IGR J18245-2452, Neutron Star, 2013
Image from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory show a large change in X-ray brightness of a rapidly rotating neutron star, or pulsar, taken in 2013. The neutron star, the extremely dense remnant left behind by a supernova, is in a tight orbit around a low mass star. This binary star system, IGR J18245-2452 is a member of the globular cluster M28. As described in a press release from the European Space Agency, IGR J18245-2452 provides important information about the evolution of pulsars in binary systems. Pulses of radio waves have been observed from the neutron star as it makes a complete rotation every milliseconds (an astonishing rate of 254 times every second), identifying it as a "millisecond pulsar." The latest observations with both X-ray and radio telescopes show that the transitions between an X-ray binary and a radio pulsar can take place in both directions and on a time scale that is shorter than expected, maybe only a few days. They also provide powerful evidence for an evolutionary link between X-ray binaries and radio millisecond pulsars. Release date September 26, 2013.
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Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
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