A Cosmic Lighthouse Born from a Star's Explosion ⚡ экспресс
Years after its explosion, supernova SN 2012au unexpectedly 'lit up' again in radio waves. Scientists figured out: it's likely the 'breathing' of a newborn pulsar — a rapidly spinning neutron star, like a lighthouse in space. This is the first time such an object has been caught outside our Galaxy. Wonder what other surprises old supernovae might be hiding?
When a massive star dies, it explodes as a supernova (a term coined by Fritz Zwicky). At its core remains a city-sized sphere crushed to unimaginable density — a neutron star. If it spins rapidly, it emits two narrow beams of radiation, like a lighthouse.
A few years after the SN 2012au explosion in a distant spiral galaxy, astronomers noticed a strengthening radio signal. A network of radio telescopes, working as one giant ear, revealed that the source is nearly stationary and very small. Its speed is less than a third of the speed of light, typical for a young pulsar, not for ejecta in cosmic dust clouds.
If confirmed, this is the first radio pulsar in another galaxy caught shortly after birth. By studying it, we’ll see how these cosmic lighthouses gain strength. An amazing fact: a pulsar’s rotational energy is so stable that it can be used to calibrate atomic clocks — even millions of years later.
🎯 Some pulsars spin up to 700 times per second — faster than the crankshaft of a Formula 1 racing car.