The tail-end accretion hypothesis of planet formation posits that the early Moon underwent heavy impacts. Viscous relaxation erased lunar impact basins that formed shortly after the solidification of the lunar magma ocean, explaining the low number of basins currently present on the Moon.

Molecular clouds with low metal content, located in the Galactic outer disk and nearby metal-poor dwarf galaxies, show a notable deficiency in their turbulent support against self-gravity. This challenges the classical virial scenario, in which turbulence and self-gravitational energies are in equilibrium.

This Perspective looks forwards to the next decade of X-ray astronomy, explaining how it will contribute to better understanding of the high-energy Universe. In this context, the authors describe the NewAthena mission, a concept led by the European Space Agency.

Hydrothermal environments are sites of high astrobiological importance. Examining the behaviour of organic molecules in hydrothermal analogues from Earth could help in interpreting observations of hydrothermal settings on other planetary bodies, especially Mars.

A new study shows that many ‘ultra-wide’ binaries (UWBs) in the Kuiper belt are not primordial but attained their present large separations during multiple encounters with other trans-Neptunian objects, and constrain Solar System formation and evolution differently than previously thought.

The discovery of sodium carbonate salts in samples returned from the asteroid Ryugu suggests a very water-rich past of Ryugu’s parent body.

Various observer programmes, in which early-career scientists participate in science meetings for NASA’s planetary missions, have been set up in recent years. This Perspective analyses the effectiveness of two such programmes: InSightSeers and DART Boarders.

The composition of Venus’s atmosphere is well known, and is likely being replenished by volcanic gases. Analysis suggests that the volcanic eruptions are water-poor — implying that the planet’s mantle is dry. This is consistent with Venus having had a long-lasting dry surface and never having been habitable.

It has been more than a decade since the last meeting on symbiotic stars and related objects was convened. This year participants gathered in Prague to discuss developments in the field, in part prompted by new surveys and observatories.

These two types of compact objects share several similarities, despite their different compositions. A short workshop in Spain brought communities together to share understanding of dense matter under extreme conditions.

A model for the formation of our Solar System proposes that its population of small bodies could have been formed after a stellar encounter between our Sun and another star early on in its history.

Many rocky exoplanets are likely to be basaltic. Now, models of laboratory emission spectra of basaltic rocks suggest that JWST and future observatories could detect specific mineral and chemical signatures on these exoplanets. When present at high abundances, minerals indicative of rock–water interactions are particularly visible in modelled planetary flux spectra.

Answering the question robustly is more involved than one might think, and may not be entirely possible with existing surveys and simulations.

The maturation of low-frequency radio astronomy instruments has further opened the magnetic environment of stars to investigation, yielding indications of star–planet interactions and coronal mass ejections in stellar systems other than our own.

Discoveries made by Voyager 2 in 1986 led to the conclusion that Uranus possesses the most extreme magnetosphere within the Solar System. Reanalysis of this dataset suggests that the extreme observations made by Voyager 2 could have been caused by anomalously intense upstream solar wind conditions.

The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered a rapidly growing, incredibly active black hole in the early Universe. The accretion disk of the black hole is extremely bright in X-rays and is accreting matter at a rate 40 times the theoretical limit — offering new insight into early black-hole growth.

A large-volume plasma torch has been used to experimentally simulate condensation in carbon-rich stellar outflows. Using the observed condensation sequence and appropriate optical properties, the feasibility of predicting dust mineralogy in these environments is demonstrated, offering a promising approach to the quantitative characterization of dust composition in various astrophysical settings.

A regular conference bringing together physicists, astronomers, and teachers with a connection to Nepal recently marked its seventh gathering, demonstrating an encouraging commitment to science for a developing country with limited research resources.