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Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and STAG Research Centre/Peter Hammond

Complete transcript available.

Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.

Visual description:

On a black background with a faint gray grid, two multicolored blobs representing merging neutron stars circle and close. The colors indicate density. Yellow-white indicates the highest densities, at the centers of the objects. The colors change to orange and red at their periphery, with purple colors representing matter torn from and swirling with the neutron stars as they orbit. The grid shrinks as the camera pulls back to capture a wider view of the merger. A pale orange display at left shows the changing frequency of the gravitational waves generated, which is also indicated by the rising tone. As the merger occurs, the screen shows a spinning yellow blob at center immersed in a large cloud of magneta and purple debris.

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The colors change to orange and red at their periphery, with purple colors representing matter torn from and swirling with the neutron stars as they orbit. The grid shrinks as the camera pulls back to capture a wider view of the merger. A pale orange display at left shows the changing frequency of the gravitational waves generated, which is also indicated by the rising tone. As the merger occurs, the screen shows a spinning yellow blob at center immersed in a large cloud of magneta and purple debris. ", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 208450, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 369395, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014200/a014209/14209_Hypermassive_QPO_Simulation_Zoom_YOUTUBE_BEST_1080.mp4", "filename": "14209_Hypermassive_QPO_Simulation_Zoom_YOUTUBE_BEST_1080.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This simulation tracks the gravitational wave and density changes as two orbiting neutron stars crash together. Dark purple colors represent the lowest densities, while yellow-white shows the highest. An audible tone and a visual frequency scale (at left) track the steady rise in the frequency of gravitational waves as the neutron stars close. When the objects merge at 42 seconds, the gravitational waves suddenly jump to frequencies of thousands of hertz and bounce between two primary tones (quasiperiodic oscillations, or QPOs). The presence of these signals in such simulations led to the search and discovery of similar phenomena in the light emitted by short gamma-ray bursts.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and STAG Research Centre/Peter HammondComplete transcript available.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Visual description:On a black background with a faint gray grid, two multicolored blobs representing merging neutron stars circle and close. The colors indicate density. Yellow-white indicates the highest densities, at the centers of the objects. The colors change to orange and red at their periphery, with purple colors representing matter torn from and swirling with the neutron stars as they orbit. The grid shrinks as the camera pulls back to capture a wider view of the merger. A pale orange display at left shows the changing frequency of the gravitational waves generated, which is also indicated by the rising tone. As the merger occurs, the screen shows a spinning yellow blob at center immersed in a large cloud of magneta and purple debris. ", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 208446, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 848140, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014200/a014209/14209_NS_Merger_QPO_SRT_Captions.en_US.srt", "filename": "14209_NS_Merger_QPO_SRT_Captions.en_US.srt", "media_type": "Captions", "alt_text": "This simulation tracks the gravitational wave and density changes as two orbiting neutron stars crash together. Dark purple colors represent the lowest densities, while yellow-white shows the highest. An audible tone and a visual frequency scale (at left) track the steady rise in the frequency of gravitational waves as the neutron stars close. When the objects merge at 42 seconds, the gravitational waves suddenly jump to frequencies of thousands of hertz and bounce between two primary tones (quasiperiodic oscillations, or QPOs). The presence of these signals in such simulations led to the search and discovery of similar phenomena in the light emitted by short gamma-ray bursts.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and STAG Research Centre/Peter HammondComplete transcript available.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Visual description:On a black background with a faint gray grid, two multicolored blobs representing merging neutron stars circle and close. The colors indicate density. Yellow-white indicates the highest densities, at the centers of the objects. The colors change to orange and red at their periphery, with purple colors representing matter torn from and swirling with the neutron stars as they orbit. The grid shrinks as the camera pulls back to capture a wider view of the merger. A pale orange display at left shows the changing frequency of the gravitational waves generated, which is also indicated by the rising tone. As the merger occurs, the screen shows a spinning yellow blob at center immersed in a large cloud of magneta and purple debris. ", "label": "English", "language_code": "en-US" } }, { "id": 208447, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 848141, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014200/a014209/14209_NS_Merger_QPO_SRT_Captions.en_US.vtt", "filename": "14209_NS_Merger_QPO_SRT_Captions.en_US.vtt", "media_type": "Captions", "alt_text": "This simulation tracks the gravitational wave and density changes as two orbiting neutron stars crash together. Dark purple colors represent the lowest densities, while yellow-white shows the highest. An audible tone and a visual frequency scale (at left) track the steady rise in the frequency of gravitational waves as the neutron stars close. When the objects merge at 42 seconds, the gravitational waves suddenly jump to frequencies of thousands of hertz and bounce between two primary tones (quasiperiodic oscillations, or QPOs). The presence of these signals in such simulations led to the search and discovery of similar phenomena in the light emitted by short gamma-ray bursts.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and STAG Research Centre/Peter HammondComplete transcript available.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Visual description:On a black background with a faint gray grid, two multicolored blobs representing merging neutron stars circle and close. The colors indicate density. Yellow-white indicates the highest densities, at the centers of the objects. The colors change to orange and red at their periphery, with purple colors representing matter torn from and swirling with the neutron stars as they orbit. The grid shrinks as the camera pulls back to capture a wider view of the merger. A pale orange display at left shows the changing frequency of the gravitational waves generated, which is also indicated by the rising tone. As the merger occurs, the screen shows a spinning yellow blob at center immersed in a large cloud of magneta and purple debris. ", "label": "English", "language_code": "en-US" } }, { "id": 208451, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 369396, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014200/a014209/14209_Hypermassive_QPO_Simulation_Zoom_YOUTUBE_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov", "filename": "14209_Hypermassive_QPO_Simulation_Zoom_YOUTUBE_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This simulation tracks the gravitational wave and density changes as two orbiting neutron stars crash together. Dark purple colors represent the lowest densities, while yellow-white shows the highest. An audible tone and a visual frequency scale (at left) track the steady rise in the frequency of gravitational waves as the neutron stars close. When the objects merge at 42 seconds, the gravitational waves suddenly jump to frequencies of thousands of hertz and bounce between two primary tones (quasiperiodic oscillations, or QPOs). The presence of these signals in such simulations led to the search and discovery of similar phenomena in the light emitted by short gamma-ray bursts.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and STAG Research Centre/Peter HammondComplete transcript available.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Visual description:On a black background with a faint gray grid, two multicolored blobs representing merging neutron stars circle and close. The colors indicate density. Yellow-white indicates the highest densities, at the centers of the objects. The colors change to orange and red at their periphery, with purple colors representing matter torn from and swirling with the neutron stars as they orbit. The grid shrinks as the camera pulls back to capture a wider view of the merger. A pale orange display at left shows the changing frequency of the gravitational waves generated, which is also indicated by the rising tone. As the merger occurs, the screen shows a spinning yellow blob at center immersed in a large cloud of magneta and purple debris. ", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 313225, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14209/#media_group_313225", "widget": "Basic text with HTML", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Astronomers studying archival observations of powerful explosions called short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have detected light patterns indicating the brief existence of a superheavy neutron star shortly before it collapsed into a black hole. This fleeting, massive object likely formed from the collision of two neutron stars.

Astronomers looked for these signals in 700 short GRBs detected with NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, and the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. They found these flickering gamma-ray patterns – called quasiperiodic oscillations – in two bursts observed by Compton’s Burst And Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on July 11, 1991, and Nov. 1, 1993. The larger area of the BATSE instrument gave it the upper hand in finding these faint patterns.

A neutron star forms when the core of a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses. This produces a shock wave that blows away the rest of the star in a supernova explosion. Neutron stars typically pack more mass than our Sun into a ball about the size of a city, but above a certain mass, they must collapse into black holes.

Merging neutron stars power short GRBs, blasts of high-energy light that last less than two seconds. Computer simulations of gravitational waves emitted by these mergers show a sudden jump in frequency – exceeding 1,000 hertz – as the objects coalesce. These signals are too fast and faint for existing gravitational wave observatories to detect. But astronomers reasoned that similar signals could appear in the gamma-ray emission from short GRBs.

Both the Compton data and computer simulations revealed mega neutron stars tipping the scales by 20% more than the most massive precisely measured neutron star known, dubbed J0740+6620, which weighs in at nearly 2.1 times the Sun’s mass. Superheavy neutron stars also have nearly twice the size of a typical neutron star, or about twice the length of Manhattan Island.

The mega neutron stars spin nearly about 78,000 times a minute – almost twice the speed of J17482446ad, the fastest pulsar on record. This rapid rotation briefly supports the objects against further collapse, allowing them to exist just a few tenths of a second, after which they proceed to form a black hole far faster than the blink of an eye.", "items": [], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 313227, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14209/#media_group_313227", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Full version of the simulation above.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and STAG Research Centre/Peter Hammond

Complete transcript available.

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Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and STAG Research Centre/Peter Hammond

Complete transcript available.

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HammondComplete transcript available.", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } }, { "id": 208465, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 369405, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014200/a014209/Merger_Simulation_Still_1_searchweb.png", "filename": "Merger_Simulation_Still_1_searchweb.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Full version of the simulation above, but without labels or other annotations.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and STAG Research Centre/Peter HammondComplete transcript available.", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 208466, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 369406, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014200/a014209/Merger_Simulation_Still_1_thm.png", "filename": "Merger_Simulation_Still_1_thm.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Full version of the simulation above, but without labels or 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"title": "", "caption": "", "description": "This is a shortened and more annotated version of the simulation that links the gravitational wave changes to gamma-ray observations.

This animation follows the gravitational wave and density changes in a simulated neutron star merger and compares them to measurements of a short gamma-ray burst observed by NASA's Compton mission on July 11, 1991. Dark purple colors represent the lowest-density material, while yellow-white shows the highest. An audible tone and a visual frequency scale (at left) track the steady rise in the frequency of gravitational waves as the neutron stars close. When the objects merge at 19 seconds, the gravitational waves suddenly jump to frequencies of thousands of hertz and bounce between two primary tones. A magenta line appears at left to illustrate how quasiperiodic oscillations (QPOs) found in the gamma-ray emission correlate to those of the simulated gravitational waves. At the same time, a graph at upper right traces the changes in gamma-ray brightness observed during the same burst. To symbolize the ultimate formation of a black hole, a dot has been added at the center.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and STAG Research Centre/Peter Hammond

Complete transcript available.

Watch this video on the NASA.gov Video YouTube channel.

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One interpretation of the quasiperiodic oscillations seen in X-rays in these systems is the formation of a hot spot (white oval) near the disk's inner edge, which expands and contracts as its properties change. Because of this irregular orbit, the hotspot emission varies within a range of frequencies.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab

Visual description:

At the center of a muticolor disk spins a blue sphere, a neutron star, surrounded by darker blue arcs representing its magnetic field. Cones of pale blue-white X-ray emission issue from the object's magnetic poles, wobbling regularly because they are not aligned with the its spin axis. Two pale arcs represent streams of gas flowing from the inner, bluish edge of the disk to the neutron star. The disk's inner edge shrinks and expands, carrying with it a bright white oval – an orbiting hot spot. 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Because of this irregular orbit, the hotspot emission varies within a range of frequencies.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image LabVisual description:At the center of a muticolor disk spins a blue sphere, a neutron star, surrounded by darker blue arcs representing its magnetic field. Cones of pale blue-white X-ray emission issue from the object's magnetic poles, wobbling regularly because they are not aligned with the its spin axis. Two pale arcs represent streams of gas flowing from the inner, bluish edge of the disk to the neutron star. The disk's inner edge shrinks and expands, carrying with it a bright white oval – an orbiting hot spot. ", "width": 1024, "height": 574, "pixels": 587776 } }, { "id": 208495, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 369432, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014200/a014209/Accreting_NeutronStar_QPO_800.gif", "filename": "Accreting_NeutronStar_QPO_800.gif", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "In this animation, a neutron star (blue sphere) spins in the center of a colorful disk of gas, some of which follows the magnetic field (blue lines) and flows (blue-white arcs) onto the object’s surface. One interpretation of the quasiperiodic oscillations seen in X-rays in these systems is the formation of a hot spot (white oval) near the disk's inner edge, which expands and contracts as its properties change. Because of this irregular orbit, the hotspot emission varies within a range of frequencies.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image LabVisual description:At the center of a muticolor disk spins a blue sphere, a neutron star, surrounded by darker blue arcs representing its magnetic field. Cones of pale blue-white X-ray emission issue from the object's magnetic poles, wobbling regularly because they are not aligned with the its spin axis. Two pale arcs represent streams of gas flowing from the inner, bluish edge of the disk to the neutron star. The disk's inner edge shrinks and expands, carrying with it a bright white oval – an orbiting hot spot. ", "width": 800, "height": 449, "pixels": 359200 } }, { "id": 208497, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 369434, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014200/a014209/Accreting_NeutronStar_QPO_800_searchweb.png", "filename": "Accreting_NeutronStar_QPO_800_searchweb.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "In this animation, a neutron star (blue sphere) spins in the center of a colorful disk of gas, some of which follows the magnetic field (blue lines) and flows (blue-white arcs) onto the object’s surface. One interpretation of the quasiperiodic oscillations seen in X-rays in these systems is the formation of a hot spot (white oval) near the disk's inner edge, which expands and contracts as its properties change. Because of this irregular orbit, the hotspot emission varies within a range of frequencies.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image LabVisual description:At the center of a muticolor disk spins a blue sphere, a neutron star, surrounded by darker blue arcs representing its magnetic field. Cones of pale blue-white X-ray emission issue from the object's magnetic poles, wobbling regularly because they are not aligned with the its spin axis. Two pale arcs represent streams of gas flowing from the inner, bluish edge of the disk to the neutron star. The disk's inner edge shrinks and expands, carrying with it a bright white oval – an orbiting hot spot. ", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 208498, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 369435, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014200/a014209/Accreting_NeutronStar_QPO_800_web.png", "filename": "Accreting_NeutronStar_QPO_800_web.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "In this animation, a neutron star (blue sphere) spins in the center of a colorful disk of gas, some of which follows the magnetic field (blue lines) and flows (blue-white arcs) onto the object’s surface. One interpretation of the quasiperiodic oscillations seen in X-rays in these systems is the formation of a hot spot (white oval) near the disk's inner edge, which expands and contracts as its properties change. Because of this irregular orbit, the hotspot emission varies within a range of frequencies.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image LabVisual description:At the center of a muticolor disk spins a blue sphere, a neutron star, surrounded by darker blue arcs representing its magnetic field. Cones of pale blue-white X-ray emission issue from the object's magnetic poles, wobbling regularly because they are not aligned with the its spin axis. Two pale arcs represent streams of gas flowing from the inner, bluish edge of the disk to the neutron star. The disk's inner edge shrinks and expands, carrying with it a bright white oval – an orbiting hot spot. ", "width": 320, "height": 179, "pixels": 57280 } }, { "id": 208499, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 369436, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014200/a014209/Accreting_NeutronStar_QPO_800_thm.png", "filename": "Accreting_NeutronStar_QPO_800_thm.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "In this animation, a neutron star (blue sphere) spins in the center of a colorful disk of gas, some of which follows the magnetic field (blue lines) and flows (blue-white arcs) onto the object’s surface. One interpretation of the quasiperiodic oscillations seen in X-rays in these systems is the formation of a hot spot (white oval) near the disk's inner edge, which expands and contracts as its properties change. Because of this irregular orbit, the hotspot emission varies within a range of frequencies.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image LabVisual description:At the center of a muticolor disk spins a blue sphere, a neutron star, surrounded by darker blue arcs representing its magnetic field. Cones of pale blue-white X-ray emission issue from the object's magnetic poles, wobbling regularly because they are not aligned with the its spin axis. Two pale arcs represent streams of gas flowing from the inner, bluish edge of the disk to the neutron star. The disk's inner edge shrinks and expands, carrying with it a bright white oval – an orbiting hot spot. ", "width": 80, "height": 40, "pixels": 3200 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 313233, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14209/#media_group_313233", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "On July 11, 1991, the Burst And Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) aboard NASA's Compton Gamma Ray Observatory detected the short gamma-ray burst whose light curve – a plot of brightness over time – is shown above. Between about 93 and 103 milliseconds, a new analysis detected quasiperiodic oscillations associated with the formation of a single, short-lived, superheavy neutron star, formed by the merger of two smaller ones.

Credit: Cecilia Chirenti, University of Maryland, College Park

Visual description:

A ragged magenta line representing the changing brightness of the short runs across a rectangular plot. Time ranging from 90 to 120 milliseconds is shown on the bottom axis, while the number of detected gamma-ray photons, called counts, ranges from 0 to 30 along the left axis. The brightness comes to an abrupt peak (more than 25 counts) shortly after 100 milliseconds. A label at upper right reads \"GRB 910711.\" ", "items": [ { "id": 208501, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 551960, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014200/a014209/GRB910711_fig2_512_print.jpg", "filename": "GRB910711_fig2_512_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "On July 11, 1991, the Burst And Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) aboard NASA's Compton Gamma Ray Observatory detected the short gamma-ray burst whose light curve – a plot of brightness over time – is shown above. Between about 93 and 103 milliseconds, a new analysis detected quasiperiodic oscillations associated with the formation of a single, short-lived, superheavy neutron star, formed by the merger of two smaller ones. Credit: Cecilia Chirenti, University of Maryland, College Park Visual description:A ragged magenta line representing the changing brightness of the short runs across a rectangular plot. Time ranging from 90 to 120 milliseconds is shown on the bottom axis, while the number of detected gamma-ray photons, called counts, ranges from 0 to 30 along the left axis. The brightness comes to an abrupt peak (more than 25 counts) shortly after 100 milliseconds. A label at upper right reads \"GRB 910711.\" ", "width": 1024, "height": 730, "pixels": 747520 } }, { "id": 208500, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 369437, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014200/a014209/GRB910711_fig2_512.png", "filename": "GRB910711_fig2_512.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "On July 11, 1991, the Burst And Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) aboard NASA's Compton Gamma Ray Observatory detected the short gamma-ray burst whose light curve – a plot of brightness over time – is shown above. Between about 93 and 103 milliseconds, a new analysis detected quasiperiodic oscillations associated with the formation of a single, short-lived, superheavy neutron star, formed by the merger of two smaller ones. Credit: Cecilia Chirenti, University of Maryland, College Park Visual description:A ragged magenta line representing the changing brightness of the short runs across a rectangular plot. Time ranging from 90 to 120 milliseconds is shown on the bottom axis, while the number of detected gamma-ray photons, called counts, ranges from 0 to 30 along the left axis. The brightness comes to an abrupt peak (more than 25 counts) shortly after 100 milliseconds. A label at upper right reads \"GRB 910711.\" ", "width": 2906, "height": 2073, "pixels": 6024138 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 313234, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14209/#media_group_313234", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory imaged during its deployment from space shuttle Atlantis in April 1991.

Credit: NASA/STS-37 crew

Visual description:

Hanging in orbit above a tan and blue arc of Earth, a white, rectangular spacecraft floats outside a window on space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft has two silvery domes at the near end a silver cylindrical element at its far end. Two dark solar panels extend left and right.", "items": [ { "id": 208502, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 551961, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014200/a014209/Compton_launch_1991.jpg", "filename": "Compton_launch_1991.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory imaged during its deployment from space shuttle Atlantis in April 1991. Credit: NASA/STS-37 crewVisual description:Hanging in orbit above a tan and blue arc of Earth, a white, rectangular spacecraft floats outside a window on space shuttle Atlantis. The spacecraft has two silvery domes at the near end a silver cylindrical element at its far end. Two dark solar panels extend left and right.", "width": 3000, "height": 2890, "pixels": 8670000 } } ], "extra_data": {} } ], "studio": "gms", "funding_sources": [ "NASA Astrophysics" ], "credits": [ { "role": "Producer", "people": [ { "name": "Scott Wiessinger", "employer": "KBR Wyle Services, LLC" } ] }, { "role": "Science writer", "people": [ { "name": "Francis Reddy", "employer": "University of Maryland College Park" } ] }, { "role": "Scientist", "people": [ { "name": "Cecilia Chirenti", "employer": "University of Maryland, College Park" } ] }, { "role": "Visualizer", "people": [ { "name": "Peter Hammond", "employer": "University of Southampton" } ] } ], "missions": [ "Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory" ], "series": [ "Astrophysics Simulations", "Astrophysics Visualizations", "Narrated Movies" ], "tapes": [], "papers": [], "datasets": [], "nasa_science_categories": [ "Universe" ], "keywords": [ "Ast", "Astrophysics", "Black Hole", "Gamma Ray Burst", "Hyperwall", "Neutron Star", "Simulation", "Sonification", "Space", "Supernova", "Universe" ], "recommended_pages": [], "related": [ { "id": 14434, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14434/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "NASA’s Fermi Mission Finds 300 Gamma-Ray Pulsars", "description": "This visualization shows 294 gamma-ray pulsars, first plotted on an image of the entire starry sky as seen from Earth and then transitioning to a view from above our galaxy. The symbols show different types of pulsars. Young pulsars blink in real time except for the Crab, which pulses slower because its rate is only slightly lower than the video frame rate. Millisecond pulsars remain steady, pulsing too quickly to see. The Crab, Vela, and Geminga were among the 11 gamma-ray pulsars known before Fermi launched. Other notable objects are also highlighted. Distances are shown in light-years (abbreviated ly).Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: \"Fascination\" from Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA.gov Video YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || Pulsar_Still.jpg (3840x2160) [3.5 MB] || Pulsar_Still_searchweb.png (320x180) [105.5 KB] || Pulsar_Still_thm.png (80x40) [7.0 KB] || 14434_Fermi_Pulsar_Locations_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [93.9 MB] || 14434_Fermi_Pulsar_Locations_1080.webm (1920x1080) [10.0 MB] || Pulsar_Captions.en_US.srt [46 bytes] || Pulsar_Captions.en_US.vtt [56 bytes] || 14434_Fermi_Pulsar_Locations_4k_Good.mp4 (3840x2160) [112.8 MB] || 14434_Fermi_Pulsar_Locations_4k_Best.mp4 (3840x2160) [689.2 MB] || 14434_Fermi_Pulsar_Locations_ProRes_3840x2160_2997.mov (3840x2160) [4.5 GB] || ", "release_date": "2023-11-28T09:20:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-11-02T14:45:42.228176-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 860036, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014400/a014434/Pulsar_Still_searchweb.png", "filename": "Pulsar_Still_searchweb.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This visualization shows 294 gamma-ray pulsars, first plotted on an image of the entire starry sky as seen from Earth and then transitioning to a view from above our galaxy. The symbols show different types of pulsars. Young pulsars blink in real time except for the Crab, which pulses slower because its rate is only slightly lower than the video frame rate. Millisecond pulsars remain steady, pulsing too quickly to see. The Crab, Vela, and Geminga were among the 11 gamma-ray pulsars known before Fermi launched. Other notable objects are also highlighted. Distances are shown in light-years (abbreviated ly).Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: \"Fascination\" from Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA.gov Video YouTube channel.Complete transcript available.", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 12740, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12740/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Doomed Neutron Stars Create Blast of Light and Gravitational Waves", "description": "This animation captures phenomena observed over the course of nine days following the neutron star merger known as GW170817, detected on Aug. 17, 2017. They include gravitational waves (pale arcs), a near-light-speed jet that produced gamma rays (magenta), expanding debris from a kilonova that produced ultraviolet (violet), optical and infrared (blue-white to red) emission, and, once the jet directed toward us expanded into our view from Earth, X-rays (blue). Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/CI LabMusic: \"Exploding Skies\" from Killer TracksWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || Neutron_Star_Merger_Still_2_new_1080.png (1920x1080) [2.5 MB] || Neutron_Star_Merger_Still_2_new_1080.jpg (1920x1080) [167.3 KB] || Neutron_Star_Merger_Still_2_new_print.jpg (1024x576) [50.4 KB] || Neutron_Star_Merger_Still_2_new.png (3840x2160) [7.7 MB] || Neutron_Star_Merger_Still_2_new.jpg (3840x2160) [1.0 MB] || Neutron_Star_Merger_Still_2_new_thm.png (80x40) [4.4 KB] || Neutron_Star_Merger_Still_2_new_searchweb.png (320x180) [51.4 KB] || 12740_NS_Merger_Update_1080.m4v (1920x1080) [50.3 MB] || 12740_NS_Merger_Update_H264_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [96.9 MB] || 12740_NS_Merger_Update_1080p.mov (1920x1080) [101.9 MB] || NS_Merger_SRT_Captions.en_US.srt [417 bytes] || NS_Merger_SRT_Captions.en_US.vtt [399 bytes] || 12740_NS_Merger_4k_Update.webm (3840x2160) [10.0 MB] || 12740_NS_Merger_4k_Update_H264.mp4 (3840x2160) [254.9 MB] || 12740_NS_Merger_4k_Update_H264.mov (3840x2160) [516.7 MB] || 12740_NS_Merger_4k_Update_ProRes_3840x2160_5994.mov (3840x2160) [5.1 GB] || 12740_NS_Merger_4k_Update_H264.hwshow [90 bytes] || ", "release_date": "2017-10-16T10:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2025-06-23T00:17:47.900998-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 410279, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a012700/a012740/Neutron_Star_Merger_Still_2_new_1080.jpg", "filename": "Neutron_Star_Merger_Still_2_new_1080.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation captures phenomena observed over the course of nine days following the neutron star merger known as GW170817, detected on Aug. 17, 2017. They include gravitational waves (pale arcs), a near-light-speed jet that produced gamma rays (magenta), expanding debris from a kilonova that produced ultraviolet (violet), optical and infrared (blue-white to red) emission, and, once the jet directed toward us expanded into our view from Earth, X-rays (blue). Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/CI LabMusic: \"Exploding Skies\" from Killer TracksWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 12194, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12194/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "The Compton Legacy: A Quarter-century of Gamma-ray Science", "description": "This illustration of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory shows the locations of its four instruments, the Burst And Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE), the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL), and the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET). Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center || GRO_cutaway_labels_1080.jpg (1920x1081) [668.9 KB] || GRO_cutaway_labels_2160.jpg (3840x2161) [5.2 MB] || GRO_cutaway_labels_2160_searchweb.png (320x180) [116.1 KB] || GRO_cutaway_labels_2160_thm.png (80x40) [12.2 KB] || ", "release_date": "2016-04-07T12:55:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:48:44.205610-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 425384, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a012100/a012194/GRO_cutaway_labels_2160_searchweb.png", "filename": "GRO_cutaway_labels_2160_searchweb.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This illustration of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory shows the locations of its four instruments, the Burst And Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE), the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL), and the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET). Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 11804, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11804/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "RXTE Data Link Pulsar Pulses with a QPO", "description": "This animation illustrates the direct relationship between a pulsar's X-ray pulses and its quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO), a flickering signal that hovers around certain frequencies. The QPO is shown here as a bright patch near the inner edge of the disk of gas that feeds matter to the pulsar at the center, called SAX J1808. Guided by magnetic fields, gas streaming onto the neutron star forms bright hot spots. As the pulsar spins 401 times a second, telescopes detect X-ray pulses as these locations swing into view from Earth. When the QPO orbits more slowly than the pulsar’s spin, the neutron star’s magnetic field holds back flowing gas, dimming the X-ray pulses. But during an outburst, the inner edge of the disk is forced closer to the pulsar, resulting in a faster-moving QPO and compression of the pulsar's magnetic field. When the QPO matches or bests the pulsar’s spin, more gas streams onto the neutron star, and the pulses brighten. Gas may even flow directly onto the pulsar's equatorial region, producing extra hot spots. NASA’s Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observed this relationship during outbursts in 2002, 2005, and 2008. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab || QPO_16bit_00728_print.jpg (1024x576) [96.1 KB] || QPO_16bit_00728_web.jpg (320x180) [16.6 KB] || QPO_16bit_00728_thm.png (80x40) [7.1 KB] || 1920x1080_16x9_30p (1920x1080) [0 Item(s)] || 11804_RXTE_QPO_H264_Good_1920x1080_2997.mov (1920x1080) [45.4 MB] || 11804_RXTE_QPO_MPEG4_1920X1080_2997.mp4 (1920x1080) [28.0 MB] || QPO_16bit_00728.tif (1920x1080) [11.9 MB] || 11804_RXTE_QPO_H264_Good_1920x1080_2997.webm (1920x1080) [3.9 MB] || 11804_RXTE_QPO_H264_Best_1920x1080_2997.mov (1920x1080) [240.9 MB] || 11804_RXTE_QPO_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov (1920x1080) [416.6 MB] || ", "release_date": "2015-05-14T14:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:49:43.234484-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 444934, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011800/a011804/QPO_16bit_00728_print.jpg", "filename": "QPO_16bit_00728_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation illustrates the direct relationship between a pulsar's X-ray pulses and its quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO), a flickering signal that hovers around certain frequencies. The QPO is shown here as a bright patch near the inner edge of the disk of gas that feeds matter to the pulsar at the center, called SAX J1808. Guided by magnetic fields, gas streaming onto the neutron star forms bright hot spots. As the pulsar spins 401 times a second, telescopes detect X-ray pulses as these locations swing into view from Earth. When the QPO orbits more slowly than the pulsar’s spin, the neutron star’s magnetic field holds back flowing gas, dimming the X-ray pulses. But during an outburst, the inner edge of the disk is forced closer to the pulsar, resulting in a faster-moving QPO and compression of the pulsar's magnetic field. When the QPO matches or bests the pulsar’s spin, more gas streams onto the neutron star, and the pulses brighten. Gas may even flow directly onto the pulsar's equatorial region, producing extra hot spots. NASA’s Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observed this relationship during outbursts in 2002, 2005, and 2008. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 11530, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11530/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Neutron Stars Rip Each Other Apart to Form Black Hole", "description": "This supercomputer simulation shows one of the most violent events in the universe: a pair of neutron stars colliding, merging and forming a black hole. A neutron star is the compressed core left behind when a star born with between eight and 30 times the sun's mass explodes as a supernova. Neutron stars pack about 1.5 times the mass of the sun — equivalent to about half a million Earths — into a ball just 12 miles (20 km) across. As the simulation begins, we view an unequally matched pair of neutron stars weighing 1.4 and 1.7 solar masses. They are separated by only about 11 miles, slightly less distance than their own diameters. Redder colors show regions of progressively lower density. As the stars spiral toward each other, intense tides begin to deform them, possibly cracking their crusts. Neutron stars possess incredible density, but their surfaces are comparatively thin, with densities about a million times greater than gold. Their interiors crush matter to a much greater degree densities rise by 100 million times in their centers. To begin to imagine such mind-boggling densities, consider that a cubic centimeter of neutron star matter outweighs Mount Everest. By 7 milliseconds, tidal forces overwhelm and shatter the lesser star. Its superdense contents erupt into the system and curl a spiral arm of incredibly hot material. At 13 milliseconds, the more massive star has accumulated too much mass to support it against gravity and collapses, and a new black hole is born. The black hole's event horizon — its point of no return — is shown by the gray sphere. While most of the matter from both neutron stars will fall into the black hole, some of the less dense, faster moving matter manages to orbit around it, quickly forming a large and rapidly rotating torus. This torus extends for about 124 miles (200 km) and contains the equivalent of 1/5th the mass of our sun. The entire simulation covers only 20 milliseconds.Scientists think neutron star mergers like this produce short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Short GRBs last less than two seconds yet unleash as much energy as all the stars in our galaxy produce over one year. The rapidly fading afterglow of these explosions presents a challenge to astronomers. A key element in understanding GRBs is getting instruments on large ground-based telescopes to capture afterglows as soon as possible after the burst. The rapid notification and accurate positions provided by NASA's Swift mission creates a vibrant synergy with ground-based observatories that has led to dramatically improved understanding of GRBs, especially for short bursts. || ", "release_date": "2014-05-13T10:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2024-08-14T22:44:52.133586-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 455853, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011530/NS_Merger_Frame_200_1080.jpg", "filename": "NS_Merger_Frame_200_1080.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Edited video with music of the 4k neutron star merger simulation.Credit: NASA/AEI/ZIB/M. Koppitz and L. RezzollaMusic: \"Approaching Eclipse\" from stock music site Killer TracksWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 10740, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10740/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "When Neutron Stars Collide", "description": "Armed with state-of-the-art supercomputer models, scientists have shown that colliding neutron stars can produce the energetic jet required for a gamma-ray burst. Earlier simulations demonstrated that mergers could make black holes. Others had shown that the high-speed particle jets needed to make a gamma-ray burst would continue if placed in the swirling wreckage of a recent merger. Now, the simulations reveal the middle step of the process—how the merging stars' magnetic field organizes itself into outwardly directed components capable of forming a jet. The Damiana supercomputer at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics needed six weeks to reveal the details of a process that unfolds in just 35 thousandths of a second—less than the blink of an eye.For the researchers' website, with more video and stills of their simulations, go here. || ", "release_date": "2011-04-07T09:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2024-08-14T22:44:54.072536-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 487308, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010700/a010740/Neutron_Star_Merger_Still_3.jpg", "filename": "Neutron_Star_Merger_Still_3.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "State-of-the-art supercomputer models show that merging neutron stars can power a short gamma-ray burst.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } ], "sources": [], "products": [], "newer_versions": [], "older_versions": [], "alternate_versions": [] }