In our valentines’ day special, Shashank, Cole, and Cormac explore the dating lives of stars and other compact objects by looking at the romantic couples of astrophysics: binary systems. Immediately ruining this theme, Shashank covers some particularly messy breakups (though these lovers are able to rebound and move on) while Cormac shows us how even stars’ healthy relationships involve some give and take.

Astrobites:

What are Partial Tidal Disruption Events, and How Do We Find Them?

https://astrobites.org/2025/08/04/partial-tdes-galactic-center/

Sharing is caring: how do binary stars actually transfer mass?

https://astrobites.org/2025/07/14/binary-mass-transfer/

Space Sound:

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/chandra/nasa-telescopes-tune-into-a-black-hole-prelude-fugue/

Apply to join us as a co-host! https://astrosoundbites.com/recruiting-2025

In today’s extra-special seasonal episode, Cormac, Lucia and Shashank share some of their highly curated metrics inspired by Spotify wrapped to end our a[s]b year. Much like ourselves, this episode is a mixed bag - we hope you enjoy it! This also marks the start of our long-awaited Winter (or Summer, depending on your hemisphere) break - see you in a few weeks!

Space sound:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmsOmqf7Hso

Bonus festive EWOCS JWST image released after we recorded:

https://esawebb.org/images/potm2512a/

Apply to join us as a co-host! https://astrosoundbites.com/recruiting-2025

This week, Shashank, Cole, and Cormac dive into the many disks of the universe, from planet-forming disks to AGN and galactic structures. Cole explores a misbehaving protoplanetary disk that hints at chaotic early planet formation. Cormac follows by showing how external radiation can erode disks and hinder the birth of giant planets. We then zoom out to compare these turbulent young systems to the massive disks around galaxies and supermassive black holes, tying together why disks form across so many cosmic environments and the methods we use to explore them.

Astrobites:

https://astrobites.org/2025/09/18/forming-misaligned-discs/

https://astrobites.org/2025/11/01/planet_formation_vs_stellar_uv_radiation/

ALMA images: https://www.almaobservatory.org/en/press-releases/alma-campaign-provides-unprecedented-views-of-the-birth-of-planets/attachment/20181212-andrews-et-al-all-disks/

Space Sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8__1mSFS7vQ