Roman Space Telescope Poised to Transform Hunt for Elusive Neutron Stars

Roman Space Telescope poised to transform hunt for elusive neutron stars

Astronomers have long known that neutron stars, the crushed cores left behind after massive stars explode, should be scattered throughout the Milky Way galaxy. However, most of them are effectively invisible. A new study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics suggests that NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope could spot them anyway.

Neutron Stars and Pulsars: The Extreme Physics Behind Cosmic Radiation Beams

When massive stars reach the end of their lives, they do not simply fade away. Some die in colossal supernova explosions so powerful that, for a short time, they can outshine entire galaxies. What remains after such a cosmic catastrophe can become one of the strangest and most extreme objects in existence — a neutron star. A neutron star forms when the core of a massive star collapses under its own gravity after the supernova explosion. Despite …

NASA’s Roman Poised to Transform Hunt for Elusive Neutron Stars

Astronomers have long known that neutron stars, the crushed cores left behind after massive stars explode, should be scattered throughout the Milky Way