Interstellar medium articles from across Nature Portfolio

A large sulfur-bearing carbon ring molecule has been detected in space, 2,5-cyclohexadien-1-thione, using laboratory spectroscopy and a radio telescope. Found near the Galactic Centre, it opens the door to a new family of interstellar molecules.

The formation of glycylglycine, a simple peptide molecule, is possible under non-aqueous interstellar conditions, according to laboratory experiments. Thus, complex organics with biological relevance may predate planetary accretion.

Synergies between JWST and ALMA are providing a multiwavelength view of galaxies, active galactic nuclei and the interstellar medium at high redshifts. This Review provides an overview of results so far and identifies areas for future development.

ALMA has captured exquisitely detailed images of bowshock shells in the outflow of an outbursting protostar. These provide important insights into the variable nature of the ejections from protostars, which play a key role in star and planet formation.

Through next-generation spectral analysis, scientists have uncovered an evolutionary path for Wolf–Rayet stars in metal-poor environments. Characterized by hard ionizing radiation, these stars challenge current assumptions about massive star evolution.

XRISM observations show the presence of odd-numbered elements chlorine and potassium in Cas A. These findings suggest that stellar activity plays an important role in cosmic chemical evolution, enriching space with elements vital for planets and life.

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.

A magnetic halo featuring coherent magnetized ridges several kiloparsecs above and below the Galactic Disk, and a gamma-ray counterpart, are revealed. They probably arise from outflows that are driven by star-forming regions in the Galactic Disk, 3–5 kiloparsecs from the Galactic Centre.