Astronomers have uncovered 21 neutron stars orbiting Sun-like stars, unveiling previously hidden cosmic companions. These neutron stars, typically faint and elusive, were detected thanks to the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission, which scans the sky and tracks the subtle wobbles of over a billion stars. This advanced technology allowed astronomers to spot these elusive entities through their gravitational effects.
Unlike other neutron stars, these are located farther from their stellar partners, remaining dark and detectable only through their influence on nearby stars. The exact mechanism of how these neutron stars ended up in their current orbits remains unclear.
The discovery highlights the rarity of such pairings, with only about one in a million Sun-like stars hosting a distant neutron star companion.
Key Points
- Discovery: Astronomers have found 21 neutron stars orbiting Sun-like stars, revealing previously hidden cosmic companions.
- Detection Method: The European Space Agency’s Gaia mission, which scans the sky and tracks the subtle wobbles of over a billion stars, enabled the detection of these elusive neutron stars.
- Characteristics: These neutron stars are located farther from their stellar partners, remaining dark and only detectable through their gravitational effects.
- Unknown Origins: The exact mechanism of how these neutron stars ended up in their current orbits remains unclear.
- Rarity: Such pairings are extremely rare, with only about one in a million Sun-like stars hosting a distant neutron star companion.
