Astronomers spot a distant and lonely neutron star

Astronomers have discovered a special kind of neutron star for the first time outside of the Milky Way galaxy, using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile.

Neutron stars are the ultra dense cores of massive stars that collapse and undergo a supernova explosion. This newly identified neutron star is a rare variety that has both a low magnetic field and no stellar companion.

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Credit: X-ray (NASA/CXC/ESO/F.Vogt et al); Optical (ESO/VLT/MUSE & NASA/STScI)

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A distant and lonely neutron star has been discovered outside the Milky Way galaxy for the first time.

Neutron stars are the ultra-dense cores of massive stars that collapse and undergo a supernova explosion.

1E 0102.2-7219 is a supernova remnant, the stellar debris field left behind after the giant star exploded.

Data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes points to a celestial bull's eye where the neutron star was found.

Unlike many other neutron stars, this one has a very low magnetic field and no stellar companion.

Time Lapse Movie of the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant

NuSTAR is showing that exploding stars slosh around before blasting apart.

Dragon wrote:
Credit: X-ray (NASA/CXC/ESO/F.Vogt et al); Optical (ESO/VLT/MUSE & NASA/STScI)

That's beautiful