Sort Living Cells Using “Invisible Force” Instead of Physical Contact
A groundbreaking new device uses electromagnetic levitation to help researchers gently sort living cells, with no need for physical contact.
Astronomers Just Spotted an Undiscovered Space Object Hiding in the Sun’s Glare—And It’s Moving Extremely Fast
Hidden by the Sun’s glare, a new space object has been found lurking in our Solar System, and it's one of the fastest-moving of its kind.
Warning Network’s Campaign to ‘Target’ 3I/ATLAS Sparks Theories About Secret Planetary Defense Effort
This week, the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) announced a new campaign that will target 3I/ATLAS.
3I/ATLAS is Leaving a Mysterious “Hidden” Trail of Particles in Its Wake—Now Scientists Have a Plan to Intercept It
3I/ATLAS is producing a "hidden" tail of charged particles, and these scientsts have a bold new plan to send spacecraft into it.
DARPA’s Strange Physics, ‘Seeds of Life’ in Space, and Massive Ancient Megastructures
This week in news from The Debrief, DARPA is pursuing strange physics, and NASA's James Webb Space Telescope makes a major discovery.
“The Aircraft Has Collided with an Object”: Investigators Still Baffled by ‘Mystery Object’ That Struck Plane, Caused Minor Injuries
Investigations into a "mystery object" that collided with a plane and caused minor injuries last week remain underway.
5,500-Year-Old Cult Shrine Unearthed in Jordan Reveals Evidence of Crisis, Social Collapse in the Bronze Age
Discoveries at an ancient cult shrine in Jordan have revealed new evidence of how ancient people responded to crisis during the Bronze Age.
3I/ATLAS Update: What New Data Reveals About the Most Puzzling Interstellar Object Ever Found
This week, a series of new astronomical observations have deepened the mystery surrounding the unusual interstellar object 3I/ATLAS.