A pulsar's apparent slowdown reveals a rare stellar trio

Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars, the extremely dense cores left behind when massive stars explode. Astrophysicists have recently observed a pulsar rotating over 300 times per second that appeared to be slowing down unusually quickly.

phys.org ·2h ago

A pulsar's apparent slowdown reveals a rare stellar trio

This article explores a unique astronomical discovery: a pulsar, named PSR J0435+3233, appears to be rotating more slowly than expected due to the gravitational influence of a nearby star. The systemic formation involves a pulsar, a white dwarf, and a sun-like star in an elliptical orbit lasting approximately 73.5 years.

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