Focus 26 January 2021

Astronomy and planetary science

The aim of this page is to provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting work published in Nature Communications in the broad topic of astronomy and planetary science. We cover topics ranging from various fields in astronomy, astrophysics and planetary science to space/satellite technologies and other developments providing viable solutions to tackle real-world problems and applications.

Featured articles

Polarisation of decayless kink oscillations of solar coronal loops

Polarization of decayless kink oscillations of solar coronal loops provide unique information about involved excitation mechanisms and energy supply, but its detection remains elusive. Here, the authors show horizontal and weakly oblique linear polarization of such oscillations, which favors the energy supply by quasi-steady flows.
- Sihui Zhong
- Valery M. Nakariakov
- David Berghmans
ArticleOpen Access12 Sep 2023 Nature Communications
Igneous meteorites suggest Aluminium-26 heterogeneity in the early Solar Nebula

The homogeneity of Aluminium-26 (Al-26) isotope distribution in the accreting solar nebula is debated. Here, the authors show that the age determination of meteorite Erg Chech 002, compared with other igneous meteorites, indicates that Al-26 was heterogeneously distributed in the early Solar System.
- Evgenii Krestianinov
- Yuri Amelin
- Tommaso Di Rocco
ArticleOpen Access29 Aug 2023 Nature Communications
Direct evidence of substorm-related impulsive injections of electrons at Mercury

BepiColombo mission had its first Mercury flyby on 1 October 2021. Here, the authors show plasma measurements taken during this flyby, which reveals that electron injections and subsequent energy-dependent drift is a universal mechanism generating aurorae in the planetary magnetospheres.
- Sae Aizawa
- Yuki Harada
- Go Murakami
ArticleOpen Access18 Jul 2023 Nature Communications
Global environmental implications of atmospheric methane removal through chlorine-mediated chemistry-climate interactions

Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, has comparable anthropogenic and natural sources, complicating emission control. Increasing reactive chlorine has been proposed for mitigation. This study assesses the global environmental impacts of such proposal.
- Qinyi Li
- Daphne Meidan
- Alfonso Saiz-Lopez
ArticleOpen Access8 Jul 2023 Nature Communications
Impact observations of asteroid Dimorphos via Light Italian CubeSat for imaging of asteroids (LICIACube)

On September 26^th 2022, LICIACube monitored Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission impact on asteroid Dimorphos, which is the smaller component of a binary asteroid system. These close observations revealed the impact ejecta features of the first planetary defence test with a kinetic impactor.
- Elisabetta Dotto
- Angelo Zinzi
CommentOpen Access26 May 2023 Nature Communications
Whistler-mode chorus waves at Mars

Although whistler-mode chorus waves are common in the Earth’s and other planetary magnetospheres, the mechanism behind fast frequency chirping is debated. Here, the authors show the presence of chorus emissions at Mars, with fundamentally the same nonlinear nature as those at Earth, despite vastly different magnetic and plasma conditions.
- Shangchun Teng
- Yifan Wu
- Xin Tao
ArticleOpen Access6 Jun 2023 Nature Communications
Ryugu asteroid sample return provides a natural laboratory for primordial chemical evolution

The samples returned from near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu provide a pristine record of the 4.6 billion years since the birth of the Solar System. The Hayabusa2 initial analysis team has integrated a range of analytical techniques to investigate Ryugu’s organic chemistry. Here, we highlight their latest findings, the potential questions which may be answered, and provide an overview of new prospects in the decade to come.
- Yasuhiro Oba
- Yoshinori Takano
- Hiroshi Naraoka
CommentOpen Access30 May 2023 Nature Communications
Uncovering the chiral bias of meteoritic isovaline through asymmetric photochemistry

Excess of l-amino acids in meteorites suggests an extraterrestrial origin of biomolecular homochirality, which may stem from chiral light-matter interactions. Here the authors support this hypothesis with asymmetric photolysis experiments on racemic isovaline films, showing that circularly polarized starlight can produce l-enantiomeric excesses that can be amplified during parent bodies’ alteration.
- Jana Bocková
- Nykola C. Jones
- Cornelia Meinert
ArticleOpen Access8 Jun 2023 Nature Communications
Lightning at Jupiter pulsates with a similar rhythm as in-cloud lightning at Earth

Potential similarities between Jovian and Earth lightning are helpful to understand involved properties. Here, the authors show that the Jovian lightning initiation processes are similar to those of intracloud lightning at Earth.
- Ivana Kolmašová
- Ondřej Santolík
- Radek Lán
ArticleOpen Access23 May 2023 Nature Communications
Seasonal and diurnal variations of Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability at terrestrial magnetopause

Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability (KHI) has been suggested as a significant source of geomagnetic activity during northward Interplanetary Magnetic Fields (IMF). Here, the authors show seasonal and diurnal variations of KHI at Earth’s magnetopause, highlighting the importance of Sun-earth geometry for space weather.
- S. Kavosi
- J. Raeder
- C. J. Farrugia
ArticleOpen Access4 May 2023 Nature Communications
Fast rotating blue stragglers prefer loose clusters

Blue Stragglers Stars (BSSs) are anomalously luminous main sequence stars in clusters. Here, the authors show evidence that the fraction of fast rotating BSSs increases for decreasing central density of the host system, suggesting fast spinning BSSs prefer low-density environments.
- Francesco R. Ferraro
- Alessio Mucciarelli
- Mario Mateo
ArticleOpen Access15 May 2023 Nature Communications
The diffuse gamma-ray flux from clusters of galaxies

The origin of the diffuse gamma-ray background (DGRB) is unknown. Here, the authors show that the integrated gamma-ray flux from clusters can contribute up to 100% of the DGRB flux observed by Fermi-LAT above 100 GeV.
- Saqib Hussain
- Rafael Alves Batista
- Klaus Dolag
ArticleOpen Access29 Apr 2023 Nature Communications
Metal-rich stars are less suitable for the evolution of life on their planets

Low stellar ultraviolet (UV) radiation leads to low ozone abundances, therefore, less planetary UV protection. Here, the authors show that planets in the habitable zones of metal-poor stars, despite their higher UV radiation than metal-rich stars, are the best targets for search for life.
- Anna V. Shapiro
- Christoph Brühl
- Jos Lelieveld
ArticleOpen Access18 Apr 2023 Nature Communications
Habitability and sub glacial liquid water on planets of M-dwarf stars

A long-standing issue in astrobiology is whether planets orbiting the most abundant type of stars, M-dwarfs, can support liquid water and eventually life. A new study shows that subglacial melting may provide an answer, significantly extending the habitability region, in particular around M-dwarf stars, which are also the most promising for biosignature detection with the present and near-future technology.
- Amri Wandel
CommentOpen Access14 Apr 2023 Nature Communications
Particle-sounding of the spatial structure of kinetic Alfvén waves

Kinetic Alfven Waves (KAWs) are ubiquitous in space plasmas. Here, the authors show that application of particle sounding technique to Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission data enables measuring perpendicular wavelength of KAWs.
- Z.-Y. Liu
- Q.-G. Zong
- G. Le
ArticleOpen Access12 Apr 2023 Nature Communications
Uracil in the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu

Uracil was identified in the sample returned from the asteroid Ryugu. Having been provided to the early Earth as a component in such asteroidal materials, these molecules might have played a role for prebiotic chemical evolution on the early Earth
- Yasuhiro Oba
- Toshiki Koga
- Hayabusa2-initial-analysis SOM team
ArticleOpen Access21 Mar 2023 Nature Communications
Insights into the formation and evolution of extraterrestrial amino acids from the asteroid Ryugu

Amino acid concentrations from 2 particles returned from different touchdown sites on the surface of Ryugu are reported. Differences in chemistry suggest different levels of aqueous alteration are recorded at the 2 sampled locations.
- Christian Potiszil
- Tsutomu Ota
- Eizo Nakamura
ArticleOpen Access17 Mar 2023 Nature Communications
Planetary defense with the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission and prospects

NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission intentionally impacted the asteroid Dimorphos on September 26, 2022, and this kinetic impact changed Dimorphos’ orbit around its binary companion Didymos. This first planetary defense test explored technological readiness for this method of asteroid deflection.
- Andrew S. Rivkin
- Andrew F. Cheng
CommentOpen Access1 Mar 2023 Nature Communications
Asymmetric eROSITA bubbles as the evidence of a circumgalactic medium wind

The origins of the pair of X-ray bubbles, called eROSITA bubbles (eRBs), detected in the halo of Milky Way are debated. Here, the authors show hydrodynamical simulations suggesting circumgalactic medium wind model can explain asymmetric eRBs.
- Guobin Mou
- Dongze Sun
- Zhicheng He
ArticleOpen Access11 Feb 2023 Nature Communications
Chondrule-like objects and Ca-Al-rich inclusions in Ryugu may potentially be the oldest Solar System materials

Chondrule-like objects and CAIs in the Ryugu samples are early generations of chondrules and possibly oldest solids in the Solar System. They were transported from the inner solar nebula to the formation location of the Ryugu original parent body.
- Daisuke Nakashima
- Tomoki Nakamura
- Yuichi Tsuda
ArticleOpen Access16 Feb 2023 Nature Communications
BepiColombo mission confirms stagnation region of Venus and reveals its large extent

BepiColombo mission had two Venus flybys on its way to Mercury. Here, the authors show that during its second flyby of Venus BepiColombo has crossed the stagnation region, which was predicted by the models.
- M. Persson
- S. Aizawa
- G. Murakami
ArticleOpen Access15 Dec 2022 Nature Communications
Efficient stabilization of cyanonaphthalene by fast radiative cooling and implications for the resilience of small PAHs in interstellar clouds

The abundances of small Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) observed in interstellar clouds has surprised astronomers and confounded astrochemical models. Here, the authors show that fast radiative cooling by Recurrent Fluorescence efficiently stabilizes the small PAH cation 1-cyanonaphthalene.
- Mark H. Stockett
- James N. Bull
- Boxing Zhu
ArticleOpen Access24 Jan 2023 Nature Communications
Venus’ light slab hinders its development of planetary-scale subduction

The simulation of slab buoyancy in 2-D models shows that Venus’ light slabs, due to a less eclogitized crust, experience more resistance to subduction. Thus, plate tectonics might have been more difficult to develop on Venus than on Earth.
- Junxing Chen
- Hehe Jiang
- Xu Chu
ArticleOpen Access10 Dec 2022 Nature Communications
Liquid water on cold exo-Earths via basal melting of ice sheets

Liquid water is key for life as we know it. Here, the authors show even with a modest geothermal heat flow, subglacial oceans of liquid water can form at the base of and within the ice sheets on exo-Earths, which may provide habitable conditions for an extended period.
- Lujendra Ojha
- Bryce Troncone
- George McDonald
ArticleOpen Access6 Dec 2022 Nature Communications
Potassium isotope heterogeneity in the early Solar System controlled by extensive evaporation and partial recondensation

This study reports strikingly light K isotopic compositions for the extremely K-depleted angrite meteorites, thereby providing the first observation of isotope fractionation likely controlled by partial recondensation at a planetary scale.
- Yan Hu
- Frédéric Moynier
- Martin Bizzarro
ArticleOpen Access12 Dec 2022 Nature Communications
The sound of a Martian dust devil

Dust devils are common on Mars and understanding their dynamics is important to gain insights about the meteorology of the planet. Here, the authors show characteristics of a Martian dust devil and its sound from Perseverance rover multi-sensor data combined with modelling.
- N. Murdoch
- A. E. Stott
- D. Mimoun
ArticleOpen Access13 Dec 2022 Nature Communications
Evidence of structural discontinuities in the inner core of red-giant stars

Red giant stars enter the clump phase as the helium in the cores start fusing. Here, the authors show evidence for large core structural discontinuities in 7% of Kepler satellite clump star data implying that the mixing region beyond the convective core boundary has a radiative thermal stratification.
- Mathieu Vrard
- Margarida S. Cunha
- Benoît Mosser
ArticleOpen Access16 Dec 2022 Nature Communications
Constraining surface properties of asteroid (162173) Ryugu from numerical simulations of Hayabusa2 mission impact experiment

Hayabusa2 mission impact experiment on asteroid Ryugu formed a crater larger than expected. Here, the authors show numerical impact simulations and find that the target cohesion may be very low, indicating the Hayabusa2 impact experiment probably occurred in the transitional cratering regime.
- Martin Jutzi
- Sabina D. Raducan
- Masahiko Arakawa
ArticleOpen Access30 Nov 2022 Nature Communications
Rossby wave second harmonic generation observed in the middle atmosphere

Rossby waves occur in rotating fluids. Here, the authors show observation of a Rossby wave second harmonic generation event in the middle atmosphere and confirm theoretically anticipated Rossby wave nonlinearity.
- Maosheng He
- Jeffrey M. Forbes
ArticleOpen Access7 Dec 2022 Nature Communications
Direct observations of energy transfer from resonant electrons to whistler-mode waves in magnetosheath of Earth

Excitation of whistler-mode waves by cyclotron instability is considered as the likely generation process of the waves. Here, the authors show direct observational evidence for locally ongoing secular energy transfer from the resonant electrons to the whistler-mode waves in Earth’s magnetosheath.
- N. Kitamura
- T. Amano
- J. L. Burch
ArticleOpen Access28 Oct 2022 Nature Communications
A distinct ripple-formation regime on Mars revealed by the morphometrics of barchan dunes

Dust storms on Mars drive water escape to space. Here, the authors show the impact Martian dust storms have on the abundance of atmospheric hydrogen and oxygen, and how this helps to overall oxidize the Martian atmosphere.
- Lior Rubanenko
- Mathieu G. A. Lapôtre
- Andrew Gunn
ArticleOpen Access22 Nov 2022 Nature Communications
Alternate oscillations of Martian hydrogen and oxygen upper atmospheres during a major dust storm

Dust storms on Mars drive water escape to space. Here, the authors show the impact Martian dust storms have on the abundance of atmospheric hydrogen and oxygen, and how this helps to overall oxidize the Martian atmosphere.
- Kei Masunaga
- Naoki Terada
- Ichiro Yoshikawa
ArticleOpen Access3 Nov 2022 Nature Communications
Spectral interpretation of late-stage mare basalt mineralogy unveiled by Chang’E-5 samples

Laboratory spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction analyses on the Chang’E-5 lunar soil samples have demonstrated that the spectral features of lunar late-stage mare basalts are representative of iron-rich high-Ca pyroxene rather than olivine.
- Dawei Liu
- Xing Wang
- Chunlai Li
ArticleOpen Access10 Oct 2022 Nature Communications
Using MARSIS signal attenuation to assess the presence of South Polar Layered Deposit subglacial brines

MARSIS attenuation and thermal data confirm that liquid brines are the most plausible source for the bright reflections at the base of the South Polar Layered Deposits. Such results also justify why SHARAD does not penetrate to the base of the ice.
- Sebastian E. Lauro
- Elena Pettinelli
- Roberto Orosei
ArticleOpen Access28 Sep 2022 Nature Communications
Repeating fast radio burst 20201124A originates from a magnetar/Be star binary

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are bright millisecond or shorter duration transient events. Here, the authors propose that FRB 20201124A comes from a binary system of a magnetar and a Be star with a decretion disk.
- F. Y. Wang
- G. Q. Zhang
- K. S. Cheng
ArticleOpen Access21 Sep 2022 Nature Communications
The imprint of star formation on stellar pulsations

The classical stellar evolution concept assumes that when the stars arrive on the main sequence, there is no traceable mark remains about their early evolutionary history. Here, the authors show that the accretion history leaves an imprint on the interior structure of the stars that are potentially detectable via asteroseismology.
- Thomas Steindl
- Konstanze Zwintz
- Eduard Vorobyov
ArticleOpen Access19 Sep 2022 Nature Communications
A wind environment and Lorentz factors of tens explain gamma-ray bursts X-ray plateau

The origin of the plateau observed in the early X-ray light curves of gamma ray bursts (GRBs) is debated. Here, the authors show that the observed plateau can be explained within the classical GRB model by considering expanding shell with initial Lorentz factor of a few tens.
- Hüsne Dereli-Bégué
- Asaf Pe’er
- Maria G. Dainotti
ArticleOpen Access24 Sep 2022 Nature Communications
Juno spacecraft gravity measurements provide evidence for normal modes of Jupiter

Juno spacecraft experienced unknown accelerations near the closest approach to Jupiter. Here, the authors show that Jupiter’s axially symmetric, north-south asymmetric gravity field measured by Juno is perturbed by a time-variable component, associated to internal oscillations.
- Daniele Durante
- Tristan Guillot
- Scott J. Bolton
ArticleOpen Access30 Aug 2022 Nature Communications
The supernova remnant SN 1006 as a Galactic particle accelerator

It is known that cosmic rays could be accelerated by shock waves in supernova (SN) remnants. Here, the authors show that SN 1006 remnant is an efficient source of cosmic rays, providing observational support for the quasi-parallel acceleration mechanism.
- Roberta Giuffrida
- Marco Miceli
- Giovanni Peres
ArticleOpen Access30 Aug 2022 Nature Communications
Detection of companion galaxies around hot dust-obscured hyper-luminous galaxy W0410-0913

Lyman-alpha emission is one of the observational probes for the high-redshift universe. Here, the authors show several Lyman-alpha emitting companion galaxies around the hot dust-obscured galaxy W0410-091 suggesting that the galaxy evolves in a very dense environment.
- M. Ginolfi
- E. Piconcelli
- A. Verhamme
ArticleOpen Access5 Aug 2022 Nature Communications
Widespread impact-generated porosity in early planetary crusts

Large impacts can create deep lying porosity far away from the crater. This result explains GRAIL’s findings and suggests impacts could support widespread fluid circulation, which has implications for habitable environments on early Earth and Mars.
- Sean E. Wiggins
- Brandon C. Johnson
- Simone Marchi
ArticleOpen Access16 Aug 2022 Nature Communications
Endogenically sourced volatiles on Charon and other Kuiper belt objects

We show cryovolcanic eruptions released sufficient methane to source volatile products on Charon. Irradiated methane products are found on other Kuiper belt objects, so endogenically sourced volatiles could be important across the Kuiper belt.
- Stephanie M. Menten
- Michael M. Sori
- Ali M. Bramson
ArticleOpen Access9 Aug 2022 Nature Communications
Early crustal processes revealed by the ejection site of the oldest martian meteorite

A new study pinpoints the ejection site of the 4.5-Ga-old Martian breccia NWA 7034 and paired stones to an area northeast of the Terra 679 Cimmeria–Sirenium province.
- A. Lagain
- S. Bouley
- P. A. Bland
ArticleOpen Access12 Jul 2022 Nature Communications
Chang’E-5 samples reveal high water content in lunar minerals

Lunar soils returned by China’s Chang’E−5 (CE5) mission record the unique information of solar wind essential to understanding the preservation and distribution of lunar surficial water. Here the authors report abundant water formed by solar wind implantation in minerals of CE5 lunar soils; the water content in CE5 lunar soils is estimated to be ~ 170 ppm.
- Chuanjiao Zhou
- Hong Tang
- Yuanyun Wen
ArticleOpen Access10 Sep 2022 Nature Communications
Inferring interiors and structural history of top-shaped asteroids from external properties of asteroid (101955) Bennu

Asteroid interiors are key to understand their formation and evolution. Here, the authors show that numerically simulated low-cohesion and low-friction structures with several high-cohesion internal zones can explain asteroid Bennu’s geophysical characteristics and the absence of the moons.
- Yun Zhang
- Patrick Michel
- Dante S. Lauretta
ArticleOpen Access6 Aug 2022 Nature Communications
NGC1818 unveils the origin of the extended main-sequence turn-off in young Magellanic Clouds clusters

The nature of young star clusters in the Magellanic Clouds is debated. Here, the authors show an alternative approach that exploits data to exclude the presence of age differences greater than a few million years among cluster stars in a very young cluster.
- Giacomo Cordoni
- Antonino P. Milone
- Maria V. Legnardi
ArticleOpen Access26 Jul 2022 Nature Communications
Photochemical and thermochemical pathways to S₂ and polysulfur formation in the atmosphere of Venus

Polysulfur compounds have been ascribed as the unknown near-UV absorbers in Venusian atmosphere and play a key role in the sulfur chemical cycle of this planet. Here, authors establish their production from (SO)₂ on the grounds of quantifications of photochemical and thermal pathways involved in the sulfur chemical cycle of the planet.
- Antonio Francés-Monerris
- Javier Carmona-García
- Daniel Roca-Sanjuán
ArticleOpen Access30 Jul 2022 Nature Communications

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