They have been trying to understand how large neutron stars can become. “In a case of cosmic ingratitude, the black widow pulsar, which has devoured a large part of its mate, now heats and evaporates the companion down to planetary masses and perhaps complete annihilation,” Filippenko said.Īstronomers first discovered the neutron star in 2017, and Filippenko and Romani have studied similar black widow systems for more than a decade. This is because the neutron star becomes more energized as it strips material away from the companion star. Normal pulsars spin and flash about once a second, but this one is pulsing hundreds of times per second.
SimonnetĪstronomers detect gravitational waves created by massive neutron star collision National Science Foundation/LIGO/Sonoma State University/A. This particular neutron star is the densest object within sight of Earth, according to the researchers. Romani, a professor of physics at Stanford University in California. Neutron star cores are the densest matter in the universe, outside of black holes, and 1 cubic inch (16.4 cubic centimeters) of a neutron star weighs more than 10 billion tons, according to study author Roger W. The side of the companion star that faces the neutron star is heated to 10,700 degrees Fahrenheit (5,927 degrees Celsius) – hot and bright enough to be seen by a telescope. The companion star is now about the size of a large gaseous planet, or 20 times the mass of Jupiter. The observatory’s Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer recorded visible light from the shredded companion star, which glowed due to its high heat. 'Pac-Man' in space: Black holes gobble up neutron stars in first evidence of a rare celestial event Credit: Carl Knox/OzGrav/Swinburne Carl Knox/OzGrav/Swinburne Rainbow Swirl is an artistic image inspired by a Black Hole Neutron Star merger event.
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