Just in at Science magazine: the rush to observe interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. https://www.science.org/content/article/astronomers-race-study-interstellar-interloper11 Jul 2025 Adam Mann Astronomers race to study interstellar interloper z1ju4jb We have a few brief months to study this example of material from another system. In… Read More »3I/ATLAS Wrangling
This Wednesday will be the midpoint of the weeklong MetSoc meeting, going on right now (see Day 1, Day 2). Today is quite light, ergonomically, but heavy pedagogically. Conel Alexander has spent his career in cosmochemistry, and not just “in… Read More »Meteoritical Society Meeting 2025, Day 3
…continuing on from a previous post… Astrophysics > Earth and Planetary Astrophysics arXiv:2507.05318v1 [Submitted on 7 Jul 2025]Hopkins, M. J. Dorsey, R. C. Forbes, J. C. et al. From a Different Star: 3I/ATLAS in the context of the Ōtautahi-Oxford interstellar object population… Read More »Net Paper: ATLAS Again
In Planetary and Space Science for Aug (vol. 262): Chiorny, V. G. Krugly, Y. N. Shevchenko, V. G. et al. Absolute photometry of small main-belt binary asteroids. Physical properties 106118 .2025.106118 Binary asteroids: truly a gift from above. Using Kepler’s Laws,… Read More »Note, Paper: Bright Belt Bis
I don’t like to give arXiv.org a free pass, since it doesn’t work to the same standards as a peer-reviewed journal. But interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is moving fast, too fast for the independent review process to function. So if we… Read More »Net Paper: 3I/ATLAS Traffic
A leaker from JGR:Planets, June (vol. 130 #6): Rossmann, F. M. Johnson, C. L. Bierhaus, E. B. The Meter-Scale Roughness of Asteroid (101955) Bennu From the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter e2024JE008799 2024JE008799 Lasers on probes- they just keep on giving. Nominally, the… Read More »Note, Paper: Bennu Boulder Total
The journal called “Space Science Reviews” means all three. Just now (vol. 221), they have covered the Lucy mission, and covered it quite well: Levison, H.F. Marchi, S. Noll, K.S. et al. NASA’S Lucy Mission to Trojan Asteroids: Unraveling the… Read More »Space Science Reviews Lucy
Quickly, the July 1 Astrophysical Journal Letters (vol. 987 #1) contains: Sheppard, S. S. Hsieh, H. H. Pokorný, P. et al. Colors and Dynamics of a Near-Sun Orbital Asteroid Family: 2021 PH27 and 2025 GN1 L18 ade3da Sheppard et al. picked… Read More »Note, Paper: Separated At Near-Earth
The University of Hawaii announced on Friday that the UKIRT telescope on Maunakea is, officially, to be decommissioned: https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2025/06/27/uh-to-decommission-3rd-maunakea-telescope/ UKIRT once stood for “United Kingdom InfraRed Telescope.” Which may have you thinking, “wait- why is the University of Hawaii telling… Read More »Infrared Telescope ‘Insolvent’
Astronomy and Astrophysics for June (vol. 699) is shorter than usual. Still, consider the following: Smirnov, E. A. Chaotic diffusion and transient resonance captures of the near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 A26 202554489 Zhang, Y. Xu, Y-B. Qi, Z. et al. … Read More »Note, Paper: NEO Heat-Pieces