neutron star
The Neutron Star That Thinks It’s a Black Hole
Black holes and neutron stars are among the odder denizens of the cosmic zoo. They're both dense collections of matter…
Astronomers Go Hunting for Mysterious Q-balls
Our universe may feature large, macroscopic clumps of dark matter, known as q-balls. These q-balls would be absolutely invisible, but…
Some Elements Arrived on Earth by Surfing Supernova Shock Waves
When stars die, they spread the elements they've created in their cores out to space. But, other objects and processes…
Magnetars are Extreme in Every Way, Even Their Volcanoes
In a recent study published in Nature Astronomy, an international team of researchers led by NASA and The George Washington…
Astronomers use Earthquakes to Understand Glitches on Neutron Stars
A team of astronomers have used a model of earthquakes to understand glitches in the timing of pulsars. Their results…
Colliding Neutron Stars can Generate Long Gamma-ray Bursts
Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are the most energetic recurring events in the Universe. Only the Big Bang was more energetic, and…
New Observations Confirm That a Magnetar has a Solid Surface and No Atmosphere
Can a star have a solid surface? It might sound counterintuitive. But human intuition is a response to our evolution…
The Smallest, Lightest Neutron Star Ever Seen Could be a “Strange Star”
A neutron star lighter than the Sun could be a strange matter star.
Astronomers Were Fortunate Enough to Catch a Neutron Star Merging With Another Star
A team of astronomers have followed the evolution of a short duration gamma ray burst, one of the most intense…
The Heaviest Neutron Star Ever Seen Got There by Feasting on its Companion
Life's not too good if you're the companion of a black widow. Here on Earth, spiders by that name feast…