A distant neutron star has abruptly erupted in brightness, surging to roughly one hundred times its usual output and leaving astronomers scrambling to explain what could drive such a violent change.

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. A double blast of dying stars may be the first observed case of a ...

Artist’s impression of the powerful winds blowing from the bright X-ray source GX13+1. The X-rays are coming from a disc of hot matter, known as an accretion disc, that is gradually spiralling down to ...

Neutron stars are ultra-dense star remnants made up primarily of nucleons (i.e., protons and neutrons). Over the course of millions of years, these stars progressively cool down, radiating heat into ...

Neutron stars escape collapse into a black hole thanks to degeneracy pressure produced by their neutrons, which is able to fight the crushing force of gravity. What exactly lies at the heart of a ...

Neutron stars are formed when giant stars run out of fuel. Their internal pressure is no longer sufficient to fight gravity, and the resulting collapse and supernova explosion leaves a tiny core, with ...

If you approached a neutron star, you would be instantly crushed by gravity and fried by X-rays, while your very atoms would be torn apart by magnetic fields and gravity – making you a splattered ...