Featured Image: How Do Supermassive Black Holes Eat?
New high-resolution three-dimensional simulations explore the nature of accretion onto supermassive black holes in elliptical galaxies.
Highlights RSS
Planning for Touchdown: New Maps of the Moon’s South Pole
When the next moonwalkers land near the lunar south pole, they’re going to need a map. With a possible Artemis III landing just a few years away, planetary scientists are hard at work trying to make one fit for spacesuit-clad geologists.
How to Make (and Find) Neutron Stars with a Dash of Dark Matter
Neutron stars containing a small amount of dark matter might be able to explain some unusual observations. How would these objects form, and how can we study them further?
I Know We’ve (NIR)Cam So Far (but We Got So Far to Go)
Astrobites reports on some of the initial instrumentation challenges and solutions for JWST’s Near Infrared Camera.
First Detection of Hot Molecular Cloud Cores in the Small Magellanic Cloud
The discovery of hot, star-forming cores in the Milky Way’s galactic neighbor lends insight into the formation of massive stars in metal-poor galaxies.
A Simple New Way to Determine Magnetic Fields in the Solar Corona
Researchers rely on complex models to estimate the magnetic field of the Sun’s upper atmosphere. Could there be an easier way?
Featured Image: Detecting Dust in the Local Universe
Maps of nearby galaxies using data from the Herschel Space Telescope give researchers a new perspective on dust evolution.
Different Pipelines, Different Atmospheres?
Converting raw JWST data into an inventory of an exoplanet’s atmosphere requires many modeling choices. Recently, a new study investigated the implication of these choices, and dove into how astronomer’s assumptions influence their conclusions about what molecules float about in exo-airs.
Focusing on the Brightest Gamma-ray Burst of All Time
A new Focus Issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters published yesterday takes a close look at GRB 221009A: a spectacular once-in-ten-millennia event.
X Marks the Spot: A Treasure Map for High-Energy Cosmic Rays
Where should we start our search for the highest-energy cosmic rays? A recent research article maps out a possible answer.
Investigating Polarized Magnetar Flares
Researchers use spacecraft data to understand how the highly magnetized remnant of a dead star released a powerful X-ray flare.
Age Is Just a Number: Radioactive Dating in Stars
Astrobites reports on how to determine the ages of stars by measuring their uranium reserves as they slowly tick away.