Astronomers have long debated why so many icy objects in the outer solar system look like snowmen. Michigan State University researchers now have evidence of the surprisingly simple process that could be responsible for their creation. Jackson Barnes, an MSU graduate student, has created the first simulation that reproduces the two-lobed shape naturally with gravitational collapse. His work is published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

SAN ANTONIO — February 19, 2026 — New research by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and the National Science Foundation’s National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF-NCAR) has developed a new tool providing a first step toward the ability to forecast space weather weeks in advance, instead of just hours. This advance warning could allow agencies and industries to mitigate impacts to GPS, power grids, astronaut safety and more.

Lucciana Mikaela Cáceres Holgado has been chosen as the recipient of the second annual Marian H. Rose Research Scholarship from the Society of Physics Students. The scholarship honors Marian H. Rose, a career plasma physicist, author, and environmental activist, by providing one graduate student with $15,000 in grant funding. Cáceres Holgado currently serves as the vice president for the University of Kansas’ SPS chapter, leads outreach activities with local schools, and enjoys giving back to a group of people who have supported her throughout her college education.

Researchers at University of Victoria's Astronomy Research Centre (ARC) and the University of Minnesota study the changes in the chemical composition at the surface of red giant stars.