Why Neutron Stars Are More Terrifying Than Black Holes

Why Neutron Stars Are More Terrifying Than Black Holes ► Subscribe: https://goo.gl/r5jd1F Before you is one of the fastest objects in the universe. Its rotational speed is hundreds of times greater than that of a helicopter’s blades, and its mass is nearly 2.5 times that of the Sun. Yet, despite this immense mass, its size would allow it to easily fit within the boundaries of New York City. This is pulsar J0952-0607, the heaviest neutron star ever discovered by scientists. It spins at 707 revolutions per second. That is faster than the blades of your kitchen blender or an aircraft turbine. Faster than anything you can imagine. But what makes it spin at such an incredible speed? It requires energy. And the pulsar has an energy source: a white dwarf, the remnant of a star that once shone but has now fallen victim to its companion. The white dwarf is too close to the pulsar. Due to the immense gravity and powerful radiation, its matter begins to strip away, turning into a stream of superheated plasma that rushes directly toward the neutron star. The pulsar absorbs this material, gaining even more energy for its rotation and radiation. Meanwhile, the white dwarf rapidly loses mass, becoming dimmer and weaker. It is practically evaporating, surrendering its matter to its more powerful companion. But this process is dangerous even for the pulsar itself. Gradually, it accumulates matter and approaches its critical mass. If it exceeds this limit, its matter will no longer be able to resist its own gravity; in which case the pulsar risks collapsing into a black hole. We are on social media: https://www.facebook.com/destinymediaa The Destiny voice: https://www.TomsVoiceovers.co.uk