Comment

Observations and simulations show that outflows in active galactic nuclei contain gas in different phases. To understand their true impact on galaxy evolution, we advocate consistent and unbiased investigation of these multiphase winds in large active galactic nuclei samples.

Different mechanisms can drive outflows in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), but it is often unclear which mechanism dominates, if any. To quantify the impact of AGN feedback on galaxy evolution, the driving mechanism of outflows must be better understood.

Galaxy-scale outflows powered by actively accreting supermassive black holes are routinely detected, and they have been associated with both the suppression and triggering of star formation. Recent observational evidence and simulations are favouring a delayed mechanism that connects outflows and star formation.

As with most data analysis methods, the Bayesian method must be handled with care. We show that its application to determine stellar evolution parameters within globular clusters can lead to paradoxical results if used without the necessary precautions. This is a cautionary tale on the use of statistical tools for big data analysis.

Hurricane Maria was 2 mph short of category 5 when it made landfall on Puerto Rico on 20 September 2017. The 305 m radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory withstood the storm, suffering only minor structural damage. Staff have worked diligently to return the site to full operations and provide vital services to the surrounding Puerto Rican community.

Recent observations of extreme variability in active galactic nuclei have pushed standard viscous accretion disk models over the edge. I suggest either that some kind of non-local physics dominates accretion disks, or that the optical output we see comes entirely from reprocessing a central source.

The Ali Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization Telescope — currently under construction in the Ngari prefecture of Tibet — will search for primordial gravitational waves and probe the origin of the Universe.

An astrophysicist describes how he charted his course into writing and journalism — and how others could do the same.

A planetary scientist describes how she left the traditional corridors of academia to help found her own company, thereby continuing her research program and interests. The flexibility afforded by this break-away has been life-changing.

Astronomers should not feel like failures for leaving academia — the multiverse is replete with engaging, satisfying and well-remunerated jobs that will value you, your education, your training and your unique skills.

From the PhD through several post-doctoral positions, to the few permanent academic posts, the selection processes determining who will populate the upper echelons of academic astronomy might not involve just merit, hard work or dedication.

After almost ten years in academia I took one of the best decisions of my life: to leave it. This is my experience transitioning from astronomy to data science in search of a more open, fast-paced working environment.

Leaving academia was hard, but becoming an editor for Nature Astronomy has been an unexpected delight. That is not to say it is a bed of roses; rather it is the variety and complexity of the challenges of the job that make it so enjoyable.

Education and public outreach has evolved from being part of a scientist’s duties into a distinct career path that is well-suited for astronomers. The ideal professional in this field has strong communication skills coupled with a broad research background.

Pulsar timing arrays may well be the next type of experiment to detect gravitational waves. Sensitive to lower frequencies than LIGO–Virgo, they will detect the stochastic background of massive binary black hole mergers.

Pulsars — fast-spinning neutron stars — are precision clocks provided by nature. Finding pulsars in the Galactic Centre orbiting Sagittarius A*, the closest supermassive black hole to the Earth, will offer unprecedented opportunities to test general relativity and its alternatives.

Through involvement in CHIME, ALMA, the Jansky VLA and the Murchison Widefield Array, Canada is well placed in current radio astronomy facilities and the future looks even brighter, with strategic interest in the SKA and the Next Generation VLA.

Complex organics are now observed throughout the Universe, forming in the circumstellar environments over thousands of years and providing materials for star formation. Did the Earth inherit any of these organics at the time of its formation?

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are empirically divided into ‘radio-loud’ and ‘radio-quiet’. These 50-year-old labels are obsolete, misleading and wrong. I argue that AGNs should be classified as ‘jetted’ and ‘non-jetted’ based on a physical difference — the presence (or lack) of strong relativistic jets.

US astronomy decadal surveys advise government on how to optimize the scientific return on national investments in astronomy research. The 2020 survey will guide our community into the future, but current strains in an otherwise world-leading astronomy programme may affect this collective exercise.