What is a Neutron Star?

  • Released Thursday, May 18, 2017
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Here's just some of what we already know about neutron stars. An upcoming NASA mission will further investigate these unusual objects from the International Space Station. The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer mission, or NICER, will study the extraordinary environments — strong gravity, ultra-dense matter, and the most powerful magnetic fields in the universe — embodied by neutron stars. NICER is a two-in-one mission. The embedded Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology, or SEXTANT, demonstration will use NICER data to validate, for the first time in space, pulsar-based navigation.

NICER is planned for launch aboard the SpaceX CRS-11, currently scheduled for June 1, 2017. Learn more about the mission at nasa.gov/nicer.

This video explains some of what's known about neutron stars and previews NASA's Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer mission (NICER).

Music: Killer Tracks, Choose (NM318); Calamitous Computations (ICON011); Dreaming Solitude (PKT017)

For More Information

See https://www.nasa.gov/nicer

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

This page was originally published on Thursday, May 18, 2017.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:47 PM EDT.

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