Finding the Giants in the Crumbs: The Discovery of Andromenda XXXVI A Dwarf Galaxy to Messier 31

 

There is a distinct magic to looking at archival survey data. For most people, a wide-field professional survey like the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS) is a collection of pretty pictures or an overwhelming dataset of numbers. But for an observer, it’s a treasure map.

Just recently, a fascinating new paper was published in Astronomy & Astrophysics detailing the discovery of a brand-new ultra-faint dwarf (UFD) galaxy orbiting our massive neighbor, M31. The name? Andromeda XXXVI.

What makes this discovery incredibly special—and why I wanted to share it with you all today—is how it was found. It wasn't flagged by an advanced machine-learning algorithm or an automated data-mining pipeline. It was found through old-school, systematic visual inspection of public images by an amateur astronomer, Giuseppe Donatiello.

Hearing the Blast of a Star Going Nova

 

Many often think of the night sky as a silent, visual masterpiece. We hunt for the subtle gradients of planetary nebulae or the faint photons of distant galaxy groups to observe and/or image them. But a recent breakthrough out of Texas Tech University reminds us that astronomical data holds dimensions we can experience with more than just our eyes.

Researchers have taken the explosive data from Nova V612 Scuti (also known as ASASSN-17hx) and translated it into a continuous audio track. For the first time, we can literally hear the evolution of a stellar detonation.

Please head over to Eadsy Astronomy LINK to read my article and to get a link to the Texas Tech YouTube video.  

Weekly Newsletter for June 28th to July 4th 2026

 I am including the LINK to the newsletter for this week over at EadsyAstronomy. I haven't made videos and I may not. I had oral surgery on Thursday and have talked too much over the weekend and need to let my mouth heal.  Anyway, please had over for the weekly newsletter!

Here are the video versions: 

Lunar Progression 

Lunar Craters 

Obserivng the Apollo 15 Landing Site

Planetary 

Double Stars 

The Double Double This Week! 

Comets 

Deep Sky Objects: 

1. Bootes 15 objects: 

2. Serpens 

3. Ophiuchus

The Mind Blowing Secret Hidden in THIS Galatic Egg!

 

If you’ve ever pointed a large-aperture telescope toward the dense star fields of Sagittarius in June, July or August, you know the region is absolutely packed with planetary nebulae masquerading as faint, bluish-green disks. But there is one target in particular that just received a massive scientific update, and it completely changes how we look at it through the eyepiece: NGC 6563.

Discovered way back in 1826 by James Dunlop, this planetary nebula (often designated PN G358.5-07.3) is well known to deep-sky observers for its distinct, slightly asymmetrical, egg-like shape. But a brand-new study published in June 2026 by a team of international astronomers has peeled back the layers of this celestial egg using high-resolution 3D morphokinematic modeling.

The results? This isn't just a simple bubble of gas—it’s a dynamic, time-delayed playground of ancient stellar jets.

The full article is availble over at Eadsy Astronomy. Please head over and take a look and join our community there.

JWST Just Unlocks Secret of 10 BY old Comet ie 3i/Atlas

 

An extraordinary piece of cosmological history just zoomed through our backyard, and astronomers used the world’s premier space observatory to read its chemical diary.

According to a groundbreaking study published today in Nature, researchers turned NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope toward 3I/ATLAS—the third confirmed interstellar object ever detected—as it began its departure from the Sun in December 2025. What they found doesn't just rewrite our understanding of alien planetary systems; it takes us on a time-traveling journey back to the universe's "cosmic noon."

For the full article head on over to Eadsy Astronomy. Please join our community there. 

Eadsy Astronomy Newsletter Week of June 21st to 27th 2026

 Lots going on this week with the Moon moving from First Quarter to almost full by the end of the week. I share plenty of craters to look at; I've updated the Double Star lists and these will be your prime objects this week. I share info on the Planets and Mighty Jupiter and tiny Mercury begin their dance out of the night sky this week.  Come learn more! 

Lunar Progression 

Recommended Lunar Craters for this Week: 

Planetary Highlights for this week:

Double Stars Recomended for this Week: 

Comets 

Deep Sky Objects