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The length asymmetry of the tidal stellar stream Palomar 5 could have been caused by a past encounter(s) with the Galactic bar, thus limiting its use as a probe for structures in the dark matter halo of the Milky Way.
A time-dependent dark energy component of the Universe may be able to explain tensions between local and primordial measurements of cosmological parameters, shaking current confidence in the concept of a cosmological ‘constant’.
Even though a thick atmosphere stands between Venus's cloud top and its surface, recent observations now establish the impact of Venus's topography on its upper atmospheric dynamics. Understanding how this is possible will lead to substantial progress in atmospheric computer models.
The discovery of a dual active galactic nucleus demonstrates how to efficiently search for them in dusty, merging galaxies — and could yield more results in the future.
High angular resolution ALMA observations appear to confirm jets as a solution to the classical angular momentum problem of star formation, but the jury is still out.
There is no single approach to the quantization of gravity. Rather, multiple models are based on various assumptions, and experimental tests of Planck-scale physics present a particular challenge.
Analysis of Hubble Space Telescope observations shows that the well-known alignment between the central galaxy of a galaxy cluster and its host cluster has been in place for at least ten billion years.
Positron annihilation in the Galaxy has been observed for half a century now, but the positron sources have not been identified yet. A rare class of supernovae is now suggested to be the main positron producer.
Using a sample of more than 200,000 publications over a 65-year period, it is found that astronomy papers led by women receive 10% fewer citations than those led by men, consistent with studies in other related disciplines.
The seabed of Ligeia Mare, a hydrocarbon sea at the north pole of Titan, may be a favourable place for the separation of nitrogen and the creation of bubbles that then buoyantly rise to the sea's surface.
Images from ESA's Rosetta mission show, in real time, the processes that sculpt the surface of a comet, which is revealed to have a pristine icy interior surrounded by an evolved surface.
The combined power of a space telescope, a large ground-based telescope and a gravitational lens made catching a small galaxy — 1/100 the mass of the Milky Way — at the cosmic reionization epoch feasible.
