Survival depended on whether ancient 'birds' lived on the forest floor or in the branches, say scientists.

The giant rock that wiped out tree-dwelling birds

The giant rock that wiped out tree-dwelling birds, Published online: 24 May 2018; doi:10.1038/d41586-018-05228-4

Forests perished after an asteroid strike wrought devastation worldwide.

An increase in the 12C + 12C fusion rate from resonances at astrophysical energies

An increase in the ¹²C + ¹²C fusion rate from resonances at astrophysical energies, Published online: 23 May 2018; doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0149-4

The rate of carbon burning—12C + 12C fusion—in stars is boosted by resonant behaviour at astrophysical energies.

An asteroid from beyond our Solar System has been orbiting near Jupiter for billions of years, scientists say.

The Galaxy’s full glory revealed

The Galaxy’s full glory revealed, Published online: 21 May 2018; doi:10.1038/d41586-018-05229-3

Effort to measure the Milky Way’s disk yields a surprise.

Using the unparalleled sharpness and ultraviolet observational capabilities of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers has created the most comprehensive high-resolution ultraviolet-light survey of star-forming galaxies in the local Universe. The catalogue contains about 8000 clusters and 39 million hot blue stars.

The very first stars to shine in the Universe left a tell-tale trace in a far-distant galaxy.

London's Science Museum unveils a replica of the probe Europe will send to the inner-most planet.

A rare phenomenon connected to the death of a star has been discovered in observations made by ESA's Herschel space observatory: an unusual laser emission from the spectacular Ant Nebula, which suggests the presence of a double star system hidden at its heart.

Astronomers have used observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) to determine that star formation in the very distant galaxy MACS1149-JD1 started at an unexpectedly early stage, only 250 million years after the Big Bang. This discovery also represents the most distant oxygen ever detected in the Universe and the most distant galaxy ever observed by ALMA or the VLT. The results will appear in the journal Nature on 17 May 2018.

Distant galaxy formed stars only 250 million years after the Big Bang

Distant galaxy formed stars only 250 million years after the Big Bang, Published online: 16 May 2018; doi:10.1038/d41586-018-05114-z

Little is known about the star-birth activity of the earliest galaxies. Observations of a particularly distant galaxy provide evidence for such activity when the Universe was just 2% of its current age.

The onset of star formation 250 million years after the Big Bang

The onset of star formation 250 million years after the Big Bang, Published online: 16 May 2018; doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0117-z

Observation of the emission line of doubly ionized oxygen at a redshift of 9.1096 reveals that star formation began at a redshift of about 15, around 250 million years after the Big Bang.

China is planning to build a next-generation X-ray observatory that will study some of the most violent objects in the universe such as black holes, neutron stars and quark stars.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is unlikely to meet its 2019 launch date as well as keep within budget, according to a report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Stephen Hawking’s scientific contributions will live on long after his death

Portal origin URL: Old Data Reveal New Evidence of Europa PlumesPortal origin nid: 424369Published: Monday, May 14, 2018 - 11:47Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: Scientists re-examining data from an old mission bring new insights to the tantalizing question of whether Jupiter’s moon Europa has the ingredients to support life.Portal image: Artist’s illustration of Jupiter and Europa with the Galileo spacecraft after its pass through a plume erupting from EuropaScience Categories: Solar System

A geyser spurts from one of Jupiter’s icy moons

A geyser spurts from one of Jupiter’s icy moons, Published online: 14 May 2018; doi:10.1038/d41586-018-05183-0

Galileo spacecraft bolsters evidence for watery plumes on Europa.

Scientists re-examining data from an old mission bring new insights to the tantalizing question of whether Jupiter’s moon Europa has the ingredients to support life.

Please note this event has been postponed until October.Revised details will be provided nearer the time.Media are invited to join experts of the Characterising Exoplanets Satellite, CHEOPS, at Airbus Defence and Space in Madrid, Spain, for a unique opportunity to visit the spacecraft in the clean room on 22 May.