Science

Astounding Stellar Discovery: Tiny Pulsar Spotted Slipping Through a Giant Star's Layers!

2025-05-31

Author: Arjun

A Celestial Thrill: The 'Spider Star' Unveiling

In a groundbreaking revelation, researchers in China have detected a mesmerizing binary system where a pulsar—the remnants of a supernova—has been found orbiting within the outer layers of a larger companion star. This science-shattering find, outlined in the prestigious journal *Science*, represents a stunning example of a rarity dubbed a "spider star," which, akin to male arachnids being consumed after mating, preys upon its host!

Unlocking Cosmic Mysteries

This discovery provides compelling evidence for a critical yet elusive phase of stellar evolution known as the common envelope phase—something astronomers have never directly observed! Pulsars, spinning neutron stars, are extraordinarily dense, squeezing more mass than our Sun into a sphere just twelve miles across. With gravity that defies belief and magnetic fields billions of times stronger than Earth's, these stars emit powerful radio waves from their poles.

The Pulsar PSR J1928+1815—A Cosmic Oddity

At the center of this thrilling discovery is the pulsar PSR J1928+1815, which has piqued scientists' curiosity due to its remarkably tight orbit, completing a full revolution every 3.6 hours. Notably, for a significant portion of its orbit, the pulsar becomes invisible, hinting that a larger companion star is eclipsing it. Jin-Lin Han, a radio astronomer involved in the research, remarked, "That’s a large part of the orbit... only a larger companion can create this phenomenon."

Cutting-edge Observations