Recapping some of the most talked-about news this week from the nation and around the world – in case you missed it.

Tragedy in Minnesota, vaccine news, Snoop's game call: Week in review

"Your goal might be set in stone, but how you achieve it shouldn't be."

Struggling to keep your New Year's resolutions? Here's how to keep yourself on track

Kimiya Yui released the timelapse footage to celebrate his 300th cumulative day spent orbiting Earth.

Astronaut on ISS captures spectacular orbital video of zodiacal light, auroras and the Pleiades

The Washington Monument lit up on New Year's Eve in celebration of the Artemis 2 moon mission as well as the 250th anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence.

Moon fever hits DC as Artemis 2 rocket 'candle' lights up Washington Monument just 1 month before launch (photos)

Andy Provencher spent a year searching for the cause of his exhausting symptoms before a physician's assistant suggested a rare illness.

Doctors thought he had cancer. An offhand suggestion led to a rare diagnosis.

Liftoff is scheduled for 8:19 a.m. ET on Sunday (Jan. 11).

Watch SpaceX launch NASA's Pandora exoplanet-studying satellite on Jan. 11

On Episode 192 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik looks forward to 2026, which promises to be the most exciting year in the new space age yet!

This Week In Space podcast: Episode 192 — Space, 2026!

Though jellyfish don't have brains, they react to light and when presented with food, scientists found.

We may have one thing in common with jellyfish, new research finds

Scientists say all signs indicate the so-called "megaberg" could be just days or weeks from totally disintegrating.

Iconic iceberg turns blue, on verge of totally disintegrating, NASA says

The medical evacuation of SpaceX's Crew-11 astronauts from the International Space Station shouldn't interfere with Artemis 2's launch to the moon, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says.

ISS astronaut evacuation shouldn't interfere with upcoming Artemis 2 moon mission, NASA chief says

Scientists are making inroads in understanding one of the central mysteries of human reproduction: Why do women’s eggs deteriorate as they age? The broad strokes have been well-known - the ticking of a woman’s biological clock increases risk of miscarriage and infertility, often caused by eggs with the wrong number of chromosomes, the structures that carry DNA.Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. Researchers who presented

Scientists find new clues to why female fertility declines with age

A planned spacewalk outside the International Space Station was scrapped because of what NASA called a "medical concern" with an unidentified crew member.

NASA will bring space station crew home early after medical issue

NASA said Thursday that it will bring four astronauts aboard the International Space Station back to Earth more than a month earlier than planned

NASA to bring astronauts home from space station early due to a medical issue

In the latest study, they discovered that the pups can also understand new names by eavesdropping.  Ten gifted dogs — including a Border collie named Basket and a Labrador named Augie — watched their owners hold a new toy and talk to another person about it.  Then the pups were told to go to another room and retrieve that specific toy from a pile of many others.

Some gifted dogs can learn new toy names by eavesdropping on owners

Toddlers can pick up new words just by overhearing conversations. Now, new research suggests that some intelligent dogs can expand their vocabulary in just the same way.

Some super-smart dogs can pick up new words just by eavesdropping

A newly discovered celestial object may be a starless cloud that could change how astronomers understand dark matter.

New ‘Cloud-9’ object could reveal the secrets of dark matter

In a rare move, NASA is cutting a mission aboard the International Space Station short after an astronaut had a medical issue.  NASA canceled its first spacewalk of the year because of the health issue.  The space agency did not identify the astronaut or the medical issue, citing patient privacy.

NASA, in a rare move, cuts space station mission short after an astronaut's medical issue

Another view from Perseverance shows how windswept Mars' landscape truly is.

NASA Perseverance rover sees megaripples on Mars | Space photo of the day for Jan. 7, 2026.

From volcanic landscapes to world-class observatories, a journey through the Canary Islands reveals a night sky unlike anything I'd seen before.

I thought I knew the night sky, but what I saw from the Canary Islands left me speechless

Fossils unearthed in Morocco are the first from a little-understood period of human evolution and may be remains of a mysterious human ancestor.

Fossils unearthed in Morocco are first from little-understood period of human evolution

The Hubble Telescope appears as a tiny silhouette during a perfectly timed solar transit captured from Puerto Rico.

Astrophotographer captures rare footage of the Hubble Telescope crossing the sun (video)

Melting ice, thawing permafrost and crumbling fjord walls are just a few of the risks climate change poses for those living and working in Greenland.

Greenland’s melting ice and landslide-prone fjords make the oil and minerals Trump is eyeing dangerous to extract

The hydrogen cloud is a remnant of the universe's early formation, NASA said in a news release.

Astronomers discover never-before-seen celestial object: "Cloud 9"

WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Jupiter's moon Europa is on the short list of places in our solar system seen as promising in the search for life beyond Earth, with a large subsurface ocean thought to

Study casts doubt on potential for life on Jupiter's moon Europa

The reservoir seen in this image is sometimes referred to as the "eye of Quebec."

This Canadian crater looks like marbled meat | Space photo of the day for Jan. 6, 2026

Students who participated in the virtual Research Experience for Undergraduates at Purdue reported stronger gains in research skills than in-person summer interns.

Virtual National Science Foundation internships aren’t just a pandemic stopgap – they can open up opportunities for more STEM students

Bad news for those hoping interstellar invader 3I/ATLAS is an alien spacecraft as technosignature search turns up empty.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS isn't an alien spacecraft, astronomers confirm. 'In the end, there were no surprises.'

Astronomers are gathering in Phoenix this week for the 247th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS 247), where the latest discoveries from exoplanets, JWST and upcoming space missions will take center stage.

The 2026 'Super Bowl of Astronomy' starts today — here's what's happening

Lunar landers from Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines and Astrobotic are gearing up for moon landing attempts in 2026 as the commercial exploration of deep space expands.

Moon rush: These private spacecraft will attempt lunar landings in 2026

January's full moon is often known as the 'Wolf Moon'.

January full moon wows skywatchers with a striking 'Wolf Supermoon' (photos)

The Westerlund 2 star cluster is home to some of the Milky Way's brightest stars.

Carina Nebula shines with white-blue stars | Space photo of the day for Jan. 5, 2026

One of the world's rarest whale species is having more babies this year than in some recent seasons, but experts say many more young are needed to help stave off the possibility of extinction.  The North Atlantic right whale's population numbers an estimated 384 animals and is slowly rising after several years of decline.  Researchers have identified 15 calves this winter, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday.

A rare whale is having an encouraging season for births. Scientists warn it might still go extinct

The new findings strengthen the "RNA world" hypothesis that describes how the first life on Earth could have used RNA instead of DNA.

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