A New Way to Measure Black Hole Spin
Sensitive polarized-light observations of the relativistic jets of supermassive black holes may provide an entirely new way to measure the spin of a black hole.
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A Long, Hard Look at (Potentially) Nothing to See
Astrobites reports on an investigation of Cloud-9, a cloud of hydrogen gas that may be a galaxy containing dark matter but no stars.
Double-Star Discovery Suggests There’s a New Nearby Supernova Progenitor
Mark your calendars for a few tens of millions of years in the future: a core-collapse supernova at just 228 light-years away is sure to be spectacular.
Sun Glitter and Sunglint on Titan’s Hydrocarbon Seas
From its vantage point in orbit around Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft captured the brilliant gleam of sunlight reflecting off of Titan’s oily hydrocarbon seas. New research explores what sunglint can tell us about the interaction between Titan’s seas and atmosphere.
Monthly Roundup: A Cluster of Cosmic Spiders
Arachnophobes beware: today’s post concerns the behavior of the voracious stellar remnants called spider pulsars.
I’ve Got Some Oceanfront Property… Around a White Dwarf
Astrobites reports on whether planets around Sun-like stars destined to become white dwarfs are able to hold on to their oceans.
Featured Image: Details of a Rare Ejecta Nebula
New images highlight the clumpy ejecta and radial streaks surrounding WR 8, a Wolf–Rayet star that may be changing from one spectral subclass to another.
Crater Cartography: Mapping the Moon’s North Pole
New high-resolution maps of the Moon’s north pole reveal interesting terrain and locations possibly preserving water ice, which will inform future lunar exploration.
Black Holes Grow Better with a Friend
Astrobites reports on observations of dwarf galaxies that show how a buddy galaxy can help trigger phases of rapid black hole growth.
Research Notes of the AAS Celebrates Its 2,000th Publication
Since 2017, the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society (RNAAS) has provided a venue for brief research reports, student work, null results, and more. Editor Chris Lintott shares his reflections on a recent RNAAS milestone: 2,000 Notes.
Two More Double-Faced White Dwarfs Discovered
A search for white dwarfs that present different compositional “faces” as they spin has dredged up two new members of the emerging class of double-faced white dwarfs.
A Slowly Spinning Pulsar Below the Death Line
A serendipitous discovery illuminates the kinds of objects that might bridge the gap between pulsars and long-period radio transients.