Axios

The first batch of James Webb Space Telescope photos released by NASA usher in a new era of discovery as the powerful new tool comes fully online.

Why it matters: The $10 billion observatory is tasked with revealing the processes that govern our universe, from how stars form to how the earliest galaxies evolved.

One year ago yesterday, many of us watched Richard Branson blast off into space and then return safely. Not only had he beaten Jeff Bezos to sub-orbit, but he seemed to be kicking off a new commercial space race.

Flash forward: Space is again in the news, thanks to this breathtaking photo from NASA's James Webb telescope, but the industry is at risk of losing last summer's private capital momentum.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope — the most powerful observatory ever launched — represents not only a scientific paradigm shift but a cultural one.

Why it matters: Large telescopes like JWST and the Hubble Space Telescope take on lives and personalities of their own, influencing how the public views its place in the universe.

Raging wildfires in Portugal have injured dozens of people as another potentially record-breaking heat wave sweeps Europe one month after historic high temperatures, per the Independent.

The big picture: Portugal and Spain are already enduring temperatures well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Parts of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg are set to see similar temperatures this weekend. And forecasters warn temperatures in the U.K. could top 40 Celsius (104°F) for the first time ever.

President Biden revealed the first full-color scientific image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope on Monday, showing off the power of the new observatory with one of the deepest images of the universe ever taken.

Why it matters: This long-awaited milestone will set the stage for the rest of the $10 billion telescope's mission to rework our understanding of how the universe evolved from the earliest galaxies to today.

A wildfire in Yosemite National Park that's threatening some of the world's oldest giant sequoia trees has triggered air quality alerts and evacuation orders after growing five-fold over the weekend.

By the numbers: The Washburn Fire that was first reported last Thursday near the Washburn Trail in the Mariposa Grove area of the park had burned across at least 2,044 acres by Sunday evening, according to InciWeb, an interagency website that tracks wildfires.