Core Points - Mars will experience a conjunction with the Sun on January 9, leading to a temporary "loss of contact" between Earth and Mars due to their alignment with the Sun [1][2] - The distance between Earth and Mars during this event will be approximately 359.5 million kilometers, equivalent to about 2.403 astronomical units [1] - Mars conjunction occurs roughly every 26 months, influenced by the relative orbital periods of Earth and Mars [1] Communication Impact - During the conjunction, communication with Mars rovers will be disrupted due to solar radiation interference, prompting scientists to pause sending new commands to the Martian probes [2] - NASA has announced that from December 29, 2025, to January 16, 2026, there will be a communication blackout with Mars rovers [2] - The "loss of contact" period is expected to last only a few weeks, after which communication will gradually improve as Mars re-emerges from behind the Sun [2]

Core Points - Mars will reach its farthest position from Earth in the current synodic cycle on November 30, at approximately 2.424 astronomical units, or about 363 million kilometers [1] - The average synodic period between Mars and Earth is about 780 days, during which they experience both the closest and farthest distances [1] - The closest distance Mars can reach to Earth is about 55 million kilometers, while the farthest can exceed 400 million kilometers [1] - The last time Mars was at its farthest position was on October 18, 2023, at a distance of approximately 380 million kilometers, which was farther than the upcoming position [1] Summary of Events - Mars reaches its farthest position from Earth typically around the time of opposition, with the next opposition occurring on January 9, 2026 [2] - Mars shares several similarities with Earth, including a composition primarily of silicate rocks and various geological features such as valleys and ice caps [2] - Mars experiences seasonal changes, including an autumn equinox on November 29, marking the beginning of the dust storm season, which can last over three months [2] - During severe dust storms, wind speeds on Mars can reach up to 180 meters per second, significantly higher than Earth’s category five hurricane winds, although the atmospheric pressure on Mars is less than 1% of that on Earth [2]

Core Points - NASA has released new images of the interstellar visitor comet 3I/ATLAS, which is expected to pass Earth around December 19, at a distance of approximately 270 million kilometers, about twice the distance from Earth to the Sun [1] - The comet was first discovered by the ATLAS survey telescope in Chile on July 1, and it is the third interstellar object observed in the solar system [1] - A total of 12 NASA instruments, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, have captured images of the comet, with more observations expected as it continues its journey through the solar system [1] - The comet passed within 30 million kilometers of Mars this autumn, where three Mars rovers observed it, and other NASA spacecraft also tracked it [1] - Researchers believe that 3I/ATLAS originated from an external star system and has been drifting in interstellar space for millions to billions of years before entering the solar system [1] Naming Significance - The name of the comet contains its "identity code": "ATLAS" represents the discovery team, "I" indicates it is an interstellar object, and "3" signifies it is the third confirmed interstellar body [2]

Market Overview - The three major U.S. stock indices experienced significant declines, with the Dow Jones dropping nearly 800 points, the Nasdaq falling by 2.3%, and the S&P 500 decreasing by over 1% due to intensified tech stock sell-offs, including Tesla which fell over 6% [1] - International precious metals futures generally closed lower, while U.S. oil's main contract rose by 0.19% to $58.6 per barrel [1] Federal Reserve Insights - Federal Reserve official Kashkari expressed opposition to the last rate cut and has not yet made a decision regarding the December meeting, emphasizing that inflation remains too high and the job market is under pressure [1] Corporate Actions - Verizon announced plans to lay off 15,000 employees, marking the largest workforce reduction in the company's history [1] - Pfizer reduced its stake in BioNTech by 54.7%, cashing out over $500 million [1] Space and Trade Developments - Blue Origin, owned by Jeff Bezos, successfully launched the "New Glenn" rocket carrying a Mars probe [1] - The U.S. announced tariff reductions on certain Latin American coffee imports to promote regional trade cooperation [1] Bond Market and Fund Assets - European bond yields rose collectively, with the UK 10-year government bond yield increasing by 3.9 basis points, as investors expressed skepticism about the Fed's rate cut outlook [1] - U.S. money market fund assets reached a record high of $7.54 trillion [1] Commodity Market - London base metals closed lower across the board, with LME tin dropping by 0.89%, while copper saw a slight increase of $12 to $10,956 per ton [1]

Core Points - Blue Origin successfully launched its reusable "New Glenn" heavy-lift rocket on December 13 at 15:55 ET, carrying a NASA Mars probe from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida [1] - This marks the second flight of the "New Glenn" rocket, with successful recovery of the first stage and boosters, indicating significant progress in cost reduction for Blue Origin [1] - The first flight of "New Glenn" occurred in January, where the second stage successfully reached orbit, but the first stage exploded during its return to Earth [1] - The second launch was initially planned for "late spring" but faced multiple delays [1]