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As technological developments become more complex, so do the opportunities to delve deeper into scientific mysteries in space and here on Earth. Here is my list (in no particular order) of the top 10 inventions, natural phenomena, and noteworthy events of 2025.
“First light” images captured by the Vera K. Rubin Telescope
Vera K. Rubin Observatory, based in Chile, published its first images this year. It's not the world's largest telescope, with a primary mirror measuring 8.4 meters in diameter, but it does have the world's largest digital camera, with a resolution of 3.2 gigapixels. The observatory is capable of taking high-resolution images of the entire southern sky and will do so every night for 10 years. These stunning images of the sky will be compiled to create a time-lapse movie of the universe, showing everything that moves – from nearby asteroids, planets in our solar system to colliding galaxies, the expansion of the universe and the presence of mysterious dark matter.
Samples of asteroid Bennu
Back in September 2023, a small capsule carrying asteroid samples collected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft landed on Earth. Now, scientists published results After analyzing the dark granular material, they found that they contained sugars, amino acids, nucleic bases and carboxylic acids. These ingredients are essential for life on Earth, forming the basis of DNA and RNA. This doesn't mean there is life on the asteroid, but it does raise the possibility that the molecular ingredients of life were common in the early solar system and could have been brought to early Earth from space.
Marc Garneau, Canada's first astronaut, dies
First Canadian in space Marc Garneau, died on June 4, 2025 at the age of 76. A former Navy commander, he was among six Canadian astronauts chosen to become our country's first astronauts in 1983. In 1984, he was aboard the space shuttle Challenger, the first of three space flights he made during his astronaut career. He was president of the Canadian Space Agency from 2001 to 2005, then entered politics, becoming minister of transport and minister of foreign affairs. He retired from political life in 2023. You can read more about his remarkable career in his memoirs. Marc Garneau, “A Most Extraordinary Ride.”
READ MORE: Canada's first man in space, Marc Garneau – and the privileged journalist who knew him
Comet 3i/ATLAS
The fastest comet ever discovered, streaking through our solar system at 209,000 km/h. Comet 3I/ATLAS clearly not from here and not an alien spaceship. When it was first spotted by a telescope in Chile on July 1, 2025, its extraordinary speed—far faster than the escape velocity of our Sun—showed it had arrived from another star system after traveling through interstellar space for billions of years. Having passed through our solar system, it will never return, continuing its journey through our galaxy. Like most comets, it is made of ice and dust and has been studied by various telescopes on Earth and in space, providing insight into the structure of another star system.
READ MORE: Here's what astronomers know so far about the third interstellar guest ever discovered.
Ocean acidification has passed a tipping point
Ocean acidification caused by the absorption of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. reached a turning point this yearthreatening coral reefs around the world. CO2 dissolves in seawater and forms an acid that destroys coral reefs as well as the shells of marine life such as crabs and mussels. Acidification is accompanied by record increases in ocean temperatures, which could lead to the collapse of ice sheets and the degradation of tropical forests. A tipping point is similar to a point of no return, when a system moves from one state to another. Historically, the Earth has gone through many tipping points as it transitioned from warm to cold Ice Ages and back again. The difference this time is that we humans have dramatically increased CO2 emissions in our atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels, which is accelerating this process. MeanwhileUN COP30 meeting in Brazil fails develop a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels.
READ MORE: Oceans becoming dangerously acidic due to carbon dioxide emissions, report warns
Geoengineering deemed impractical
Geoengineering has long been a taboo topic among climate scientists, who argue that we need to focus on cutting carbon emissions rather than risky geoengineering solutions. In widely publicized studyPolar scientists have condemned many ideas, such as injecting aerosols into the stratosphere to reflect falling sunlight or artificially thickening sea ice, which are being touted for use in the Arctic and Antarctica to counter the effects of global warming, as “dangerous.”
First human mission over the poles: Fram 2
For the first time, people entered polar orbit around the Earth. Throughout the history of space flights, all missions flew around the equatorial and mid-latitudes of the Earth or went to the Moon. This year Private mission FRAM2used the SpaceX Dragon capsule to orbit the Earth in a north-south direction, passing directly over the north and south poles for three and a half days of flight. The four-person crew was able to directly observe the Arctic Ocean and Antarctic Ice Sheet and gain a cosmic perspective of the regions they were exploring on the ground.
The James Webb Space Telescope continues to amaze
After three years of work in deep space, 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, James Webb Space Telescope continues to make important discoveries about the atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars, black hole mergers, activity at the heart of our Milky Way Galaxy, and the oldest galaxies ever observed that formed shortly after the Big Bang. As the largest telescope ever launched into space, it is used by thousands of scientists around the world who benefit from its clear view of the universe.
Stranded astronauts return home
After stuck on the International Space Station for nine months, American astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore finally splashed down off the coast of Florida. The pair began their journey during a week-long test flight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft in June 2024, but while in space the capsule developed engine problems and leaked helium. NASA deemed the capsule unsafe for the crew and returned it empty. Although it landed safely, the couple had to wait until a private SpaceX Dragon capsule was sent to rescue them in March 2025.
International Year of Quantum Science and Technology
UNESCO stated 2025 as International Year of Quantum Science and Technology in a worldwide initiative aimed at raising public awareness of new developments in quantum computing. This new technology uses quantum effects to analyze big data faster and more efficiently than traditional silicon-based systems. In the United States, IBM has installed a quantum computer to study drug discovery by simulating the behavior of molecules. Although the technology is still in development, it is expected to improve weather forecasting and other tasks that require large data sets.
