NASA's Space Launch System is set to take flight Saturday afternoon on an uncrewed trip to the Moon after the launch was called off Monday.
Why it matters: This mission — called Artemis I — is the first in NASA's bid to return people to the surface Moon for the first time since the end of the Apollo program.
Tropical Storm Danielle strengthened into the season's first hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday morning but does not currently threaten any land, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Why it matters: The Atlantic hurricane season has so far been unusually quiet, though the federal government and other experts still predict the season will be above average in terms of the number of storms.
The inner workings of volcanoes that erupt with little warning are being revealed, exposing potentially new ways to monitor them.
The big picture: The science of volcanoes — and the monitoring and forecasting tools it informs — is largely based on what's known about a handful of the world's most studied volcanoes, including Mount Etna in Italy, that typically show signs of eruption.
An intense, sprawling heat dome is causing the most intense, long-lasting heat wave of the summer in parts of the West.
The big picture: This heat wave will be a record-breaking event lasting into next week in California and surrounding states. It brings with it serious public health dangers, electric grid challenges and wildfire risks, officials warn.
The James Webb Space Telescope team on Thursday released its first direct image of a planet outside our solar system.
The big picture: More than 5,000 exoplanets have been discovered over the past 30 years, giving astronomers hints about the variety of worlds in the universe. Direct images of these distant planets are expected to provide more details about their composition and formation — and open the next chapter in the search for life beyond Earth.
Ocean heat content, global sea levels and greenhouse gas concentrations all reached record highs in 2021, according to the State of the Climate report published Wednesday.
The big picture: The annual report showcases compelling scientific evidence that climate change has global impacts and shows no sign of slowing, said Rick Spinrad of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which led the study.
