Astronomers have made an unusual discovery: a neutron star that defies all expectations. Discover ASKAP J1935+2148, the slowest rotating radio wave bursting neutron star ever discovered. Located a staggering 16,000 light years from Earth, it takes about an hour to complete one orbit of this celestial wonder.
While that may sound complicated for most objects, neutron stars often rotate at mind-blowing speeds—some completing 700 complete cycles per second. Even the rarest of the nearly 3,000 known radio-emitting neutron stars, or “pulsars,” orbit in seconds or so.
However, ASKAP J1935+2148 dances in its own cosmic rhythm. It challenges our understanding of this complex stellar memory by making radio waves too slow to fit existing theories. “We’re quite used to studying radio-producing neutron stars,” says research team member Ben Stappers, “but this little star was rotating so slowly and still making these radio waves we see unexpected .” .”
So, how does a neutron star like ASKAP J1935+2148 form? As nuclear fuel runs out and superstars are born, these debris collapse under their own gravity. The external radiation that once supported them retreats, causing a supernova explosion that blows away their external masses.
What’s left is a stellar corpse—between one and two times the mass of our Sun—compressed to a mere 12 miles (20 kilometers) in diameter. The resulting neutron star is so intense that a teaspoon of the substance weighs about 10 million tons, the equivalent of Mount Everest.
But the slow slide of ASKAP J1935+2148 is not the only surprise. Like an ice skater pulling their arms to spin faster, the rapid decrease in neutron star core width allows such young samplers to spin faster than a mixer blade It’s a cosmic ballet that defies convention, and ASKAP J1935+2148 leads the dance.
As astronomers explore the universe, discoveries like this one remind us that the universe still holds surprises—challenges in our understanding that push the limits of what we thought was possible so next time looking at the night sky, remember that even the oldest celestial bodies can defy the rules.
