Cosmic Iron Bar Spans Ring Nebula, Baffling Scientists

Using the WEAVE instrument in the Canary Islands, astronomers mapped the Ring Nebula (M57) and discovered a rare, 3.7 trillion‑mile‑long bar of ionized iron spanning its interior, containing as much iron as Earth’s molten core. The origin is unknown—potentially the vaporized remains of a rocky planet or a product of nebular processes—and researchers plan further observations to see if other elements are present and how common such features are in nebulae.