Ring Nebula Reveals a Hidden Iron Bar, Stoking New Space Clues

Researchers using the William Herschel Telescope’s WEAVE instrument detected a long, ionized-iron structure—an iron bar—within the Ring Nebula (M57). The bar extends roughly 1,000 Pluto–Sun distances and contains iron mass about that of Mars, located in the nebula’s inner region. Its origin is unknown, with theories ranging from the star’s outer-layer ejection to vaporizing a rocky planet. A follow-up study at higher resolution is planned, and the team published their findings in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.