Axios

The fires that wiped out the town of Paradise, California, and burned all the way to the Pacific Ocean in Malibu are the latest in a 13-month string of the deadliest and most destructive blazes the state has ever seen.

The big picture: These fires have parameters in common — unusually warm and dry preceding conditions, strong winds that caused the fires to spread rapidly, extreme fire behavior and populated areas that are difficult to evacuate on short notice.

One of the largest impact craters on Earth has been discovered more than a half-mile under ice in northwest Greenland, NASA reported on Wednesday.

Why it matters: Per NASA, major impacts from asteroids like this have been proven in the past to "profoundly affect Earth's climate" and have serious consequences for life on the planet at the time of impact.

Elon Musk's SpaceX won permission from the Federal Communications Commission to launch 7,000 Starlink internet satellites into space, creating a path for the company to build a network of nearly 12,000 satellites surrounding the Earth and providing internet access, the Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: The satellites could provide next-generation internet access to developing countries and rural areas that have struggled with connectivity over the years.