Digestible summaries of the latest astronomy research. Written by an international team of grad students for undergrads! Supported by the @AAS_Office. #scicomm
From Kaz Gary: Today’s bite explores how we may need a cosmic duster to see life on other worlds. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/28/hwo-exozodi/
Dust Deal with ItToday's bite explores how we may need a cosmic duster to see life on other worlds.astrobites.orgFrom Sandy Chiu: Magnetic fields thread the space between stars, but whether they look ordered or tangled seems to depend on which gas clouds you measure and how. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/27/the-invisible-architecture-between-the-stars/
The Invisible Architecture Between the StarsMagnetic fields thread the space between stars, but whether they look ordered or tangled seems to depend on which gas clouds you measure and how. New simulations show the answer hinges on measuring pe...astrobites.orgFrom @neelkolhe.bsky.social:We dive into a new method attempting to use the red glow of the hydrogen alpha spectral line to try to detect dark matter annihilation and decay in dwarf galaxies! ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/25/hydrogen-alpha-dark/
Crossing red lines to detect dark matter.We dive into a new method attempting to use the red glow of the hydrogen alpha spectral line to try to detect dark matter annihilation and decay in dwarf galaxies!astrobites.orgFrom Natalie Price: With today’s paper, we’re breaking out the Galaxy’s baby photos. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/23/maaps-and-the-galaxy/
Looking Inwards on an Evolving Milky WayWith today’s paper, we’re breaking out the Galaxy’s baby photos.astrobites.orgFrom @evannelles.bsky.social: Lots of people, and even planets, exist in a state of disequilibrium every day. Now, let us be mindful of one such example: the exoplanet WASP-39b. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/20/a-meditation-on-the-chemistry-of-wasp-39b/
A Meditation on the Chemistry of WASP-39bIf you’re feeling off balance due to something outside of your control, it’s not a bad idea to take some time to relax and find your equilibrium once again. You might even try meditation or yoga. But ...astrobites.orgFrom Chloe Klare: Everyone loves tidal disruption events, and everyone (myself included) sleeps on synchrotron emission from thermal electrons, but they might be exactly what we’re missing. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/21/thermal-electrons-in-tdes/
Thermal electrons can explain the mysterious radio behavior of a tidal disruption eventEveryone loves tidal disruption events, and everyone (myself included) sleeps on synchrotron emission from thermal electrons, but they might be exactly what we're missing.astrobites.orgFrom Viviana Cáceres: Third-wheeling exoplanets outside our galaxy might be spotted with future gravitational-wave detectors. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/22/extragalactic-exoplanets-gws/
Beyond the galaxy: finding exoplanets with gravitational wavesThird-wheeling exoplanets outside our galaxy might be spotted with future gravitational-wave detectors.astrobites.orgFrom @shalinikv.bsky.social: Read more for a brief historical and scientific review on how spiral galaxies form. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/18/how-do-spiral-galaxies-form/
How Do Spiral Galaxies Form?Read more for a brief historical and scientific review.astrobites.orgFrom Sandy Chiu: New modeling argues that tight correlations in emission lines is not evidence of cosmic-ray calorimetry at all. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ astrobites.org/2026/07/17/do-galaxies-really-glow-in-sync-or-are-we-just-tilting-our-heads/
Do Galaxies Really Glow in Sync — or Are We Just Tilting Our Heads?When galaxies are viewed from far away, their radio, infrared, and gamma-ray emissions line up in tight correlations long taken as proof that cosmic rays dump all their energy before escaping. New mod...astrobites.orgFrom @samanthawong.bsky.social: 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. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/16/swift-boost/
A Swift recovery: Why NASA’s Swift X-ray observatory is getting an orbital boostA 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.astrobites.orgFrom Chris Layden: NASA’s SPHEREx mission is collecting an infrared spectrum for every point in the sky. Which could revolutionize our understanding of cosmic inflation, galaxy formation, and how ices drive planet formation and surface chemistry. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/15/spherex_summary/
SPHEREx: the niftiest space telescope you may not have heard ofNASA’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 plan...astrobites.orgFrom Nicki Bond: What happens when protoplanetary disc systems stop following the rules? Today’s paper looks at how stars with protoplanetary discs in the Upper Scorpius Region experience a mid-life crisis and behave unexpectedly. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/14/the-protoplanetary-mid-life-crisis/
The Protoplanetary Mid-life CrisisWhat 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 be...astrobites.orgFrom Annika Salmi: A spacecraft mission to Saturn’s moon Enceladus found unexpectedly high methane in its ice plumes. A new Nature Astronomy study shows current models can’t reliably distinguish that methane from purely non-biological sources. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/13/template-post-34/
Telling Aliens from Weird Chemistry on Ocean PlanetsA 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...astrobites.orgFrom @anaviuppal.bsky.social: 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! ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/10/crocheting-better-scientist/
Why messing up my crocheting makes me a better scientistIt’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!astrobites.orgFrom @jaydewst.bsky.social: Little Red Dots have been thought to be mysterious early universe objects but today’s bite tells us that they could exist much closer to home. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/09/backyard-lrds/
Backyard Black HolesLittle Red Dots have been thought to be mysterious early universe objects but today's bite tells us that they could exist much closer to home.astrobites.orgFrom Flavia Pascal: We’re trying to find life beyond Earth… but we still can’t fully agree on what life actually means. So what happens when you try to solve one of science’s biggest questions in a very multilingual group chat? ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/06/case-for-interdisciplinary-science/
What is life, really? A case for interdisciplinary scienceWe’re trying to find life beyond Earth... but we still can't fully agree on what life actually means. Astronomers, chemists, and biologists all approach it from different angles and they don't always ...astrobites.orgFrom Julie Kiel Holm: Seven hot exoplanets were not as windy as they should’ve been. This puzzle led researchers to be the first ones to measure the magnetic field strength on exoplanets. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/07/hot-jupiters-magnetic-fields/
Do Exoplanets Have Auroras?Seven hot exoplanets were not as windy as they should've been. This puzzle led researchers to be the first ones to measure the magnetic field strength on exoplanets.astrobites.orgFrom @laurie-amen.bsky.social: We still don’t know very much about the mysterious epoch of reionization. In today’s bite, learn about a new way to estimate when reionization started from a correlation drop! ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/04/correlation-drop-eor/
Correlation-Dropping Into the Reionization EraWe still don’t know very much about the mysterious epoch of reionization. In today’s bite, learn about a new way to estimate when reionization started from a correlation drop!astrobites.orgFrom @qwasistellar.bsky.social & Caroline von Raesfeld: The Office of Management and Budget has proposed to completely restructure federal funding. We review the proposal and describe how to submit public comments on it by July 13th. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/03/omb-proposal/
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 ...astrobites.orgFrom Natalie Price: Considering that molecular hydrogen is the most abundant molecule in the universe, you’d think it’d be easier to find. ⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪 astrobites.org/2026/07/02/molecular-hydrogen-in-leop/
On the Hunt: Molecular Hydrogen in Leo PConsidering that molecular hydrogen is the most abundant molecule in the universe, you’d think it’d be easier to find.astrobites.org