Highlights from AAS Nova: 14 December 2025 – 10 January 2026

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 four weeks; follow the links to read more, or visit AAS Nova for more posts. You can also sign up to receive emails each time a new post is published.

10 January 2026
AAS 247: Day 4
On the final day of AAS 247, researchers described early signs of spiral galaxy structures, gravitational wave astronomy performed with pulsars, and measurements of baryon acoustic oscillations.

8 January 2026
AAS 247: Day 3
On Day 3 of AAS 247: a record-breaking asteroid, a discussion of science policy, and a supernova that we might hear about again at AAS 367!

7 January 2026
AAS 247: Day 2
A supernova movie 25 years in the making, a discussion of little red dots, the joy of an unplanned career, and more — all on Day 2 of AAS 247.

6 January 2026
AAS 247: Day 1
Day 1 of AAS 247: brown dwarfs, starburst galaxies, missions to asteroids, and more!

5 January 2026
AAS 247: Welcome!
Welcome to the 247th AAS meeting in Phoenix, AZ! Here’s an overview of some of the education and outreach sessions you might want to check out at the meeting.

2 January 2026
AAS Publishing at AAS 247 in Phoenix
AAS Publishing will be attending the upcoming AAS meeting in Phoenix. Here’s where you can find the publishing team during the conference.

31 December 2025
Looking Back on Astronomy in 2025 with AAS Nova
Explore the most popular topics on AAS Nova in 2025 — from nearby rocky planets to distant little red dots.

30 December 2025
Selections from 2025: Could Earth Detect Earth?
Researchers explored the reaches of humanity’s technological signatures to determine if intelligent life like that on Earth could detect Earth.

29 December 2025
Selections from 2025: Pinpointing a Bright Fast Radio Burst with CHIME
Astronomers have traced a bright, seemingly one-off fast radio burst to a galaxy 130 million light-years away.

26 December 2025
Selections from 2025: JWST Searches for an Atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1e
What did JWST see when it examined TRAPPIST-1e, a nearby habitable-zone exoplanet orbiting a cool red star?

23 December 2025
Selections from 2025: The Nine-Ringed Bullseye Galaxy
Researchers discovered a record-breaking giant nine-ringed galaxy that provides critical insight into galaxy formation and evolution.

22 December 2025
Selections from 2025: The Formation of Massive Stars
Researchers used an airborne telescope to find out more about the origins of massive stars in our galaxy.

19 December 2025
Selections from 2025: A New Way to Combine Ground-Based Images
With immense amounts of data headed our way from ground-based facilities like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, new methods are needed to rapidly and effectively process high-resolution images.

18 December 2025
Selections from 2025: The Sun Changed Course in 2008
During the exceptionally deep solar minimum of 2008, researchers thought the Sun might be entering a prolonged period of low solar activity — but the Sun had other plans.

17 December 2025
Selections from 2025: A Repeating Fast Radio Burst in a Quiescent Galaxy
The repeating fast radio burst source FRB 20240209A is the only known repeating burst to come from a quiescent galaxy.

16 December 2025
Selections from 2025: A Search for Gravitational Waves from SN 2023ixf
SN 2023ixf is the closest supernova in a decade. Did researchers detect gravitational waves from the explosion?

15 December 2025
Selections from 2025: Hubble Observes 3I/ATLAS
The third interstellar object to enter our solar system, 3I/ATLAS, is without a doubt one of the most fascinating astronomical discoveries of this year.

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