The April Fools Paper Review Process – 2026
There is a tradition in Astronomy to post silly science papers to the arXiv on Aprils Fools day. We’ve collected them all for 2026 and provided some “peer review”.
The Case of the Extremely Energetic Gamma Rays: an LS I +61 303 Mystery
In today’s bite, the LHAASO collaboration tackle a gamma ray mystery in the LS I +61 303 system, investigating just who (or what) might be responsible.
![[Guest] The Walking Red: Why are you so quiet and overdense?](https://astrobites.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/cover-1-320x260.png)
[Guest] The Walking Red: Why are you so quiet and overdense?
Why do we see so many massive, dead galaxies at early cosmic times? Guest author Tatevik Mkrtchyan illuminates a slice of the cosmic graveyard!
Deblurring the Dark Compact Object Picture with Microlensing
Lenses aren’t always made of glass, sometimes they’re made of dark matter compact objects! Today’s paper explores if and how we can tell primordial black holes apart from dark black holes using gravitational microlensing measurements.
Recycle your paper, plastic, and… pulsars?
Most pulsars gradually spin slower and slower, making weaker and weaker radio pulses until the pulses stop altogether. Today’s paper is about a star that has spun its neutron star companion back up, recycling it into a millisecond pulsar.
Dancing with the Blazars: Variability you can groove to
In today’s paper, we explore how blazar light curves can be transformed into music and the benefits of this for both scientists and science communication.