Astronomers Discover Celestial Object in 'Mass Gap' Between Neutron Stars and Black Holes
The object, orbiting a pulsar 40,000 light-years away, could be the heaviest neutron star or the lightest black hole ever observed, challenging existing astronomical classifications.
- Astronomers have discovered a celestial object orbiting a pulsar in a globular cluster 40,000 light-years away that is either the heaviest neutron star or the lightest black hole ever observed.
- The object's mass falls in the so-called 'mass gap' between the heaviest possible neutron star and the lightest black hole, challenging existing astronomical classifications.
- The pulsar spins 170 times per second, and by studying tiny variations of this rhythmic signal, researchers were able to estimate the properties of the system.
- The discovery could provide a unique opportunity to test theories of gravity and provide new insights into nuclear physics at very high densities.
- Researchers believe the companion object is not the direct consequence of a supernova, but rather that it was originally two neutron stars, merging into this massive object.
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