Editorials

Nature Astronomy is uniquely positioned to publish a variety of excellent scientific research alongside commentary, opinion and editorial content on the topics that matter most to the astronomy and planetary science communities. We are committed to promoting diversity in peer review and the voices we feature.

With a growing coverage of the night sky, the quantity and quality of transient event detections is booming. In this issue, our Focus looks particularly at observations of different types of supernovae and the need for a classification scheme that can systematically accommodate the diversity of stellar explosions and progenitors.

We publish in this issue our first Matters Arising, a new way for Nature Research journals to host a sound and peer-reviewed debate driven by the community on a stimulating (and maybe polarizing) topic presented in a published paper.

Renewed investment in lunar exploration (and beyond) will benefit basic research and applied science, but we need to tread carefully in order to prevent the exploitation of extraterrestrial resources.

The stunning picture of a black hole shadow that was released by the Event Horizon Telescope highlights the power of collaborative projects, as no single person, telescope or nation could have captured such an image.

NASA’s spacecraft OSIRIS-REx is planning to bring back a sample from a near-Earth asteroid in 2023, and it has just delivered its first scientific results. It is only one of the projects from various space agencies that will put small bodies and sample return into the spotlight in the upcoming decade.

Since the field’s inception, the study of active galactic nuclei has been central to extragalactic astronomy. The plurality of ways in which these objects can be observed and their numerous links to other fields of astronomy maintain their continued relevance.

The International Astronomical Union celebrates its centenary this year, with a membership that is increasing in diversity and working towards inclusion.

Black holes have the distinct honour of being the most popular and potentially the least well-understood objects in the Universe. This issue’s Insight explores how far black hole research has come since its inception, though it still has a long way to go.

Peer review lies at the heart of our journal. Recognizing our reviewers publicly will introduce transparency to the editorial process as well as acknowledge the work of our reviewers.

We celebrate four of the most inspirational role models pushing for diversity among astronomers.

Exoplanetary science is one of the most rapidly developing fields in astronomy and has great near- and medium-term prospects, but various challenges can hinder its growth. The community needs to be prepared to discuss them constructively and openly without spiralling into infighting.

The 2020 US Decadal Survey for Astrophysics is almost here — but in these years of flat cash and major mission delays, how much can we afford to dream?

The relatively dark sky over Africa and the continent’s rich human resources are a boon for the growing development initiatives driven by astronomy.

With moons holding subsurface oceans, the outer planets are back in focus as the most promising places to find life beyond Earth. In addition to future missions, ongoing data analysis from past missions has an important role to play.

In the age of huge telescopes involving many wealthy nations, we mustn’t overlook regional telescopes that help countries address their specific development needs.

The proposed NASA budget promotes space exploration over science, and planetary science over astrophysics. This decision has the potential to cause strife between scientists, who have to work together to find a solution.

Galaxies hosting actively accreting supermassive black holes make up roughly 10% of all galaxies in the Universe. Nevertheless, due to their immense energy output, active galactic nuclei are widely regarded as regulators of their host galaxy growth. But does observational evidence stack up?

More and more private money is pouring into astronomical research and space exploration, and it's not all hype.