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Isotopic analyses of stardust have yet to single out a specific stellar origin for it. A revision of the proton-capture rate of 17O has helped to identify intermediate mass stars (4–8 solar masses) as the source of a large fraction of meteoritic stardust.
The New Horizons spacecraft revealed a large dark reddish area along Pluto’s equatorial region, probably made up by organics. Here the authors show that it could be formed by the very same giant impact that created Pluto’s biggest satellite, Charon.
Periodic pulsations of polarized emission and a strong magnetic field were found in a white-dwarf double system. These findings confirm a pulsar-like emission mechanism for the system that has so far been associated only with neutron stars.
Heck et al. provide the first experimental evidence that the composition of meteorites falling on the Earth changes with time. The distribution of meteorites 470 million years ago is significantly different from today — an effect linked to events happening in the asteroid belt.
Our currently accepted model of a hierarchically growing, dark-matter dominated Universe predicts rare isolated groups of dwarf galaxies. The discovery of seven such systems may point to the building blocks of present-day intermediate-mass galaxies.
Scientists are comfortable in their own communities but other groups working on similar phenomena at different length scales could provide unexpected insights. Collaborations are more likely to uncover common underlying principles.
Early observations of the flaring object ASASSN-15lh led astronomers to cast it as the most luminous supernova ever. Now, convincing evidence indicates that this object is not as it seemed. In fact, fitting it into any known box is a challenge.
The detection of a tailed radio galaxy in a galaxy cluster conjoined to a region of diffuse radio emission confirms that radio galaxies provide the energetic electrons needed to explain the origin of this enigmatic emission.
Astronomers, astrophysicists and planetary scientists are global citizens who transcend political boundaries. Nature Astronomy supports a strong, open community with common interests.
The heated debate on the importance of stellar rotation and age spreads in massive star clusters has just become hotter by throwing stellar variability into the mix.