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A Swift recovery: Why NASA’s Swift X-ray observatory is getting an orbital boost
A rescue mission is underway to save the Swift X-ray observatory! Today’s bite takes a look at how this will work and why Swift deserves a second life.
SPHEREx: the niftiest space telescope you may not have heard of
NASA’s SPHEREx mission is collecting an infrared spectrum for every point in the sky. That data set could revolutionize our understanding of cosmic inflation, galaxy formation, and how ices drive planet formation and surface chemistry.
The Protoplanetary Mid-life Crisis
What happens when protoplanetary disc systems stop following the rules? Today’s paper looks at how some stars with protoplanetary discs in the Upper Scorpius Region experience a mid-life crisis and behave unexpectedly.
Telling Aliens from Weird Chemistry on Ocean Planets
A spacecraft mission to Saturn’s moon Enceladus found unexpectedly high methane in its ice plumes, fueling speculation about life in its hidden ocean. A new Nature Astronomy sutdy shows current models can’t reliably distinguish that methane from purely non-biological sources. The one signal that could tell life apart from chemistry, a molecular “handedness” pattern, would likely be destroyed before we could ever detect it.
Guest: Brown Dwarf Companion Throws a Wrench into Hot Jupiter Formation
Astronomers thought “hot Jupiter” exoplanets formed far from their stars before migrating inwards to an ultra-close orbit. Today’s paper challenges that assumption, presenting evidence that one hot Jupiter formed close to its star.
Why messing up my crocheting makes me a better scientist
It’s easy to be self-critical and fall into the trap of perfectionism, but mistakes are how we learn and discover new things. Embrace imperfection!
Beyond astro-ph
Astronomy beyond the research
Saving science as we know it: Overview of new proposed rule from the Office of Management and Budget, and how we can make our voices heard.
The Office of Management and Budget has proposed to completely restructure federal funding for science as we know it. In this bite, we review the most relevant points in the proposal and describe how to submit public comments on it by the deadline of July 13th, 2026.
Black Space Week 2026: Interview with Dr. Nola Haynes
As part of Astrobites coverage of Black Space Week, we interviewed members of the Black in Astro community. Today’s interviewee is Dr. Nola Haynes!
Black Space Week 2026: Interview with Flore Milien
As part of Astrobites coverage of Black Space Week, we interviewed members of the Black in Astro community. Today’s interviewee is Flore Milien!
Navigating careers in astronomy
Career advice
Black Space Week 2026: Interview with Amina Diop
As part of Astrobites coverage of Black Space Week, we interviewed members of the Black in Astro community. Today’s interviewee is Amina Diop!
Meet the AAS 248 Plenary Speakers: Dr. George Helou
Meet Dr. George Helou: Caltech astronomer, infrared astronomy pioneer, and AAS plenary speaker reflecting on four decades of exploring the universe through infrared light.
Meet the AAS 248 Plenary Speakers: Dr. David Jewitt
Today we interview UCLA planetary scientist David Jewitt, who helped discover the Kuiper Belt and is now studying some of the Solar System’s strangest visitors!