New Horizons Images Show Fewer Small Kuiper Belt Objects than Expected
High resolution images from New Horizons of the surfaces of Pluto and Charon show ancient craters, but fewer than astronomers expected.
A Fresh Take on Our Moon’s Origin
Today’s post has been inspired by the following quote: “have yall seen this new theory of how the moon formed?? …honestly im shook”
A protoplanetary disk on its side
What does a disk around a binary star look like? One possibility, recently observed around a young star for the first time, is that it is flipped on its side—its rotation is perpendicular to the orbit of the binary system!
Stirring Up Rocky Worlds
What can highly inclined giant worlds tell us about the presence of terrestrial companions?
Solid As a Rock…Not
Some hot Jupiters that like living dangerously are spiraling rapidly into their stars. Could that be connected to how squishy and wobbly they are?
Astrobites at AAS 233: Day 4
We report on Day 4 of the winter AAS meeting in Seattle, WA. Highlights include an exploding space cow, a discussion of data in astronomy, the latest look at the possibility of life beyond earth, and an exploration of climate impact much closer to home.