NICER X-ray Telescope Discovers Fast-Spinning Neutron Star
Top Stories Tamfitronics A neutron star in the X-ray binary system 4U 1820-30 spins 716 times per second, making it one of the fastest-spinning objects ever observed, according to an analysis of data gathered by NASA’s Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) between 2017 and 2022.An artist’s depiction of the X-ray binary system 4U 1820-30 in the core of the globular cluster NGC 6624. Image credit: NASA.4U 1820-30 is located about 26,000 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Sagittarius.This X-ray binary system is part of a metal-rich globular cluster called NGC 6624.It consists of two stars — a neutron star and a white dwarf companion. The latter orbits the neutron star once every 11 minutes, making it the system with the shortest known orbital period.4U 1820-30 typically displays short X-ray bursts, only lasting...
