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Rare dead star found near Earth
BBC ^
| Monday, 20 August 2007, 19:57 GMT 20:57 UK
Posted on 08/20/2007 2:41:15 PM PDT by james500
Astronomers have spotted a space oddity in Earth's neighbourhood - a dead star with some unusual characteristics.
The object, known as a neutron star, was studied using space telescopes and ground-based observatories.
But this one, located in the constellation Ursa Minor, seems to lack some key characteristics found in other neutron stars.
Details of the study, by a team of American and Canadian researchers, will appear in the Astrophysical Journal.
If confirmed, it would be only the eighth known "isolated neutron star" - meaning a neutron star that does not have an associated supernova remnant, binary companion, or radio pulsations.
The object has been nicknamed Calvera, after the villain in the 1960s western film The Magnificent Seven.
"The seven previously known isolated neutron stars are known collectively as The Magnificent Seven within the community," said co-author Derek Fox, of Pennsylvania State University, US.
"So the name Calvera is a bit of an inside joke on our part."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: chat; xplanets
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1
posted on
08/20/2007 2:41:16 PM PDT
by
james500
To: james500
the terminology is incorrect.
it’s not “dead”. dead implies human or animal life.
it’s inert = to be inert is to be in a state of doing little or nothing.
si.
/s
2
posted on
08/20/2007 2:43:45 PM PDT
by
ken21
(28 yrs +2 families = banana republic junta. si.)
To: james500
a dead star with some unusual characteristics.KILLED BY GLOBAL WARMING
3
posted on
08/20/2007 2:45:23 PM PDT
by
BOBTHENAILER
(One by one, in small groups or in whole armies, we don't care how we do it, but we're gonna getcha)
To: james500
Rare dead star?......not in California.........
4
posted on
08/20/2007 2:46:10 PM PDT
by
Red Badger
(ALL that CARBON in ALL that oil & coal was once in the atmospere. We're just putting it back!)
To: james500
To: james500
If anyone know’s, why do they estimate the distance as 250 to 1,000 light years? It seems a pretty wide range in distance.
6
posted on
08/20/2007 2:49:09 PM PDT
by
Natchez Hawk
(What's so funny about the first, second, and fourth Amendments?)
To: ken21
it’s inert = to be inert is to be in a state of doing little or nothing.Like me today.
7
posted on
08/20/2007 2:50:25 PM PDT
by
Eaker
(If illegal immigrants were so great for an economy; Mexico would be building a wall to keep them in)
To: james500
Neutron stars are something to behold. Most of them are only about 10 miles across and they are so dense that one tablespoon of neutron star weighs hundreds of millions of tons.
8
posted on
08/20/2007 2:50:33 PM PDT
by
Drew68
To: james500
Oh - thought it was another Elvis story.
9
posted on
08/20/2007 2:50:53 PM PDT
by
ladtx
("You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks." Will Rogers)
To: james500
...
To: Drew68
one tablespoon of neutron star weighs hundreds of millions of tonsDo they put this stuff in coffee or something? Wait - maybe that might bend the spoon...
11
posted on
08/20/2007 2:54:05 PM PDT
by
frithguild
(The Freepers moved as a group, like a school of sharks sweeping toward an unaware and unarmed victim)
To: Drew68
"Neutron stars are something to behold. Most of them are only about 10 miles across and they are so dense that one tablespoon of neutron star weighs hundreds of millions of tons." Well, that's how they are imagined anyway.
Question...since you can't get 2 neutrons to stick together without protons in attendance, why do you think you can get a whole 'star' composed solely of neutrons?
To: james500
Rare dead star found near Earth
Bob Weir coming down?
13
posted on
08/20/2007 2:59:59 PM PDT
by
philled
("CNBC?...You might as well be doing ham radio at that point."-- Dennis Miller)
To: Natchez Hawk
250 l-y is barely within our local bubble, that is, the region swept nearly clear of interstellar dust by an ancient supernova about 500 l-y across. That is our neighborhood. 1000 l-y would be somewhat outside our neighborhood.
14
posted on
08/20/2007 3:00:03 PM PDT
by
RightWhale
(It's Brecht's donkey, not mine)
To: RadioAstronomer
15
posted on
08/20/2007 3:00:22 PM PDT
by
ASA Vet
To: GourmetDan
Question...since you can't get 2 neutrons to stick together without protons in attendance, why do you think you can get a whole 'star' composed solely of neutrons? Gravity.
16
posted on
08/20/2007 3:00:42 PM PDT
by
OSHA
(Liberals will lick the boot on their necks if they think the other boot is on yours and mine.)
To: GourmetDan
get 2 neutrons to stick together What didn't stick together got blown all over and we are probably made of some of this 'star stuff.' The supernova it was happened a long, long time ago, who knows, maybe 5 billion years ago.
17
posted on
08/20/2007 3:04:01 PM PDT
by
RightWhale
(It's Brecht's donkey, not mine)
To: ken21
As long as it doesn’t become ert ...
18
posted on
08/20/2007 3:05:41 PM PDT
by
NonValueAdded
(Brian J. Marotta, 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub, (1948-2007) Rest In Peace, our FRiend)
To: RightWhale
Just a nube on physics, but I thought gravity was the “weak force.”
19
posted on
08/20/2007 3:05:50 PM PDT
by
bajabaja
To: GourmetDan
Gravity does the job. Gravity dominates stellar evolution.
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