Highlights from AAS Nova: 3-16 May 2020

AAS Nova provides brief highlights of recently published articles from the AAS journals, i.e., The Astronomical Journal (AJ), The Astrophysical Journal (ApJ), ApJ Letters, ApJ Supplements, The Planetary Science Journal, and Research Notes of the AAS. The website's intent is to gain broader exposure for AAS authors and to provide astronomy researchers and enthusiasts with summaries of recent, interesting research across a wide range of astronomical fields.

The following are the AAS Nova highlights from the past two weeks; follow the links to read more, or visit the AAS Nova webpage for more posts.

15 May 2020
A Fast, Blue “Koala” Shines Bright in a Distant Galaxy
Astrobites reports on the discovery of … a relativistic koala in space?

13 May 2020
Polarime-trying to Map Magnetic Fields in the Orion Nebula
Molecular clouds act as stellar nurseries, creating environments for stars to form. Astrobites reports on an explosion in one such nursery that would disrupt any lullaby.

12 May 2020
Hiding in Obscured Sight
Astrobites reports on the centers of active galaxies lurking behind veils of gas and dust.

11 May 2020
Signs of Collisions to Come
Neutron star mergers produce signals across the electromagnetic spectrum. But could these binaries also flare before their dramatic collisions?

8 May 2020
The Case of the Missing CO
Protoplanetary disks contain less carbon monoxide gas than expected. How does this happen?

6 May 2020
Build Your Own White Dwarf Photosphere
Have you ever wanted to examine the photosphere of a white dwarf up close and personal? A team of scientists has done so — by building a piece of a white dwarf in a laboratory.

5 May 2020
An Alternative to Planet 9: Maybe There Is Nothing Special
Astrobites explores whether Planet 9 is really the most likely scenario to explain the aligned orbits of observed distant solar-system bodies.

4 May 2020
Featured Image: On the Cosmic Web and Slime Mold
These beautiful images show what happens when you use slime mold growth patterns to model the cosmic web.