Astronomers Predict Cosmic Light Show from 2018 Stellar Encounter
- Visualizations by:
- Walt Feimer
- Written by:
- Francis Reddy
- Produced by:
- Scott Wiessinger
- View full credits
Coming attraction: Astronomers are expecting high-energy explosions when pulsar J2032 swings around its massive companion star in early 2018. The pulsar will plunge through a disk of gas and dust surrounding the star, triggering cosmic fireworks. Scientists are planning a global campaign to watch the event across the spectrum, from radio waves to gamma rays.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.
For complete transcript, click here.
The pulsar, known as J2032+4127 (J2032 for short), is the crushed core of a massive star that exploded as a supernova. It is a magnetized ball about 12 miles across, or about the size of Washington, weighing almost twice the sun's mass and spinning seven times a second. J2032's rapid spin and strong magnetic field together produce a lighthouse-like beam detectable when it sweeps our way.
The pulsar orbits a massive companion named MT91 213. Classified as a Be star, the companion is 15 times the mass of the sun and shines 10,000 times brighter. Be stars drive strong outflows, called stellar winds, and are embedded in large disks of gas and dust.
Following an elongated orbit lasting about 25 years, the pulsar passes closest to its partner once each circuit. Whipping around its companion in early 2018, the pulsar will plunge through the surrounding disk and trigger astrophysical fireworks. It will serve as a probe to help astronomers measure the massive star's gravity, magnetic field, stellar wind and disk properties.
Read more at http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/astronomers-predict-fireworks-from-rare-stellar-encounter-in-2018
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. However, individual items should be credited as indicated above.
Animators
- Walt Feimer (KBRwyle) [Lead]
- Cruz deWilde (Avant Gravity)
- Scott Wiessinger (KBRwyle)
Writer
- Francis Reddy (University of Maryland College Park) [Lead]
Editor
- Scott Wiessinger (KBRwyle)
Scientist
- Paul Ray (NRL)
Producer
- Scott Wiessinger (KBRwyle) [Lead]
Narration
- Chris Meaney (KBRwyle)
- Joy Ng (KBRwyle)
- Rob Andreoli (AIMM)
- Swarupa Nune (InuTeq)
Missions
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This visualization can be found in the following series:Tapes
This visualization originally appeared on the following tapes:- None
Related pages
Untitled
Dec. 31, 2015, 6 a.m.
Read moreAstronomers predict high-energy explosions from a rare stellar encounter. || Discovered in 2009, pulsar J2303 is the crushed core of a massive star that exploded as a supernova. || The pulsar follows an elongated orbit lasting about 25 years. It passes closest to its companion star, MT91 213, once each circuit. || In early 2018, the pulsar will plunge through the disk of gas and dust surrounding MT91 213. || Scientists expect the event will produce gamma ray emissions (magenta) around the time of closest approach.
Binary Pulsar J2032 animation
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Read moreBinary Pulsar J2032 animation || Astronomers are expecting high-energy explosions when pulsar J2032+4127 swings around its massive companion star in early 2018. The pulsar will plunge through a disk of gas and dust surrounding the star, triggering cosmic fireworks. Scientists are planning a global campaign to watch the event across the spectrum, from radio waves to gamma rays.
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