Category Astronomy/Space

Cloud–cloud collision sparks active star formation in Milky Way

Cloud-cloud collisions reshape molecular clouds and trigger star formation
The distribution of the two colliding molecular clouds (with blue and red indicating the blue-shifted and red-shifted clouds, respectively) and the star formation activity. Credit: Astronomy & Astrophysics (2025). DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202453285

A recent study led by Dilda Berdikhan, a Ph.D. student from the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory (XAO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has uncovered compelling evidence that a cloud–cloud collision has triggered active star formation in the molecular cloud G013.313+0.193 (hereafter G013.313) in the Milky Way. The findings are published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Using observational data from the NanShan 26-m Radio Telescope and the Delingha 13...

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Scientists just recreated the Universe’s first molecule and solved a 13-billion-year-old puzzle

Researchers have discovered new insights into the reaction pathways of the first molecule in space. Long before stars lit up the sky, the universe was a hot, dense place where simple chemistry quietly set the stage for everything to come. Scientists have now recreated the first molecule ever to form, helium hydride, and discovered it played a much bigger role in the birth of stars than we thought. Using a special ultra-cold lab setup, they mimicked conditions from over 13 billion years ago and found that this ancient molecule helped cool the universe just enough for stars to ignite. Their findings could rewrite part of the story about how the cosmos evolved from darkness to light.

Immediately after the Big Bang, which occurred around 13...

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Life’s emergence from non-living matter found more complex than previously understood

What were the chances of abiogenesis?
This illustration of early Earth includes liquid water as well as magma seeping from the planet’s core due to a large impact. Scientists at NASA are investigating the chemistry that might have existed at this time in the planet’s history. Credit: Simone Marchi

A new study published in July 2025 tackles one of science’s most profound mysteries—how did life first emerge from nonliving matter on early Earth? Using cutting edge mathematical approaches, researcher Robert G. Endres from Imperial College London has developed a framework that suggests the spontaneous origin of life faces far greater challenges than previously understood.

The study, published on the arXiv preprint server, focuses on the difficulty of assembling structured biological information under what could be reas...

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Unlocking the secrets of our galaxy’s heart using magnetic fields

The dust in the Milky Way, shown in darker and redder colours, are regions where new star formation is taking place. These dusty regions are correlated with the magnetic fields present in our galaxy, and the background light gets polarised in a measurable way as a result. (Credit : NASA/ESA)
The dust in the Milky Way, shown in darker and redder colours, are regions where new star formation is taking place. These dusty regions are correlated with the magnetic fields present in our galaxy, and the background light gets polarised in a measurable way as a result. (Credit : NASA/ESA)

Deep in the heart of our galaxy lies one of the most chaotic and mysterious regions in space. Now, scientists have created the first detailed map of magnetic fields in this turbulent zone, providing crucial insights into how stars form and evolve in extreme environments.

The research, led by University of Chicago Ph.D. student Roy Zhao, focused on a region called Sagittarius C, located in the c near the center of the Milky Way...

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