🌌 StarPixels Skynotes for Friday, October 31, 2025

Moon: Waxing Gibbous (~68 %) | Sunset: 6:45 pm CDT | Sunrise (tomorrow): 7:20 am CDT | Astronomical dusk ends around: ~8:10 pm CDT

🌌 COSMOS & SPACE

🔭 Interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS still under scrutiny — The third confirmed interstellar object passing through our Solar System spent recent weeks near perihelion, but remains faint and tricky for casual imaging. Best viewing will require long exposures and dark skies.

📸 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3I/ATLAS

🛰️ China’s crewed flight to Tiangong-3 expected — The Shenzhou‑21 mission aboard a Long March 2F/G is scheduled for ~15:40 UTC today. Not visible from North Texas, but a strategic marker of orbital activity.

🔗 https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/whats-happening-in-space-policy-october-26-november-1-2025/

🌀 Public alert-pipeline upgrade at Rubin Observatory — The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is rolling out its AAS 2RTO system to triage transients and schedule follow-ups. Not directly observe-able tonight, but worth noting if you’re feeding imaging into alert networks.

🔗 https://rubinobservatory.org

⚠️ Transient Alerts — North Texas Tonight

☄️ 3I/ATLAS (Interstellar Comet) • Estimated magnitude: ~14 (or fainter) • Visibility: Pre-dawn and in very dark conditions; horizon is low and contrast poor — not recommended for standard backyard scopes unless stacked exposures. • Status: TONIGHT — for advanced imaging efforts only. 🚀 No other fresh bright novae, supernovae or NEOs announced with immediate North‐Texas visibility.

☁️ Dew & Cloud Note

Skies are expected to clear gradually after sunset. Humidity rises overnight, so dew is likely on optics post-midnight. Best deep-sky window: ~8:15 pm to ~11:30 pm CDT. Use dew heaters and shields for longer sessions.

✅ Verified Visuals & Resources

ESA / Webb (latest press images): https://www.esawebb.org WebbTelescope (STScI): https://webbtelescope.org ESA / Hubble Archive: https://www.spacetelescope.org NASA Images: https://images.nasa.gov Stellarium Web (sky simulation): https://stellarium-web.org TheSkyLive (real-time charts): https://theskylive.com

📌 Bottom line:

The Moon phase (~68 %) still adds glow, but clear sky after ~8:10 pm CDT gives usable darkness. For North Texas observers, the standout target tonight remains 3I/ATLAS — albeit faint and challenging. Reserve heavy imaging gear or long exposures if you’re after it. Focus on good contrast, protect your optics, and keep the verified resources handy.