James Webb telescope finds a cosmic cloud of creation buried in the Sword of Orion — Space photo of the week

• NASA has extended the deadline for submitting abstracts and mission concepts for the Ad ASTRA Workshop. • The new submission deadline is now set for July 1, 2026.

• The James Webb Space Telescope has detected intense, collision-driven "galaxy-killing winds" in ancient galaxies existing near the dawn of time. • These powerful winds appear to have caused early galaxies to "live fast and die young" by stripping away the gas necessary for star formation.

• SpaceX is scheduled to launch its first-ever "Starfall" reentry capsule on June 23 to test the vehicle's operational capabilities. • The mission serves as a critical demonstration of the spacecraft's ability to function in space and execute a safe return to Earth.

• Carbon Brief has launched the Cosmos 500, a new ranking system designed to identify the most highly cited climate publications. • The ranking is derived from Project Cosmos, a comprehensive database analyzing a "universe" of 1.8 million scientific documents spanning nearly a century.

• NASA has selected the Dynamic Atmosphere-Ionosphere Explorer (DAPHNE) mission concept to investigate the relationship between Earth's atmosphere and space weather. • The mission will specifically research how atmospheric dynamics and space weather influence the surrounding space environment.

• Archaeologists conducting a routine excavation in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula uncovered an ancient ritual platform and a series of buried offerings. • The discovery provides physical evidence of how ancient Mesoamerican societies integrated architectural construction with spiritual ceremonies and belief systems.

• Carbon Brief launched Project Cosmos in June 2026, creating the world’s largest database dedicated to climate change research. • The project is the result of an extensive 18-month research and development phase to organize climate data.

• Carbon Brief has launched Project Cosmos, a collaborative initiative aimed at creating the world's most comprehensive database of climate change research. • The project aggregates a vast volume of academic peer-reviewed studies, books, and reports from diverse global researchers and institutions.

• A gamma-ray stream has been detected coming from the center of the Milky Way, known as the Galactic Center Excess. • Researchers have been unable to rule out the possibility that self-annihilating dark matter is the source of this emission.

• Researchers discovered evidence of plague outbreaks among hunter-gatherers near Lake Baikal in Siberia dating back 5,500 years. • The findings challenge the long-held scientific belief that the plague only became a significant threat after the rise of dense, crowded farming communities.

• A new study indicates that the 988 Lifeline has contributed to a decrease in suicide mortality rates. • Geologists have observed "necking" in Africa’s Turkana Rift Zone, a process signaling a critical transition toward the breakup of the continent.