Highlights from AAS Nova: 8–21 February 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 two 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.

20 February 2026
Satellite Surplus Around Dwarf Galaxy DDO 161
A satellite-rich dwarf galaxy poses a potential problem for current cosmological models.

18 February 2026
Investigating a Polluted White Dwarf
JWST spectra illuminate the composition of the debris disk around GD 362, one of the most polluted white dwarfs known.

17 February 2026
A Triple Black Hole System Caught in the Act of Self-Quenching
Astrobites reports on a cosmic drama in action: three active black holes, tangled jets, and fading light.

13 February 2026
Mapping a Molecular Building Block in a Pre-Stellar Core
Astronomers search for a simple organic molecule in Lynds 1544, a cold, dense clump of gas that will one day become a star.

11 February 2026
JWST Spies a Potential Microlensed Massive Binary Star System
A chance alignment between galaxies allows astronomers to study a single star system as it was when the universe was just 6 billion years old.

10 February 2026
Teegarden’s Star b: (Almost) Too Hot to Handle?
Astrobites reports on the potential habitability of Teegarden’s Star b, a promising Earth-like planet.

9 February 2026
Featured Image: Hubble Revisits the Crab Nebula
How has the Crab Nebula supernova remnant changed since the Hubble Space Telescope observed it in 1999–2000?

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