Welp. I did it. I finally got COVID. I'm fine now, but I do sincerely wish every ivermectin-chugging MAGA ass and every antivax RFK-supporting jerk of whatever political persuasion a very merry up yours.
Bad Astronomy Newsletter
I got COVID, and a fast radio burst progenitor found?
So, some good and bad news.
Look, almost everyone gets acne at some point in their life, but can you imagine being able to see it from 1.4 quadrillion kilometers away?
Bad Astronomy Newsletter
An exoplanet reveals its star’s spotty face
Did you know other stars get sunspots? And we can find them via their planets?
So JWST has seen these weird objects called Little Red Dots that appear to be extremely luminous and way on the other side of the universe from us. What the heck are they? Well, they could be immense star-like objects powered by black holes. So, yeah.
Bad Astronomy Newsletter
Little Red Dots at the edge of the universe may be black holes powering gigantic balls of gas
These “Black Hole Stars” are theoretical, but do explain what we see
Earth's oldest crater found! [Normally, Thursday issues of my newsletter are for paid subscribers, but this was so cool I put the story above the paywall. Enjoy!]
Bad Astronomy Newsletter
Earth’s oldest crater found!
It’s in Australia and it’s REALLY old
How big can a black hole get? Really, really, REALLY soul-vaporizingly big. But it turns out there's an upper limit to how massive they can be, because a) they're sloppy eaters, and 2) the universe is only so old.
Scientific American
How Big Is the Biggest Black Hole?
Some black holes get extremely massive. Is there an upper limit to their growth?
Did you know astronomers commonly see objects in space moving faster than light? But seeing is not believing: superluminal motion is an illusion! Me, for Scientific American:
Scientific American
How to See Faster-Than-Light Motion
Superluminal velocities are common but illusory
In 2032 there is a small chance that the 60-meter asteroid 2024 YR4 will impact the Moon. If it does, we could get a helluva meteor shower from it. We're safe on Earth's surface, but our satellites may suffer.
Scientific American
If This Asteroid Hits the Moon, Watch for Shooting Stars and Stricken Satellites
The 60-meter asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 4 percent chance of hitting the moon. Could such a lunar collision create a dangerous new meteor shower?
A nearby brown dwarf shows its mass as it orbits a Sun-like star. Plus: Fast Radio Bursts might be space rocks slamming in to neutron stars at 2/3 the speed of light, so, wow.
Bad Astronomy Newsletter
A brown dwarf reveals its mass
Plus: Are Fast Radio Bursts caused by asteroids slamming into neutron stars?
 [Issue for paid subbies only today!]
It's (well past) time to impeach RFK Jr. You can sign a petition to help! Also: (very) old issues of Scientific American magazine were very, very odd.
Bad Astronomy Newsletter
Impeach RFK Jr.
Also, a jaunt through old issues of Scientific American in search of Neptune
I bet it's been a while since you've had your mind vaporized by a JWST image so here's one of a cluster of galaxies so immense it's visibly warping space. Bonus: I explain what you're seeing! Because that's kinda my thing!
Bad Astronomy Newsletter
An incredible JWST image of an immense city of galaxies
Abell S1063 is a jaw-dropping example of the power of the big telescope