Featured Astrobites
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Looking at Stars but Seeing the Kuiper Belt
A low-cost survey found the first kilometer-sized Kuiper Belt Object using stellar occultations and clever analysis.
Fluorescent Worlds: Searching for Life’s Glow
New research by astronomers at Cornell’s Carl Sagan Institute uncovers a novel way to search for the existence of life in the Universe. Flares from red dwarf stars, commonly believed to pose serious problems for habitability, might actually expose hidden biospheres through the process of biofluorescence.
Graduate School Taking a Toll On Your Mental Health? You’re Not Alone.
With courses, teaching labs, and try to get as much research in as possible, graduate students are feeling the pressure more than ever and it’s affecting their mental health. Check out this article for tips on how to maintain a healthy brain during a difficult time.
Is the Fault in their Stars?
Identifying the incidence of AGN as a function of star formation rate
Why are Jupiter and Saturn Spinning so Slowly??
Our gas giants spin slower than one might expect. Turns out gas giants outside of our solar system are also slower than originally what we might have thought! Today’s astrobite answers the question: What’s up with dat?
Let’s Not Make Assumptions: UV Radiation Won’t Stop Exoplanets from Becoming Habitable
We know UV radiation isn’t good for us, but can it hold back all forms of life?
Beyond astro-ph
Astronomy beyond the research
Have You Ever Wanted to Generate You Own Gravitational Waves? Now You Can!
Gravitational wave simulations may take supercomputers days to perform, but two undergraduates and their advisor have created a website that allows you to do them in seconds right from your laptop!
Maunakea, Western Astronomy, and Hawai`i
Recent events surrounding the Thirty Meter Telescope have brought this ongoing controversy to the forefront of conversation once again. Building upon a previous Astrobite, today’s post reviews how western astronomy has historically interacted with the Indigenous Hawaiian community.
Astronomy Camp: A Lesson in Asking Questions
Outreach benefits both parties — it inspires the next generation of scientists and reminds us why we became scientists in the first place. I speak a bit about my experience as a camp counselor at astronomy camp and the lesson I learned in asking good questions.
Navigating careers in astronomy
Career advice
Meet the AAS Keynote Speakers: Professor Elisabeth Mills
Professor Elisabeth Mills studies one of the most mysterious regions of the Milky Way: the galactic center. Learn about the stars, gas, and a black hole that make this such an exciting area of research ahead of her talk at #AAS234.
Meet the AAS Keynote Speakers: Professor Yacine Ali-Haïmoud
Professor Yacine Ali-Haïmoud studies the theory behind our astrophysical observations, from primordial black holes to organic compounds in the interstellar medium. Learn more at his keynote at #AAS234.
Meet the AAS Keynote Speakers: Professor Joshua Winn
Professor Joshua Winn has played a major role in our current understanding of exoplanets, serving as part of both the Kepler and TESS missions. Discover what we know about exoplanets from Kepler and what we may learn from TESS ahead of his plenary talk at #AAS234.