Firefighters in France are battling two wildfires in the southwestern region of Gironde that have already burned 1,700 hectares of land and forced the evacuation of nearby villages.
Driving the news: A large swath of Western Europe is currently experiencing a heat wave that has seen temperatures in some parts top 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
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.
