Watching a Black Widow Pulsar

On May 23, 2018 astronomers in Toronto claim to have performed one of the highest resolution observations in astronomical history.

They claim to have observed two intense regions of radiation, around twelve miles apart, around a star, a rapidly spinning pulsar PSR B1957+20, or the Black Widow pulsar, that is 6,500 light-years away.

“It was like seeing a flee on the surface of Pluto,” they said.

The details of this observation is being published in the May 24thissue of the peer-reviewed journal, Nature.

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Rod Washington

Rod is a blogger, writer, filmmaker, photographer, daydreamer who likes to cook. Rod produces and directs the web series, CUPIC: Diary of an Investigator. He is also the editor, producer and administrator of STM Daily News, a part of the TNC Network.