Slashdot Mirror
Fermi Satellite Clocks Pulsar Going 2.5 Million Miles Per Hour (upi.com)
schwit1 quotes UPI:
Astronomers have discovered a pulsar traveling at unprecedented speeds. Observations by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope suggest the star is moving through space at 2.5 million miles per hour.... "Thanks to its narrow dart-like tail and a fortuitous viewing angle, we can trace this pulsar straight back to its birthplace," Frank Schinzel, a scientist at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico, told NASA. "Further study of this object will help us better understand how these explosions are able to 'kick' neutron stars to such high speed...."
Scientists named the high-speed pulsing star PSR J0002+6216, or J0002 for short. The star is located in the Cassiopeia constellation, 6,500 light-years from Earth... Analysis of the pulsar's trajectory and pulsing tail suggest the spinning neutron star was ejected by a supernova named CTB 1. Scientists estimated J0002 was expelled from CTB 1 approximately 10,000 years ago.
Scientists aren't totally sure how J0002 accelerated to such tremendous speeds. In the wake of the supernova explosion from which the pulsar originated, expelled gas and dust from the exploded companion star likely outraced J0002. Eventually, the shell of stellar shrapnel was slowed by interactions with interstellar gas, but astronomers theorize that some of stellar debris may have coalesced into a region of dense matter, forming a "gravitational tugboat" that is pulling J0002 through space.
J0002 was discovered by "citizen scientists" scanning data from NASA's Fermi satellite, according to the article.
"Participants in the Einstein@Home project have identified 13 gamma ray pulsars."
Scientists named the high-speed pulsing star PSR J0002+6216, or J0002 for short. The star is located in the Cassiopeia constellation, 6,500 light-years from Earth... Analysis of the pulsar's trajectory and pulsing tail suggest the spinning neutron star was ejected by a supernova named CTB 1. Scientists estimated J0002 was expelled from CTB 1 approximately 10,000 years ago.
Scientists aren't totally sure how J0002 accelerated to such tremendous speeds. In the wake of the supernova explosion from which the pulsar originated, expelled gas and dust from the exploded companion star likely outraced J0002. Eventually, the shell of stellar shrapnel was slowed by interactions with interstellar gas, but astronomers theorize that some of stellar debris may have coalesced into a region of dense matter, forming a "gravitational tugboat" that is pulling J0002 through space.
J0002 was discovered by "citizen scientists" scanning data from NASA's Fermi satellite, according to the article.
"Participants in the Einstein@Home project have identified 13 gamma ray pulsars."
For those who have long abandoned the imperial units that's around 4 million kilometers per hour, or 3.7% of the speed of light.
Its speed is relative to what?
:wq
Do you know why I pulled you over?
Have gnu, will travel.
1.1E6 m/s .0037c
Or
Why not translate it into the units I understand? What is that in Celsius??*
Every European in Slashdot
That's no pulsar...
By including this sig, the copyright holders of this work or collection unreservedly place it in the public domain.
NASA article The speed is relative to the Fermi Satellite. The distance was measured between the center of the supernova cloud and its current position at 53 light-years. The supernova responsible for CTB 1 occurred about 10,000 years ago. 53 light years / ~10000 years ~= 5 720 040.1 kilometers per hour.
Anyone have an alternate for the main link? I turn my adblocker off only when I get an assurance, in writing, that the site will cover all my expenses if I get drive-by malware.
How is the Riemann zeta function like Trump rallies? Both have an endless number of trivial zeros.
Converted into a 'defective speedometer' fix it ticket.
You should have seen the cop's reaction in court. It was priceless, but I did have to move, it was only 110 in a 25.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
Someone should arrest these speeding pulsars in case they crash into something!
Donte Alistair Anderson Roberts - hi son!
Karma: Chameleon
I'm a bit disappointed. I was hoping it moves at relativistic speeds. Unfortunately 0.37% of c isn't even getting close.
Opened this article looking for some insightful comments about what this means, how this will impact our understanding of space and the universe and what do I get? A bunch of jokes about the use of the term 'miles'. [sigh]
"Grab them by the pussy" -- President of the United States of America
This is not a pulsar, it's Voltron on its way to save another planet.
Jokes aside: At this distance how do we know this isn't some massive spaceship traveling at nearly the speed of light?
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain... time... to... die...