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astrobites.bsky.social
Astrobites
@astrobites.bsky.social
10K followers 100 following 990 posts
Digestible summaries of the latest astronomy research. Written by an international team of grad students for undergrads! Supported by the @AAS_Office. #scicomm
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astrobites.bsky.social
Astrobites @astrobites.bsky.social · Nov 15
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astrobites.bsky.social
From Chloe Klare: In today’s paper, our authors model what shenanigans will occur (or not?) when we slam two plasmas together! ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/07/w...
When space plasmas collide!!
In today's paper, our authors model what shenanigans will occur (or not?) when we slam two plasmas together!
astrobites.org
February 9, 2026 at 10:03 PM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Hillary Diane Andales: Compact ultra-faint systems? More like confusing ultra-faint systems! ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/06/e...
Is that a galaxy-like star cluster? Or a cluster-like dwarf galaxy?
Compact ultra-faint systems? More like confusing ultra-faint systems!
astrobites.org
February 9, 2026 at 6:59 AM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Lucie Rowland : Are some of the most massive galaxies in the early Universe truly quenched, or just hiding their star formation behind dust? Today’s bite explores how ALMA helps solve this cosmic conundrum. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/05/d...
Distant Galaxies: Dead or in Disguise?
Are some of the most massive galaxies in the early Universe truly quenched, or just hiding their star formation behind dust? Today’s bite explores how ALMA helps solve this cosmic conundrum.
astrobites.org
February 7, 2026 at 12:20 AM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Shalini Kurinchi-Vendhan @shalinikv.bsky.social : Unveiling the interstellar medium of coming-of-age galaxies …to learn more about the origins of dusty galaxies at early cosmic times. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/04/u...
Unveiling the interstellar medium of coming-of-age galaxies
…to learn more about the origins of dusty galaxies at early cosmic times.
astrobites.org
February 5, 2026 at 11:12 PM
astrobites.bsky.social
From guest author Arthur Magalhães @arthurmagalhaes.bsky.social : What are blue straggler stars and how are they formed? By using spectroscopy, today’s authors explain the link between this question and how fast these objects spin! ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/03/b...
Guest: Fast and Curious: Rotation of Blue Straggler Stars in NGC 1851
What are blue straggler stars and how are they formed? By using spectroscopy, today's authors explain the link between this question and how fast these objects spin!
astrobites.org
February 4, 2026 at 11:03 PM
Reposted by Astrobites
aasnova.org
Ansh Gupta reports for @astrobites.bsky.social on RACS J0320−35, a quasar that appears to be breaking a cosmic limit by consuming matter faster than theory should allow. aasnova.org/2026/02/03/t... 🔭
The Winner of the Cosmic Speed-Eating Contest
Astrobites reports on RACS J0320−35, a quasar that appears to be breaking a cosmic limit by consuming matter faster than theory should allow.
aasnova.org
February 3, 2026 at 5:09 PM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Veronika Dornan @dornanv.bsky.social : Can galaxy interactions help young and old stars in spiral arms get to know each other? These authors’ simulations may have an answer! ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/02/a...
How Galaxy Mergers Can Bridge The Stellar Age Gap in Spiral Arms
Can galaxy interactions help young and old stars in spiral arms get to know each other? These authors' simulations may have an answer!
astrobites.org
February 4, 2026 at 12:39 AM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Kasper Zoellner: If we want to know about the conditions for life on an Earth-like exoplanet, can’t we just take a picture of it? The short answer is we can’t. The long answer as to why not is found in today’s bite. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/01/31/c...
Can’t we just take a picture of an exoplanet?
If we want to know about the conditions for life on an Earth-like exoplanet, can’t we just take a picture of it? One where we can see continents, clouds and potential biospheres? The short answer is w...
astrobites.org
February 2, 2026 at 10:12 PM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Ansh Gupta: When studying distant galaxies, SED fitting is one tool to rule them all. But how can we learn the detailed history of entire galaxies from just a few snapshots? ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/01/30/s...
SED Fitting: How Astronomers Understand Galaxies Across Time
When studying distant galaxies, SED fitting is one tool to rule them all. But how can we learn the detailed history of entire galaxies from just a few snapshots?
astrobites.org
February 1, 2026 at 9:48 PM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Ryan White @astroryan.bsky.social : There are a few locations in the solar system where the push and pull of gravity mellows out and you can orbit in (relative) peace. Read all about these islands of tranquility we call Lagrange points! ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/01/29/w...
What’s the (Lagrange) point?
There are a few locations in the solar system where the push and pull of gravity mellows out and you can orbit in (relative) peace. Read all about these islands of tranquility we call Lagrange points!
astrobites.org
February 1, 2026 at 12:44 AM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Maria Vincent @themariavincent.bsky.social : Exocomet detections are becoming more promising and well studied. So, naming them is of more importance now than ever. Today’s bite summarizes a paper that proposes a nomenclature for exocomets. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/01/28/h...
How to ID some extrasolar dusty snowballs
Exocomets are becoming more interesting, given their detections are more promising and well studied. So, naming them is of more importance now than ever. Today's bite summarizes a paper that proposes ...
astrobites.org
January 30, 2026 at 10:52 AM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Niloofar Sharei @astroneal.bsky.social : Are cosmic clumps “homegrown”, or fueled by fresh inflow? Today’s authors find that star-forming clumps are usually more metal-poor than the disks around them. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/01/27/f...
Feed the Fire, Fade the Metals
Are cosmic clumps “homegrown”, or fueled by fresh inflow? Today’s authors find that star-forming clumps are usually more metal-poor than the disks around them.
astrobites.org
January 27, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Reposted by Astrobites
aasnova.org
William Smith reports for @astrobites.bsky.social on how active galactic nucleus disks might connect black holes across the mass spectrum, setting the stage for extreme-mass-ratio and intermediate-mass-ratio inspirals in the same system. aasnova.org/2026/01/27/t... 🔭
The Black Hole Meetup: EMRIs and IMRIs in the Same Active Galactic Nucleus Disk
Astrobites reports on how active galactic nucleus disks might connect black holes across the mass spectrum, setting the stage for extreme-mass-ratio and intermediate-mass-ratio inspirals in the same s...
aasnova.org
January 27, 2026 at 5:28 PM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Drew Lapeer @giantmolecular.cloud: Today’s paper presents an intriguing new object, which may be a early-Universe supermassive black hole shedding its gas cocoon! ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/01/26/x...
A Potential New Piece of the “Little Red Dot” Puzzle
Today's paper presents an intriguing new object, which may be a early-Universe supermassive black hole shedding its gas cocoon!
astrobites.org
January 26, 2026 at 6:51 PM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Catherine Slaughter @catieslaughts.bsky.social : Whether you like them or not, magnetic fields permeate the interstellar medium. Today’s paper outlines a novel way of observing them! ⚛️🔭☄🧪
astrobites.org/2026/01/24/p...
Sometimes You Do Have to Consider Them: Observing Magnetic Fields Using Pulsar Halos
Whether you like them or not, magnetic fields permeate the interstellar medium. Today's paper outlines a novel way of observing them!
astrobites.org
January 25, 2026 at 2:44 AM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Viviana Cáceres: Don’t get bamboozled by this sneaky resemblance! ⚛️🔭☄🧪
astrobites.org/2026/01/23/s...
Spot the difference: eccentricity or precession
Don’t get bamboozled by this sneaky resemblance!
astrobites.org
January 24, 2026 at 5:05 AM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Brandon Pries: Stars shed material as they shine, and today’s authors think this may be enough to power X-ray emission from a massive black hole! ⚛️🔭☄🧪
astrobites.org/2026/01/22/m...
Black Holes Eating Stellar Shedding
Stars shed material as they shine, and today's authors think this may be enough to power X-ray emission from a massive black hole!
astrobites.org
January 22, 2026 at 11:03 PM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Nathalie Korhonen Cuestas: Have we just discovered the first direct evidence of a runaway supermassive black hole? ⚛️🔭☄🧪
astrobites.org/2026/01/20/r...
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a runaway supermassive black hole!
Have we just discovered the first direct evidence of a runaway supermassive black hole?
astrobites.org
January 22, 2026 at 12:39 AM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Abbé Whitford @abbew25.bsky.social : In today’s bite, we talk about how one can efficiently measure bubbles of ionized gas that signal the epoch of reionization (EoR). ⚛️🔭☄🧪
astrobites.org/2026/01/19/r...
Studying bubbles from the early Universe: an efficient matched filter approach
In today's bite, we talk about how one can efficiently measure bubbles of ionized gas that signal the epoch of reionization (EoR).
astrobites.org
January 20, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Reposted by Astrobites
aasnova.org
Kasper Zoellner reports for @astrobites.bsky.social on whether the low-density planets that keep popping up in our growing collection of exoplanets are really the water worlds that we imagine them to be. aasnova.org/2026/01/20/a... 🔭
Are Water Worlds Just Made of Soot?
Astrobites reports on whether the low-density planets that keep popping up in our growing collection of exoplanets are really the water worlds that we imagine them to be.
aasnova.org
January 20, 2026 at 5:11 PM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Veronika Dornan @dornanv.bsky.social : Reticulum II? More like Reticulum TWO distinct periods of star formation! Or at least that’s what new spectroscopic observations indicate. ⚛️🔭☄🧪
astrobites.org/2026/01/17/r...
Back for Seconds: Evidence of Two Bursts of Star Formation in an Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxy
Reticulum II? More like Reticulum TWO distinct periods of star formation! Or at least that's what new spectroscopic observations incdicate.
astrobites.org
January 19, 2026 at 9:37 PM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Lucie Rowland: What if some of JWST’s most extreme high-redshift galaxy candidates aren’t galaxies at all, but the explosive deaths of the very first stars? ⚛️🔭☄🧪
astrobites.org/2026/01/16/t...
The Oldest Starlight
What if some of JWST’s most extreme high-redshift galaxy candidates aren’t galaxies at all, but the explosive deaths of the very first stars?
astrobites.org
January 19, 2026 at 11:17 AM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Sandy Chiu: Massive galaxies all seem to end up quiet and quenched—but the physics inside them can look wildly different. Explore how AGN-driven cosmic rays reshape galaxies from the inside out, changing local conditions without altering their ultimate fate. ⚛️🔭☄🧪
astrobites.org/2026/01/15/c...
Global Calm, Local Chaos: How AGN-Driven Cosmic Rays Reshape Galaxies from the Inside
Massive galaxies all seem to end up quiet and quenched—but the physics inside them can look wildly different. This story explores how AGN-driven cosmic rays reshape galaxies from the inside out, chang...
astrobites.org
January 18, 2026 at 10:59 PM
astrobites.bsky.social
From Mckenzie Ferrari: Some type Ia supernovae involve a companion star that somehow survives the energetic explosion. What can we learn from these companions? ⚛️🔭☄🧪
astrobites.org/2026/01/13/s...
I Survived a Type Ia, and All I Got Was This Kick Velocity
Some type Ia supernovae involve a companion star that somehow survives the energetic explosion. What can we learn from these companions?
astrobites.org
January 13, 2026 at 10:59 PM
Reposted by Astrobites
aasnova.org
Ansh Gupta reports for @astrobites.bsky.social on how astronomers got a closer view of the distant and mysterious little red dots. aasnova.org/2026/01/13/a... 🔭
A Black Hole Egg That Forgot to Hatch
Astrobites reports on how astronomers got a closer view of the distant and mysterious little red dots.
aasnova.org
January 13, 2026 at 5:29 PM