Two attempts to measure the isotopic composition of oxygen in the Sun from particles trapped in lunar soils give very different results. A rethink of why the Solar System is as it is might be required. On page 776 of this issue, Ireland et al. report investigations of lunar soil from which they infer that, compared with other Solar System bodies, the Sun is depleted in the naturally most plentiful oxygen isotope, ~(16)O. Just a year ago, another study of soils on the Moon concluded exactly the reverse. So who is right?
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