Rho Leo Shows a Persistent 16-Day Spectroscopic Rhythm
A long-running spectroscopic record of Rho Leo found a persistent 16.46-day rhythm, while TESS data suggested a less secure 33-day brightness cycle.
Scientific publication4 min read
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Stars & Stellar Evolution
14 published articlesPart of Astronomy & Space
Latest in Stars & Stellar Evolution
One of Three Contact Binaries Is Near an Instability Threshold
A combined analysis of spectra, light curves and eclipse timings places the three systems at different stages of contact-binary evolution, with ZZ PsA closest to instability.
Scientific publication4 min read
Preprint sees starspot shifts in extreme contact binaries
An analysis of 11 extremely low mass ratio contact binaries found that two systems changed their out-of-eclipse brightness asymmetry within one TESS sector. It also found mixed orbital-period changes and evolutionary tracks that could not reproduce the shortest-period targets under the tested assumptions.
Scientific publication4 min read
Preprint: AI Flags 14,426 Likely Young Stars in APOGEE Data
The model recovered 70% of labeled likely young stars and added 14,426 candidates, but recall ranged from almost 100% in M dwarfs to about 0% in O-type stars.
Scientific publication4 min read
Source checks identify 76 confirmed blends among 225 candidates
An analysis of 225 Rowan et al. (2023) candidates with two eclipsing periods reports 76 confirmed blends and a 33.8% false-positive fraction for the examined set.
2025MNRAS.544L.174Z3 min read
Radio observations hint at hidden micro-flares on AU Mic
A short VLA observing run on the single star AU Mic found strong variability even during selected quiet intervals, along with two clear flares. The authors interpret the pattern as evidence that many small, unresolved flares may help sustain the star’s radio emission, but the result is based on one star at one epoch.
Scientific publication4 min read
Astronomers identify three likely wind-accreting pre-polars
A targeted optical search of nine unusual eclipsing candidates reported at least four magnetic white dwarfs, including three likely wind-accreting pre-polars and one normal polar, while other classifications remained unclear.
Scientific publication3 min read
LY UMa Appears Bluer When It Is Brighter, Preprint Says
The preprint reports that LY UMa was bluer during the brighter of two B and V observing runs and estimates a K7-K8V mass donor using distance and assumed light-share calculations. It also gives a single V-band estimate for nearby Mrk 153.
Scientific publication4 min read
Computer models find rare black hole mergers in stellar triples
A computational study followed wide stellar triples from stellar birth to black-hole-binary merger, finding rare stable and unstable routes and distinct orbital and spin signatures.
Scientific publication4 min read
Solar 'Fishbone' Structure Shows 18 Repeated Brightenings
A multi-wavelength case study of NOAA active region 12297 records recurrent brightenings along a fishbone-like solar magnetic structure and interprets their motion as sequential reconnection, while acknowledging that direct node-to-node triggering was not observed.
Scientific publication4 min read
Circumbinary discs match binary eccentricities only in demanding models
A new computational study finds that circumbinary-disc interaction can match the observed eccentricities of stripped giant binaries only under demanding assumptions, while failing to explain most short post-AGB periods.
Scientific publication4 min read
TRAPPIST-1 Shows Solar-Like Chemistry, With a Carbon Twist
High-resolution infrared spectra suggest TRAPPIST-1 has broadly solar-like chemistry, while its carbon isotope ratio is higher than the solar-system value.
Scientific publication4 min read
Preprint: Solar brightening offers clues to possible magnetic reconnection
Researchers found a linked set of thermal, motion and magnetic-topology signatures in a selected solar brightening. The authors describe the pattern as consistent with reconnection involving a twisted magnetic structure, but not as proof that reconnection occurred.
Scientific publication5 min read
Preprint: AI model estimates solar-flare peaks, but the strongest eruptions remain harder
A modeling study tests whether machine learning can estimate how strong an ongoing solar flare will become, finding larger errors and lower uncertainty coverage for stronger events.
Scientific publication3 min read