Russian cosmonauts install sun-watching telescope on ISS during 6-hour spacewalk

• Recent scientific reports highlight critical environmental shifts, including the acceleration of climate change and a concerning slowdown in nature's recovery processes. • In a significant biological discovery, researchers identified ancient microbes that may have utilized oxygen 500 million years before it became prevalent in Earth's atmosphere.

• A massive volcanic eruption in prehistoric northeastern China unleashed a catastrophic surge of ash, gas, and burning rocks that engulfed a lush forest. • The event acted similarly to the burial of Pompeii, instantly trapping dinosaurs in their tracks and preserving some in mid-sleep positions.

• NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has identified a massive black hole that appears to have formed before its host galaxy. • This discovery challenges the traditional scientific consensus that galaxies form first, with black holes later developing from the collapse of massive stars within them.

• NASA has unveiled plans for a sprawling, city-like lunar outpost that could eventually stretch over hundreds of square miles. • The agency's administrator described the current era as a "Golden Age" of lunar exploration, signaling a shift toward permanent habitation.

• The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered an ancient black hole that appears to have formed before its host galaxy, challenging existing astronomical models. • These findings stem from observations of "Little Red Dot" galaxies, which are extremely distant and ancient objects in the early universe.

• Researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to analyze LHS 3844 b, a scorching, airless planet located 48 light-years from Earth. • The study provides a rare opportunity for scientists to examine the geology of a distant world and has led to the surprising discovery of ice clouds on a giant alien planet.

• Oxford physicists have achieved a quantum physics breakthrough called “quadsqueezing,” marking a first-ever milestone in the field. • Multiple scientific discoveries were reported, including the identification of a 100-year-old hidden rule behind cosmic rays and the revelation of a mysterious high-tech material's structure by MIT scientists.

• NASA is planning the "MoonFall" mission, which aims to deploy four drones to explore the moon's South Pole. • The mission is currently scheduled for launch sometime in 2028 to survey regions where no human astronauts have previously landed.

• NASA announced in December 2025 that construction of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is complete, with a scheduled launch by May 2027 or potentially as early as fall 2026. • During its five-year primary mission, the observatory aims to discover approximately 100,000 new transiting planets and create the largest catalog of rogue worlds in history.

• The James Webb Space Telescope has identified two pairs of "JuMBOs" (Jupiter-mass binary objects) within a star-forming region of the Milky Way. • These rogue, planet-sized objects exist without orbiting a parent star, challenging previous theories that such sightings were merely optical illusions.

• Artificial intelligence is accelerating scientific research by integrating machine learning into drug discovery, climate modeling, and scientific automation. • Key breakthroughs include the use of AI to accurately map protein structure and function, which has significantly advanced structural biology and medical research.