Monthly Roundup: A Cluster of Cosmic Spiders
Arachnophobes beware: today’s post concerns the behavior of the voracious stellar remnants called spider pulsars.
Astrobites reports on whether planets around Sun-like stars destined to become white dwarfs are able to hold on to their oceans.
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.
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.
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.
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 serendipitous discovery illuminates the kinds of objects that might bridge the gap between pulsars and long-period radio transients.
Mapping Eruptions on Enceladus
Saturn’s tiny moon Enceladus was the first moon in the solar system known to spout plumes of water ice and vapor. A new study investigates the behavior of these plumes and the network of fissures from which they emerge.