Astrobites

Do we actually know how old the Universe is? So we have a pretty good idea of how old the Universe is right? Well according to JWST data, maybe not? Rest assured, today's bite gets to the bottom of the debate.

From @jaydewst.bsky.social: So we have a pretty good idea of how old the Universe is right? Well according to JWST data, maybe not? Rest assured, today’s bite gets to the bottom of the debate. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️🧪
astrobites.org/2026/03/05/how_old_is_the_universe/

Feeding Time at the AGN Zoo How do the eating habits (accretion) of active galactic nuclei (AGN) affect the light emitted for animals in the AGN zoo?

From Nicki Bond: How do the eating habits (accretion) of active galactic nuclei (AGN) affect the light emitted for animals in the AGN zoo? ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/03/04/feeding-time-at-the-agn-zoo/

In this latest ep, we explore the theme of fields in astronomy, from gravitational and magnetic fields to ones in some unusual units (🦅™️). Cole takes us on a mythological tour of Lagrange points, and Cormac guides us through the climates of inflated exoplanets. 🔭

astrosoundbites.com/2026/03/02/e...

Finding Planet X: Hopeless Romance or Concrete Reality? Pluto’s demotion from a planet didn’t just rewrite a definition, it launched an astronomical treasure hunt. Hidden amidst far flung icy bodies beyond Neptune, is there a ninth planet in our solar syst...

From @qwasistellar.bsky.social: Hidden amidst far flung icy bodies beyond Neptune, is there a ninth planet in our solar system? ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/03/03/finding-planet-x-hopeless-romance-or-concrete-reality/

Ia’m Just Getting Started: A Type Ia Supernova’s First Day Astrobites reports on simulations that might help astronomers identify double-detonation supernovae early in their evolution.

Mckenzie Ferrari reports for @astrobites.bsky.social on simulations that might help astronomers identify double-detonation supernovae early in their evolution. aasnova.org/2026/02/24/i... 🧪

Astronomers Hate Them! This Star Formation Ingredient Makes Clusters Look 300 Million Years Older Astrobites reports on how astronomers are using JWST to figure out if star clusters are really as old as they seem.

Veronika Dornan reports for @astrobites.bsky.social on how astronomers are using JWST to figure out if star clusters are really as old as they seem. aasnova.org/2026/03/03/a... 🔭

A Wandering Supermassive Black Hole Eating a Star For the first time, a supermassive black hole is discovered away from its galaxy’s center, exposed when it tears apart a star in a tidal disruption event.

From Serat Saad: For the first time, a supermassive black hole is discovered away from its galaxy’s center, exposed when it tears apart a star in a tidal disruption event. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/03/02/a-wandering-supermassive-black-hole-eating-a-star/

Attack of the Planet-Killer Dark Matter Today’s bite explores exoplanets' newest predator: dark matter. Black holes made up of dark matter may be lying at the hearts of planets...and eating them from the inside out.

From Kaz Gary: Today’s bite explores exoplanets’ newest predator: dark matter. Black holes made up of dark matter may be lying at the hearts of planets…and eating them from the inside out. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/28/exoplanet-black-holes/

Blast from the Past: Determining a Distance to I Zwicky 18 Take a walk down memory lane with I Zwicky 18, which could be the key to unlocking the secrets of the early universe.

From Natalie Price: Take a walk down memory lane with I Zwicky 18, which could be the key to unlocking the secrets of the early universe. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/02/27/distance-to-izwicky18/

Two satellite proposals threaten dark and quiet skies worldwide Giant mirrors in space to create sunlight at night and an AI data center made up of 1-million satellites are undergoing regulatory approval. How did we get here?

From Tori Bonidie and Magnus L’Argent: Giant mirrors in space to create sunlight at night and an AI data center made up of 1-million satellites are undergoing regulatory approval. How did we get here? ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/26/reflect-orbital-ai-data-center/

Caught Doping: Going to Extreme Measures to Detect Ultraviolet Photons No, it’s not illegal! Astronomers have developed a technique called delta-doping to make detectors that are much better at detecting ultraviolet light.

From Chris Layden: No, it’s not illegal! Astronomers have developed a technique called delta-doping to make detectors that are much better at detecting ultraviolet light. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/26/delta-doped-ccds/

Shaken and Stirred: Putting the Local Group on a weighing scale. The "timing argument" overestimates the total mass of the local group by oversimplifying it to a two body problem, a new study explore how the complex merger history of objects in the group affect its...

From @neelkolhe.bsky.social: A new study explore how the complex merger history of objects in the group affect its mass estimates. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/25/timing-argument-post-mergers/

Stay tuned to Radio YZ Ceti: Isn’t that a magnetic conversation between star and planet? Astronomers have tuned their radio telescopes to YZ Ceti, and it might be crackling with a magnetic conversation of a star and its planet. Is this a breakthrough detection, or just stellar noise playi...

From Elise Koo: Astronomers have tuned their radio telescopes to YZ Ceti, and it might be crackling with a magnetic conversation of a star and its planet. Is this a breakthrough detection, or just stellar noise playing tricks on us? ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/24/radio_yz_ceti/

Observing the Universe’s Teenage Angst with Dropout Galaxies and CMB Lensing In today’s bite, we explore a new method for studying how structure grows during the Universe’s formative teenage years, using rebellious dropout galaxies and peer-pressured CMB photons.

From Ben Sherwin: In today’s bite, we explore a new method for studying how structure grows during the Universe’s formative teenage years, using rebellious dropout galaxies and peer-pressured CMB photons. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/23/dropout-galaxies-cmb-lensing/

Astrobites is partnering with @blackinastro.bsky.social this year for Black Space Week! If you’d like to register to participate as a writer or interviewee you can fill out the Google Form below or in the QR code in the flyer! The deadline is Friday March 6th.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Cosmic Fishbones: Strange Radio Streaks Behind a Racing Pulsar As a pulsar speeds through the interstellar medium, it leaves behind a long, radio-emitting tail shaped by ram pressure. In the Lighthouse Nebula, however, the X-ray emission and radio streaks show un...

From Sandy Chiu: As a pulsar speeds through the interstellar medium, it leaves behind a long, radio-emitting tail shaped by ram pressure. In the Lighthouse Nebula, however, the X-ray emission and radio streaks show unexpected orientations... ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/02/21/cosmic-fishbones/

Apep is a triple star system containing a Wolf–Rayet binary and a hot supergiant, located in the constellation of Norma. This episode is about binary systems, so don't tell anyone. Image Credit: By NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Y. Han (Caltech), R. White (Macquarie University), A. Pagan (STScI), CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=178747740

For valentines’ day, we explore the dating lives of by looking at astrophysics's romantic couples: binary systems! Immediately ruining this theme, Shashank covers some messy breakups while Cormac shows how even stars’ relationships involve some give and take. 🔭
astrosoundbites.com/2026/02/07/e...

The Goldilocks Core: Habitability from the Inside Out Not just the right temperature for water, but the right chemical recipe: only planets formed in a narrow nitrogen-, phosphorus-, and oxygen-balanced “Goldilocks” zone may keep life’s key ingredients a...

From Annika Salmi: Not just the right temperature for water, but the right chemical recipe: only planets formed in a narrow nitrogen-, phosphorus-, and oxygen-balanced “Goldilocks” zone may keep life’s key ingredients available at their surface. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/19/g...

There’s a great wave rippling through our galaxy The dynamics of our galaxy become evermore complicated as today's authors discover a mysterious wave propagating out towards its outskirts.

From Julie Kiel Holm: The dynamics of our galaxy become evermore complicated as today’s authors discover a mysterious wave propagating out towards its outskirts. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/20/t...

From Akshita Mittal: Can a sneezing ant destroy a black hole? Regge and Wheeler set out to find out. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/18/w...

Hang On To Your Water, Super-Earths! We use bottles, and sometimes a Brita, but how do planets store their water? The authors of today’s paper made a model to find out, and to evaluate whether certain planets are good at hanging on to th...

From Evan Nelles Henderson: We use bottles, and sometimes a Brita, but how do planets store their water? The authors of today’s paper made a model to find out, and to evaluate whether certain planets are good at hanging on to their water or not. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/17/h...

Weathering a Stellar Temper Tantrum: How space weather complicates exoplanet habitability Exoplanets orbiting the most common stars in our galaxy experience intense space weather, raising questions about their ability to harbor life.

From Nathan Whitsett: Exoplanets orbiting the most common stars in our galaxy experience intense space weather, raising questions about their ability to harbor life. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/16/s...

Guest: The on-again, off-again lives of intermittent pulsars Are we missing out on a crucial stage of pulsar evolution? Guest author Tibby Finn Leeming shows how a lack of data can sometimes be misleading.

Are we missing out on a crucial stage of pulsar evolution? Guest author Tibby Finn Leeming shows how a lack of data can sometimes be misleading. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/14/i...

A Triple Black Hole System Caught in the Act of Self-Quenching Astrobites reports on a cosmic drama in action: three active black holes, tangled jets, and fading light.

Sowkhya Shanbhog reports for @astrobites.bsky.social on a cosmic drama in action: three active black holes, tangled jets, and fading light. aasnova.org/2026/02/17/a... 🔭

From Exhibits to Proposals: Kim Burtnyk on Scientific Communication Kim Burtnyk shares her journey into science communication, her work as techincal writer and editor at LIGO Lab, and advice for aspiring communicators.

From Viviana Cáceres: Kim Burtnyk shares her journey into science communication, her work as technical writer and editor at LIGO Lab, and advice for aspiring communicators. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/13/k...

All Aboard the ARK(S Survey)! The first set of high-resolution ALMA observations of exoKuiper belts has been released, and they reveal an unprecedented wealth of structure.

From Joe Williams: The first set of high-resolution ALMA observations of exoKuiper belts has been released, and they reveal an unprecedented wealth of structure. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/12/a...

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Clumps and Inward Migration Something is missing in the middle. In JWST JADES galaxies, young clumps drop out in the inner regions, while clump structure shifts from the outskirts to the center.

From Niloofar Sharei @astroneal.bsky.social : Something is missing in the middle. In JWST JADES galaxies, young clumps drop out in the inner regions, while clump structure shifts from the outskirts to the center. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/11/s...

Sign and share our open letter urging the LVK to take action against the destruction of Gaza! Anonymous option available. Read: bit.ly/GWSol-OpenLetter Sign : forms.gle/qfhrF8KEkYdp...

Where have all the AGN gone? Astronomers think active black holes may play a role in shutting down star formation, but today’s study suggests that the story is more complicated than we thought.

From Margaret Verrico @meverri.bsky.social : Astronomers think active black holes may play a role in shutting down star formation, but today’s study suggests that the story is more complicated than we thought. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/10/w...

Primordial Black Holes lensing my Andromeda Galaxy? It could be more common than you think We’re not sure if Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) exist, but today’s authors might have seen evidence of them while observing the Andromeda Galaxy — and not just one PBH, but twelve!

From Anavi Uppal @anaviuppal.bsky.social : We’re not sure if Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) exist, but today’s authors might have seen evidence of them while observing the Andromeda Galaxy — and not just one PBH, but twelve! ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
astrobites.org/2026/02/09/m...