A. Higuchi and S. Ida 2016 AJ 151 16
Capture is mostly retrograde for asteroids near the planetary orbit and prograde for those from farther orbits. Thus Jupiter’s prograde satellites likely originated from inner regions like the main asteroid belt.
Stephen R. Kane et al 2016 ApJ 820 L5
New radial velocity and photometric observations of the HD 99492 planetary system reveal that the host star has a 13-year activity cycle, suggesting detections of a 13-year-period outer planet are false.
Jonathan R. Hargis et al 2016 ApJ 818 39
New measurements of Hydra I’s intermediate age and metallicity suggest its progenitor was a dwarf galaxy that has subsequently lost more than 99.99% of its stellar mass.
Eva H. L. Bodman and Alice Quillen 2016 ApJ 819 L34
A large, closely traveling cluster of tens or hundreds of comets (depending on the size) can fit the observed depths and durations of the unusual transits in the KIC 8462852 light curve.
Beverly J. Smith et al 2016 AJ 151 63
A study of interacting vs. spiral galaxies demonstrates that either the efficiency of star formation per region is higher in interacting galaxies, or there is more interstellar gas per star-forming clump in them.
Eric D. Lopez and Jonathan J. Fortney 2016 ApJ 818 4
If hot Jupiters gain their large sizes by inflation due to stellar irradiation, then non-inflated gas giants at moderate orbital periods could “re-inflate” as their host stars evolve.