The rapidly developing field of fast radio bursts (FRBs) took another leap forward in understanding when an FRB was associated with a magnetar in our Galaxy, identifying a specific source for the first time.

Data-driven workforce models predict that if the status quo is maintained, the fraction of women astronomers at all levels of academia will be below 30% for at least 60 years. Even if affirmative action were adopted, the gender gap would persist for another 25 years.

The Voyager 1 spacecraft is now probing interstellar space beyond the heliopause. Here, measurements from the Plasma Wave System reveal au-scale density fluctuations that trace interstellar turbulence without the need for solar shock-generated plasma oscillation events.

A dust cloud in the line of sight towards supernova remnant RX J1713.7−3946—identified using Gaia data —contributes to the GeV gamma-ray emission of the region.

Kepler space telescope observations of 26 intermediate-mass rotating stars (slowly pulsating B-type stars) are analysed to isolate the gravity modes that probe the stars’ deep interiors. Internal mixing levels are unexpectedly varied and best reproduced with models incorporating radially stratified mixing profiles.

Spectropolarimetric observations of a solar pore at high temporal and spatial resolution identify the presence of magnetic field torsional oscillations. Simulations suggest that such oscillations are triggered by a photospheric kink mode, which can contribute substantially to upward energy transport within the solar atmosphere.

The detection of methanol—a molecule that primarily forms on the cold, icy surfaces of dust grains—in a warm protoplanetary disk is an indication that complex organic molecules are inherited from the interstellar medium and transported intact to planet-forming regions.

Fast-moving pulsars and neutron stars in general may have received a kinetic ‘kick’ from an asymmetric element in the supernova explosion that formed them. Here, the spin axis of a pulsar is determined to lie along the three-dimensional direction of the pulsar’s motion, providing a challenging constraint on supernova explosion modelling.

Astronomy and astrophysics in Vietnam are still in their infancy. Current efforts to stimulate interest in the general public, to foster the teaching of basic knowledge, and to develop research on frontline topics are described.