Highlights from AAS Nova: 22 March – 4 April 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.

3 April 2026
Characterizing the Atmosphere of Exoplanet WD 0806b with JWST
A recent study uses high-resolution JWST observations to perform an atmospheric analysis of a rare exoplanet orbiting a dead star.

1 April 2026
A Mysterious Spectral Feature Could Help Crack the Case of Neutron Star Structure
Neutron stars contain some of the most extreme matter in the universe, and researchers are exploring a promising but challenging way to probe their interiors.

31 March 2026
Detecting New Icy Molecules Around a Newly Forming Star with JWST
Astrobites reports on the detection of complex molecules around a protostar in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

30 March 2026
Monthly Roundup: Investigating Active Galactic Nuclei
Jets, variability, and neutrinos: dive into three recent investigations of active galactic nuclei.

27 March 2026
An Impostor Explosion
Hoping to find the second kilonova to be detected in both gravitational waves and light, astronomers ended up with a supernova instead.

25 March 2026
Starring in the Early Universe: Black Hole Stars and Little Red Dots
JWST’s mysterious little red dots may be evidence of black hole stars in the early universe.

24 March 2026
Triple Double: Do Merging White Dwarfs Produce Fast Radio Burst–Emitting Remnants?
Astrobites reports on whether a distant companion in a triple-star system could push the inner binary toward merging into a remnant object that emits fast radio bursts.

23 March 2026
Featured Image: An Active Galaxy Cluster Merger at Cosmic Noon
Observations of a galaxy cluster during the universe’s star-formation heyday give clues to the cluster’s history.

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