Astronomy and Planetary Science Thread

Interesting story, thanks for the link. Much like 99.99999999% of people, to me Conan Doyle = Sherlock Holmes.
 
Archibald said:
Interesting story, thanks for the link. Much like 99.99999999% of people, to me Conan Doyle = Sherlock Holmes.
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Yep, I was surprised when I first came across it . . .

cheers,
Robin.
 
Using NASA's Swift observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton satellite, Indian astronomers have inspected a prominent high synchrotron peaked blazar known as 1ES 1959+650. Results of the study, published May 5 on the arXiv pre-print server, shed more light on the nature of this source.
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phys.org

Blazar 1ES 1959+650 investigated with Swift and XMM-Newton satellites

Using NASA's Swift observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton satellite, Indian astronomers have inspected a prominent high synchrotron peaked blazar known as 1ES 1959+650. Results of the study, published May 5 on the arXiv pre-print server, shed more light on the nature of this source.
phys.org phys.org

Related paper:

 
An international team of astronomers reports the detection of a new "super-Earth" exoplanet using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The newfound alien world, designated TOI-244 b, turns out to have an unusually low density. The finding was reported in a paper published May 8 on the arXiv preprint server.
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phys.org

Astronomers discover an unusually low-density super-Earth

An international team of astronomers reports the detection of a new "super-Earth" exoplanet using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The newfound alien world, designated TOI-244 b, turns out to have an unusually low density. The finding was reported in a paper published May 8...
phys.org phys.org

Related paper:

 
Using the MeerKAT radio telescope, European astronomers have serendipitously discovered a new radio nebula during observations of the black hole binary GRS 1915+105. The newfound object, dubbed "the Mini Mouse," is a young radio pulsar escaping its birth site and therefore creating a radio nebula with a cometary-like morphology. The finding was reported in a paper published May 10 on the arXiv preprint server.
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phys.org

MeerKAT radio telescope catches a 'Mini Mouse' in the sky

Using the MeerKAT radio telescope, European astronomers have serendipitously discovered a new radio nebula during observations of the black hole binary GRS 1915+105. The newfound object, dubbed "the Mini Mouse," is a young radio pulsar escaping its birth site and therefore creating a radio...
phys.org phys.org

Related paper:

 
Some channel surfing led me from this...

nautil.us

Searching for Life Under a Methane Rain

What future missions to Saturn's moon Titan will reveal about the universe.
nautil.us nautil.us

...to this Titan flying boat...

www.planet.enterprises

TitanAir: Leading-Edge Liquid Collection to Enable Cutting-Edge Science

This Titan Flyer concept aims to "drink" in methane condensation and organic material through a permeable section of leading edge wing skin. Capillary features on the inside of the wing will collect this ingested material and combine it into a continuous fluid stream, which can then be routed...
www.planet.enterprises www.planet.enterprises

...which is in this letter to Santa...

www.nasa.gov

NIAC 2023 Phase I and Phase II Selections

NIAC 2023 Phase I Selections
www.nasa.gov www.nasa.gov

There's lots of goodies there like a proposal to study pellet-beam propulsion that could reach 30 AU per year, and silent solid-state aircraft propulsion.

And this, a cryobot to melt its way through ice crusts to oceans:

www.nasa.gov

Accessing Icy World Oceans Using Lattice Confinement Fusion Fast Fissi

Accessing Icy World Oceans Using Lattice Confinement Fusion Fast Fission
www.nasa.gov www.nasa.gov

Upon reaching the ocean, the probe may encounter extraterrestrial life forms that attempt to metabolize the probe.

Ha!

Accessing Icy World Oceans using Lattice Confinement Fusion Fast Fission - NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Exploring the oceans of icy moons and planets requires a robust robotic probe powered by an energy source that can operate under icy world ocean conditions and be self-contained. We propose a non-fissile, compact, scalable nuclear energy source to electrically power untethered, autonomous probes...
ntrs.nasa.gov ntrs.nasa.gov
 
The Milky Way galaxy may be a different shape than we thought

New measurements suggest that the Milky Way galaxy may have a different shape than we thought.
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This led the astronomers to suggest that the Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy with just two main arms extending from this dense central bar.
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www.space.com

The Milky Way galaxy may be a different shape than we thought

The shape of our galaxy may reveal a history of collisions with other galaxies or even galactic clusters.
www.space.com www.space.com

Related paper:

Abstract
In spite of much work, the overall spiral structure morphology of the Milky Way remains somewhat uncertain. In the last two decades, accurate distance measurements have provided us with an opportunity to solve this issue. Using the precise locations of very young objects, for the first time, we propose that our galaxy has a multiple-arm morphology that consists of two-arm symmetry (the Perseus and Norma Arms) in the inner parts and that extends to the outer parts, where there are several long, irregular arms (the Centaurus, Sagittarius, Carina, Outer, and Local Arms).
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First observational indication of a so called Boson star?

www.livescience.com

Strange star system may hold first evidence of an ultra-rare 'dark matter star'

In a distant star system, a sunlike star orbits an invisible object that may be the first example of a 'boson star' made of dark matter, new research suggests.
www.livescience.com www.livescience.com

Related paper:

A Sun-like star orbiting a boson star

The high-precision astrometric mission GAIA recently reported the remarkable discovery of a Sun-like star closely orbiting a dark object, with a semi-major axis and period of 1.4AU and 187.8 days respectively. While the plausible expectation for the central dark object is a black hole, the evolutionary mechanism leading to the formation of such a two-body system is highly challenging. Here, we challenge the scenario of a central black hole and show that the observed orbital dynamics can be explained under fairly general assumptions if the central dark object is a stable clump of bosonic particles of spin-0, or spin-1, known as a boson star. We further explain how future astrometric measurements of similar systems will provide an exciting opportunity to probe the fundamental nature of compact objects and test compact alternatives to black holes.

 
According to new observations detailed in a paper published in Geophysical Research Letters, Uranus most likely has a polar vortex swirling around its north pole, too. These types of cyclones have been observed on almost every other planet in our solar system, save for Mercury, which NASA explains has no “substantial” atmosphere, making it impossible to form a vortex.
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bgr.com

Uranus may be more active than scientists previously believed

Astronomers using the Very Large Array have detected what could be a stormy vortex at Uranus' north pole, which could change everything.
bgr.com bgr.com

Related paper:

Evidence of a Polar Cyclone on Uranus From VLA Observations

Abstract
We present observations of Uranus in northern spring with the Very Large Array from 0.7 to 5 cm. These observations reveal details in thermal emission from Uranus' north pole at 10s of bars, including a dark collar near 80°N and a bright spot at the polar center. The bright central spot resembles observations of polar emission on Saturn and Neptune at shallower pressures. We constrain the variations in temperature and NH3/H2S abundances which could explain these features. We find that the brightness temperature of the polar spot can be recreated through 5 K temperature gradients and/or 10× depletion of NH3 or H2S vapor between 10 and 20 bars, both consistent with the presence of a cyclonic polar vortex. The contrast of the polar spot may have increased since 2015, which would suggest seasonal evolution of Uranus' polar circulation at depth.

 
Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), an international team of astronomers has discovered a new hot, bloated "super-Neptune" exoplanet. The newfound alien world, designated TOI-2498 b, is about six times larger and 35 times more massive than the Earth. The finding was published May 16 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
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phys.org

New 'super-Neptune' exoplanet discovered with TESS

Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), an international team of astronomers has discovered a new hot, bloated "super-Neptune" exoplanet. The newfound alien world, designated TOI-2498 b, is about six times larger and 35 times more massive than the Earth. The finding was...
phys.org phys.org

Related paper:

 
After being offline for three years for upgrades LIGO and associated facilities begin the O4 observing run from the 25/05.

Details below.

On Wednesday, the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) collaboration began a new observing run with upgraded instruments, new and even more accurate signal models, and more advanced data analysis methods. The LVK collaboration consists of scientists across the globe who use a network of observatories — LIGO in the United States, Virgo in Europe, and KAGRA in Japan — to search for gravitational waves, or ripples in space-time, generated by colliding black holes and other extreme cosmic events.

This observing run, known as O4, promises to take gravitational-wave astronomy to the next level. Beginning on May 24 and lasting 20 months, including up to two months of commissioning breaks, O4 will be the most sensitive search yet for gravitational waves. LIGO will resume operations May 24, while Virgo will join later in the year. KAGRA will join for one month, beginning May 24, rejoining later in the run after some upgrades.
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news.mit.edu

Gravitational-wave detectors start next observing run to explore the secrets of the universe

On Wednesday, the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) collaboration began a new observing run with upgraded instruments, new and even more accurate signal models, and more advanced data analysis methods. LIGO is operated by Caltech and MIT.
news.mit.edu news.mit.edu
 
An international team of astronomers reports the detection of a new, hot-dust-obscured galaxy (DOG). The galaxy, which received designation WISE J190445.04+485308.9, was found at a relatively low redshift of 0.415, which makes it the first confirmed low-redshift hot DOG. The discovery was presented in a paper published May 23 on the arXiv preprint server.
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phys.org

New hot DOG in the sky: Astronomers discover a hot-dust-obscured galaxy

An international team of astronomers reports the detection of a new, hot-dust-obscured galaxy (DOG). The galaxy, which received designation WISE J190445.04+485308.9, was found at a relatively low redshift of 0.415, which makes it the first confirmed low-redshift hot DOG. The discovery was...
phys.org phys.org

Related paper:

 
Using NASA's Neil Gherels Swift Observatory, Indian astronomers have observed a blazar known as OJ 287. Results of the observational campaign, published May 25 on the arXiv pre-print server, shed more light on the spectral changes of OJ 287, improving our knowledge about the behavior of this source.
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phys.org

Research investigates spectral changes of blazar OJ 287

Using NASA's Neil Gherels Swift Observatory, Indian astronomers have observed a blazar known as OJ 287. Results of the observational campaign, published May 25 on the arXiv pre-print server, shed more light on the spectral changes of OJ 287, improving our knowledge about the behavior of this source.
phys.org phys.org

Related paper:

 
Using the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) and the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), astronomers from China and India have observed two X-ray binaries known as GX 339−4 and EXO 1846−031. Results of the observational campaign, published May 29 on the arXiv pre-print repository, reveal essential information regarding the evolution of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) identified in these systems.
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phys.org

Observations explore the evolution of quasi-periodic oscillations in two X-ray binaries

Using the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) and the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), astronomers from China and India have observed two X-ray binaries known as GX 339−4 and EXO 1846−031. Results of the observational campaign, published May 29 on the arXiv pre-print...
phys.org phys.org

Related paper:

 
Researchers detect elusive planets with CHEOPS

With the help of the CHEOPS space telescope an international team of European astronomers managed to clearly identify the existence of four new exoplanets. The four mini-Neptunes are smaller and cooler, and more difficult to find than the so-called Hot Jupiter exoplanets which have been found in abundance. Two of the four resulting papers are led by researchers from the University of Bern and the University of Geneva who are also members of the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS.
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phys.org

Researchers detect elusive planets with CHEOPS

With the help of the CHEOPS space telescope an international team of European astronomers managed to clearly identify the existence of four new exoplanets. The four mini-Neptunes are smaller and cooler, and more difficult to find than the so-called Hot Jupiter exoplanets which have been found in...
phys.org phys.org
 
An international team of astronomers has announced the second-ever discovery of a multiplanetary circumbinary system.

Circumbinary systems contain planets that orbit around two stars in the center instead of just one, like in our solar system. Circumbinary planets orbit around both stars at once. The discovery, led by researchers at the University of Birmingham, is reported in the journal Nature Astronomy.

The newly discovered planet is called BEBOP-1c, after the name of the project that collected the data. BEBOP stands for Binaries Escorted By Orbiting Planets. The BEBOP-1 system is also known as TOI-1338.
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phys.org

A new Tatooine-like multi-planetary system identified

An international team of astronomers has announced the second-ever discovery of a multiplanetary circumbinary system.
phys.org phys.org

Related paper:

www.nature.com

Radial-velocity discovery of a second planet in the TOI-1338/BEBOP-1 circumbinary system - Nature Astronomy

The radial-velocity technique could detect a small gas giant orbiting a binary star and determine its mass: 65.2 ± 11.8 Earth masses. The system also hosts a smaller inner planet, making it one of the few known multiplanetary circumbinary systems.
www.nature.com www.nature.com

An international team of astronomers reports the detection of 12 new long-rising Type II supernovae as part of the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) Census of the Local Universe (CLU). The discovery, published June 1 on the arXiv pre-print repository, nearly doubles the number of known supernovae of this subclass.
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phys.org

Astronomers discover 12 new long-rising Type II supernovae

An international team of astronomers reports the detection of 12 new long-rising Type II supernovae as part of the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) Census of the Local Universe (CLU). The discovery, published June 1 on the arXiv pre-print repository, nearly doubles the number of known supernovae...
phys.org phys.org

Related paper:

 
Using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), astronomers from the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) in Nanjing, China, have observed a pulsar known as RRAT J1913+1330. Results of the observational campaign, published June 5 on the arXiv pre-print server, indicate that it is an extremely variable pulsar with peculiar properties.
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phys.org

RRAT J1913+1330 is an extremely variable pulsar, study finds

Using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), astronomers from the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) in Nanjing, China, have observed a pulsar known as RRAT J1913+1330. Results of the observational campaign, published June 5 on the arXiv pre-print server, indicate that...
phys.org phys.org

Related paper:

 
By conducting Varstrometry for Off-nucleus and Dual sub-Kpc AGN (VODKA), astronomers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and elsewhere, have investigated a quasar known as SDSS J0823+2418. The study, published June 6 on the pre-print server arXiv, yields important insights into the true nature of this quasar.
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phys.org

Astronomers investigate the true nature of quasar SDSS J0823+2418 with VODKA

By conducting Varstrometry for Off-nucleus and Dual sub-Kpc AGN (VODKA), astronomers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and elsewhere, have investigated a quasar known as SDSS J0823+2418. The study, published June 6 on the pre-print server arXiv, yields important insights into...
phys.org phys.org

Related paper:

 
BREAKING
1f6a8.svg
: Scientists have found phosphorous, a key building block of life, in an ocean on Saturn's moon EnceladusIt's the first time the element has been found outside of Earth
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1669052557602217994
View: https://twitter.com/latestinspace/status/1669052557602217994

The search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system just got more exciting. A team of scientists including Southwest Research Institute's Dr. Christopher Glein has discovered new evidence that the subsurface ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus contains a key building block for life. The team directly detected phosphorus in the form of phosphates originating from the moon's ice-covered global ocean using data from NASA's Cassini mission. Cassini explored Saturn and its system of rings and moons for over 13 years.
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phys.org

Key building block for life found at Saturn's moon Enceladus

The search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system just got more exciting. A team of scientists including Southwest Research Institute's Dr. Christopher Glein has discovered new evidence that the subsurface ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus contains a key building block for life. The team...
phys.org

Here’s the paper in Nature:

www.nature.com

Detection of phosphates originating from Enceladus’s ocean - Nature

Cassini’s Cosmic Dust Analyzer mass spectra of ice grains emitted by Enceladus show the presence of sodium phosphates, suggesting that phosphorus is readily available in Enceladus’s ocean in the form of orthophosphates.
www.nature.com www.nature.com
 
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A rare type of white dwarf pulsar has been discovered for the second time only, in research led by the University of Warwick. White dwarf pulsars include a rapidly spinning, burnt-out stellar remnant called a white dwarf, which lashes its neighbor—a red dwarf—with powerful beams of electrical particles and radiation, causing the entire system to brighten and fade dramatically over regular intervals. This is owing to strong magnetic fields, but scientists are unsure what causes them.
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phys.org

Discovery of white dwarf pulsar sheds light on star evolution

The discovery of a rare type of white dwarf star system provides new understanding into stellar evolution.
phys.org phys.org

Related paper:

www.nature.com

A 5.3-min-period pulsing white dwarf in a binary detected from radio to X-rays - Nature Astronomy

J191213.72-441045.1, the second white dwarf pulsar system found, is a binary that comprises a white dwarf in a 4.03 h orbit with an M dwarf. The system exhibits pulsed emission with a period of 5.30 min and was detected at wavelengths from radio to X-rays.
www.nature.com www.nature.com
 
However, it appears that the length of a day on Earth hasn’t got slightly longer over deep time. There appears to have been a stalling, which may be responsible for a flourishing of plant life—and a surge in oxygen levels.
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www.forbes.com

A Day On Earth Stalled At 19 Hours For A Billion Years, Say Scientists

Day length was as short as 19 hours in Earth's past because the Moon was closer and the sun's influence was greater, finds new research.
www.forbes.com www.forbes.com

Related paper:

Mid-Proterozoic day length stalled by tidal resonance

Abstract
We present statistical analysis of a compilation of observational constraints on the Precambrian length of day and find that the day length stalled at about 19 h for about 1 billion years during the mid-Proterozoic. We suggest that the accelerative torque of atmospheric thermal tides from solar energy balanced the decelerative torque of lunar oceanic tides, temporarily stabilizing Earth’s rotation. This stalling coincides with a period of relatively limited biological evolution known as the boring billion.

www.nature.com

Mid-Proterozoic day length stalled by tidal resonance - Nature Geoscience

Analysis of changes in the Earth’s rotation in the Precambrian suggests that day length stabilized at 19 h for 1 billion years due to tidal resonance, which may have been linked to a relatively quiescent period of tectonic activity and biological evolution.
www.nature.com www.nature.com
 
On 9 October 2022 a flash of high-intensity gamma rays was detected by NASA's Swift satellite coming from a galaxy 1.9 billion light-years away. Dubbed the "BOAT"—the "brightest of all time"—GRB 221009A was so exceptionally powerful that it actually sent shockwaves through Earth's ionosphere, the outer layer of our planet's atmosphere.

"If it had happened much closer, it would have been really bad," says Brendan O'Connor, an astronomer from George Washington University.
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phys.org

The 'brightest of all time' gamma-ray burst and its ordinary supernova

On 9 October 2022 a flash of high-intensity gamma rays was detected by NASA's Swift satellite coming from a galaxy 1.9 billion light-years away. Dubbed the "BOAT"—the "brightest of all time"—GRB 221009A was so exceptionally powerful that it actually sent shockwaves through Earth's ionosphere...
phys.org phys.org

Two related papers:


 
This study is from a few years back but it's attracted attention now because Elon Musk tweeted about it.

www.independent.co.uk

Elon Musk eyes ‘highly habitable’ planet that’s ‘practically next door’

The SpaceX boss plans to make humanity a multi-planetary species
www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk
www.giantfreakinrobot.com

Habitable Planet Discovered By Scientists But There's A Twist

A potential life-supporting planet has been located and it's the best chance yet at a future home for humanity, except for one thing.
www.giantfreakinrobot.com www.giantfreakinrobot.com

The paper as published - paywalled, unless you can access through an institution:


Preprint:


The nearby exoplanet Proxima Centauri b will be a prime future target for characterization, despite questions about its retention of water. Climate models with static oceans suggest that an Earth-like Proxima b could harbor a small dayside region of surface liquid water at fairly warm temperatures despite its weak instellation. We present the first 3-dimensional climate simulations of Proxima b with a dynamic ocean. We find that an ocean-covered Proxima b could have a much broader area of surface liquid water but at much colder temperatures than previously suggested, due to ocean heat transport and depression of the freezing point by salinity. Elevated greenhouse gas concentrations do not necessarily produce more open ocean area because of possible dynamic regime transitions. For an evolutionary path leading to a highly saline present ocean, Proxima b could conceivably be an inhabited, mostly open ocean planet dominated by halophilic life. For an ocean planet in 3:2 spin-orbit resonance, a permanent tropical waterbelt exists for moderate eccentricity. Simulations of Proxima Centauri b may also be a model for the habitability of planets receiving similar instellation from slightly cooler or warmer stars, e.g., in the TRAPPIST-1, LHS 1140, GJ 273, and GJ 3293 systems.
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Using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), astronomers have investigated an ultra-diffuse galaxy known as UGC 9050-Dw1. Results of the study, published June 9 on the pre-print server arXiv, yield important insights into the properties of this galaxy.
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phys.org

Astronomers explore the properties of ultra-diffuse galaxy UGC 9050-Dw1

Using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), astronomers have investigated an ultra-diffuse galaxy known as UGC 9050-Dw1. Results of the study, published June 9 on the pre-print server arXiv, yield important insights into the properties of this galaxy.
phys.org phys.org

Related paper:

 
An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new mini-Neptune exoplanet orbiting a nearby star. The newfound alien world, designated TOI-2018 b, is about two times larger and nine times more massive than the Earth. The finding was detailed in a paper published June 13 on the pre-print server arXiv.
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According to the paper, TOI-2018 b has a radius of about 2.27 Earth radii and a mass of about 9.2 Earth masses, which suggests an Earth-like core with a hydrogen/helium envelope, or an ice-rock mixture. The planet orbits its host star every 7.44 days and its equilibrium temperature is estimated to be 652 K.
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Dai's team has also detected another object around TOI-2018, that may be an exoplanet. It is about 50% larger than the Earth and its mass is estimated to be not larger than 3.6 Earth masses. Follow-up observations are required in order to confirm planetary status of this object.
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phys.org

Astronomers discover new mini-Neptune exoplanet

An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new mini-Neptune exoplanet orbiting a nearby star. The newfound alien world, designated TOI-2018 b, is about two times larger and nine times more massive than the Earth. The finding was detailed in a paper published June 13 on the...
phys.org phys.org

Related paper:

 
Scientists had long thought our own solar system—an “ordered” arrangement of tiny orbs closer to the sun and big ones farther out—was a typical outcome of this complex process. But NASA's planet-hunting Kepler mission revealed that most systems don't resemble our own at all, instead having “similar” configurations of closely packed worlds all nearly the same size and mass, like peas in a pod.

The TRAPPIST-1 system is perhaps the most famous of this type.

Matching their model's predictions to observations suggests, for instance, that similar systems' pea-pod planets emerge from sedate, low-mass protoplanetary disks, with higher-mass disks more easily making big planets—like our own system's Jupiter—that can chaotically interact to yield the three other architectures

www.scientificamerican.com

We Live in the Rarest Type of Planetary System

New work suggests four distinct star system types—and finds our own in the rarest category
www.scientificamerican.com www.scientificamerican.com

Links to the published articles are on the fritz but there these preprints:


 
Astronomers using W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaiʻi Island have discovered one of the lowest-mass planets whose images have been directly captured. Not only were they able to measure its mass, but they were also able to determine that its orbit is similar to the giant planets in our own solar system.

The planet, called AF Lep b, is among the first ever discovered using a technique called astrometry; this method measures the subtle movements of a host star over many years to help astronomers determine whether hard-to-see orbiting companions, including planets, are gravitationally tugging at it.
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"Imaging planets is challenging," Franson said. "We only have about 15 examples, and we think this new 'dynamically informed' approach made possible by the Keck II telescope and NIRC2 adaptive optics imaging will be much more efficient compared to blind surveys which have been carried out for the past two decades."
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Bowler said the team plans to continue studying AF Lep b.

"This will be an excellent target to further characterize with the James Webb Space Telescope and the next generation of large ground-based telescopes like the Giant Magellan Telescope and the Thirty Meter Telescope," Bowler said. "We're already planning more sensitive follow-up efforts at longer wavelengths to study the physical properties and atmospheric chemistry of this planet."
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phys.org

New era of exoplanet discovery begins with images of 'Jupiter's younger sibling'

Astronomers using W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaiʻi Island have discovered one of the lowest-mass planets whose images have been directly captured. Not only were they able to measure its mass, but they were also able to determine that its orbit is similar to the giant planets in our...
phys.org phys.org

Related paper:

 
Betelgeuse has been acting up recently increasing in brightness then dimming again rapidly, so it could go supernova at any moment. It will be interesting to see what happens when it does go especially to the core whether it is a black hole or neutron star.
 
Don’t see how this theory can account for the FRBs that repeat.

phys.org

A new theory to explain fast radio bursts

A pair of astrophysicists, one with Princeton University, the other the University of Maryland, has developed a new theory to explain fast radio bursts (FSBs). In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, Elias Most and Alexander Philippov, describe their theory and how it...
phys.org phys.org

Here’s the paper:

 

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