Looking for Dwarf Galaxies with Cepheids: A Cautionary Tale
Today we use a new paper to revisit the possible dwarf galaxy discovered 90 kpc from the Milky Way.
Dust Does Not Follow Gas
Molecular clouds, where new stars are born, are made of two components: gas and dust. The gas is mostly hydrogen, and the dust is made of elements crucial for forming planets and people, like silicon and carbon. Today’s paper shows that these two components behave very differently in a simulated molecular cloud. This could have exciting consequences for the growth of dust and the formation of stars and planets.
Searching for white dwarf companions around millisecond pulsars
Images from the Hubble Space Telescope show that there are previously unknown white dwarfs orbiting around pulsar companions.
Starspots to Measure Small Differential Rotation Rates
On using photometric data from Kepler to study starspots, and to measure differential rotation rates.
White Dwarf Surprise
This variable white dwarf pulsates as expected, but it also experiences very bright outbursts. Today’s paper takes us through the discovery and verification of the second pulsating white dwarf with outbursts, and speculates how the pulsations and outbursts may be linked.
The Small Magellanic Cloud in 3D
In today’s paper, the authors use Cepheid distance moduli to study the structure of the SMC.