"Astronomers Uncover Enigmatic Cosmic Object Straddling Extreme Boundaries"

TL;DR
Astronomers have discovered a dense object orbiting a pulsar in a globular cluster 40,000 light-years away, which could be either the heaviest neutron star or the lightest black hole ever observed, challenging the known mass gap. The object's mass falls between the expected ranges for neutron stars and black holes, leading to two extreme possibilities. The researchers believe it may have formed from the merger of two neutron stars and are eager to uncover its true nature, as it could provide valuable insights into neutron stars, black holes, and the physics of extreme densities.
Topics:scienceastronomy#astronomical-object#astronomy#black-hole#globular-cluster#neutron-star#pulsar
- Newly Discovered Astronomical Object Is Right On The Edge Of Two Extreme Possibilities IFLScience
- Neutron star discovered orbiting mysterious object that shouldn't exist New Atlas
- Black hole, neutron star or something new? We discovered an object that defies explanation Phys.org
- Astronomers discover strange new cosmic body larger than some black holes in Milky way The News International
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on IFLScience