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As technological development becomes more sophisticated, 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 occurrences and noteworthy events of 2025.
The Vera C. Rubin Telescope’s ‘First Light’ Images
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located in Chile, released its first images this year. It is not the largest telescope in the world with a main mirror that’s 8.4 metres across, but it does have the world’s largest digital camera with 3.2 gigapixels. The observatory is capable of making high resolution images of the entire southern sky, and will repeat this every night for 10 years. These astounding images of the sky will be assembled to provide a time-lapse movie of the universe, revealing 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.
Asteroid Bennu Samples
Back in September 2023, a small capsule landed on Earth containing samples from an asteroid that had been collected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Now, scientists have published the results of their analysis of the dark granular material and discovered they contain sugars, amino acids, nucleobases and carboxylic acids. These ingredients are essential for life on Earth, forming the basis of DNA and RNA. This is not to say there is life in the asteroid, but it does increase the possibility that life’s molecular ingredients were common in the early solar system and could have been brought to the early Earth from space.
Marc Garneau, Canada’s first astronaut dies
The first Canadian in space, Marc Garneau, passed away on June 4, 2025 at the age of 76. A former naval commander, he was among the six Canadian astronauts, who in 1983, were selected to become our country’s first astronauts. In 1984, he was aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, the first of three spaceflights he went on during his career as an astronaut. He was president of the Canadian Space Agency from 2001-2005, then turned to politics where he became 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 memoir, Marc Garneau, A Most Extraordinary Ride.
READ MORE: Canada’s first person in space, Marc Garneau — and a privileged journalist who knew him
Comet 3i/ATLAS
The fastest comet ever spotted, speeding through our solar system at an astounding 209,000 km/hr, Comet 3I/ATLAS is clearly not from here, nor is it an alien spaceship. When it was first spotted on July 1st, 2025 by a telescope in Chile, its extraordinary speed — well above the escape velocity of our sun — showed that it came from another star system after travelling for billions of years through interstellar space. Once it passes through our solar system, it will never return as it continues its journey through our galaxy. Like most comets, it is made up of ice and dust and was studied by a variety of telescopes on Earth and in space, providing a glimpse into the makeup of another star system.
READ MORE: Here’s what astronomers know so far about the 3rd interstellar visitor ever found
Ocean acidification past tipping point
Ocean acidification, caused by absorbing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, reached a tipping point this year, threatening coral reefs worldwide. CO2 dissolves in seawater and forms an acid that degrades coral reefs, as well as the shells of marine life such as crabs and mussels. The acidification is accompanied by record rises in ocean temperatures which can lead to collapsing ice sheets and degrading rainforests. A tipping point is similar to a point of no return, where a system changes from one state into another. Historically, Earth has passed many tipping points where it changes from warm to cold ice ages and back again. The difference this time is that we humans have drastically increased CO2 in our atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, speeding the process up. Meanwhile, the UN COP30 meeting in Brazil failed to come up with a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels.
READ MORE: Oceans dangerously acidic from carbon emissions, report warns
Geoengineering deemed impractical
Geoengineering has long been a taboo topic among climate scientists who’ve argue we need to focus on reducing our carbon emissions instead of focusing on risky Band-Aid geoengineering solutions. In a widely reported study, polar scientists decried the many ideas — such as injecting aerosols into the stratosphere to reflect incoming sunlight or artificially thickening sea ice — being touted for use in the Arctic and Antarctica to counter the effects of global warming as “dangerous.”
First human mission over the poles: Fram2
For the first time, humans entered a polar orbit around the Earth. Over the entire history of spaceflight, all missions have flown around the equatorial and mid latitudes of the Earth or went off to the moon. This year, the FRAM2 privately funded mission, used a SpaceX Dragon capsule to orbit the Earth in a north-south direction, passing directly over the north and south poles during a three and a half day flight. The four person crew were able to directly observe the Arctic Ocean and Antarctic ice sheet and get a space perspective on regions they have explored on the ground.
James Webb Space Telescope continues to amaze
After three years operating in deep space, 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, the James Webb Space Telescope continues to make important discoveries about the atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars, black hole mergers, activities at the heart of our Milky Way Galaxy and the oldest galaxies ever observed that formed not long after the big bang. As the largest telescope ever launched into space, it is used by thousands of scientists around the world who take advantage of its clear view of the universe.
Stranded astronauts return home
After nine months stranded on the International Space Station, American astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore finally splashed down off the coast of Florida. The pair began their journey on what was supposed to be a week-long test flight of a Boeing Starliner spacecraft in June 2024, but the capsule developed thruster problems and helium leaks while in space. NASA deemed the capsule unsafe for the crew and brought it back empty. Even though it landed safely, the pair had to wait until a private SpaceX Dragon capsule was sent up to rescue them in March 2025.
International Year of Quantum Science and Technology
UNESCO declared 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology in a worldwide initiative aimed at increasing public awareness of new developments in quantum computing. This emerging technology uses quantum effects to analyze large data faster and more efficiently than conventional, silicon based systems. In the United States, IBM has installed a quantum computer to look at drug discovery through simulations of how molecules behave. While the technology is still being developed, it is predicted to improve weather forecasting and other tasks that require large data sets.
