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A new model demonstrates how the formation of annular structures in a protoplanetary disk can later produce planetary systems that reproduce both the orbital architecture and meteoritic isotope trends observed in our Solar System.
A new model for the origin of the Solar System proposes planet building blocks formed fast from material that was transported outwards to cooler regions. It claims to be consistent with the properties of ancient meteorites.
A multi-disciplinary team recently came together online to discuss the application of sonification in astronomy, focusing on the effective use of sound for scientific discovery and for improving accessibility to astronomy research and education.
The first robotically obtained samples of a carbonaceous asteroid have been safely returned to Earth. A non-destructive first-look analysis shows that asteroid Ryugu may be a CI chondrite with interesting variations.
Combining polarimetry with space-based photometry and archival spectroscopy has given us an unprecedented understanding of the characteristics and interior structure of the bright β Cephei-type variable star β Crucis.
Unlocking the internal secrets of a β Cephei star with a state-of-the-art polarimeter may open up a greater understanding of whether a massive star eventually explodes in a supernova or collapses directly to a black hole.
The limits on late accretion and its associated water delivery to potential habitable planets are derived by examining the dynamical stability of the resonance-bound TRAPPIST-1 system.
A simulated hybrid emission model to mimic the morphology of the jet launching region of M87 reproduces the observed shape of the innermost jet and favours a high spin of the central black hole.
A fluorine abundance measurement in a high-redshift galaxy demonstrates an early, quick rise in chemical enrichment of the Universe. The presence of fluorine at this early epoch also reveals a unique early source of the element.
The annual Fast Radio Bursts conference was again held entirely online this year, from 28 July to 5 August 2021. It included plenary talks, posters, lightning talks, late-breaking news and discussion sessions.
Radio images from the Low Frequency Array have revealed complex, filamentary radio emission around a radio galaxy undergoing multiple episodes of radio outbursts, showcasing the importance of magnetic fields for the survival of radio filaments far from the radio core.
Cosmological simulation TNG50 reveals that a recently discovered population of isolated but non-star-forming ultra-diffuse galaxies may have been gas-rich satellites of much more massive galaxies in the distant past.
Held in Suzhou, Jiangsu province of China in June 2021, the conference served to unite a wide community of planetary science within China, and hopes to become one of the world’s premier planetary science conferences in the future.
Recent observations show that some galaxies exist that have already run out of fuel only a few billion years after the Big Bang, challenging the current view on how galaxies form and evolve in a cold dark-matter-dominated Universe.
The standard model of terrestrial planet formation ignores the role of orbital migration of planetary embryos. A new scenario shows how migration may have sculpted the inner Solar System’s orbital architecture, as long as embryos converged towards about 1 au.
The concepts and development milestones of the two Chinese space-based gravitational wave observatories, TianQin and Taiji, are introduced. Considering their similar goals and operation window with LISA, possible collaborations among them are discussed.
A supernova, possibly of type Ia, gravitationally lensed by a massive cluster, is predicted to appear in the future. It has the potential to allow an independent, high-precision measurement of the Hubble constant.
The European Astronomical Society awarded its most prestigious prizes during its annual meeting held from 28 June to 2 July 2021. In a way similar to last year, the meeting was entirely virtual.
