Neutron Star and Sun-like Star in Orbit Around Each Other

This animation depicts a binary star system in which a massive compact neutron star is orbiting a larger Sun-like star. Neutron stars are incredibly dense remnants left behind after a massive star explodes as a supernova. They pack about 40 percent more mass than our Sun into an object only about 12 miles in diameter. The intense gravity of this high-density object produces significant warping effects that distort the view of the sky around it, not unlike what occurs around more compact black holes. As the neutron star passes by in the foreground, our view of the vastly larger and more distant Sun-like star is warped. Several systems like this one, in which the neutron stars are widely separated from their solar-type companions, have been found using data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission. The orbital periods of these systems range between six months and three years. In this animation, we are positioned near the path of the compact neutron star as it whizzes past its companion in the distance. Image credit: Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC) More info: