Distant neutron stars typically spin a full 360 degrees within seconds. However, a new type of ‘radio transient object’ – so called as they are detected in radio waves – has emerged that rotate much more slowly. In the time it takes this cosmic lighthouse to rotate you could watch Interstellar twice before it completes a full spin.
Research led by PhD student Yu Wing Joshua Lee and supervisor Dr Manisha Caleb at the University of Sydney has uncovered the slowest cosmic lighthouse yet – a long-period radio transient – likely a neutron star – spinning once every 6.5 hours. This discovery, found using our ASKAP radio telescopes and published in Nature Astronomy, not only pushes the boundaries of what we thought possible for such objects, which typically rotate very quickly, but also reveals a rare phenomenon: the ability to see radio pulses from both of the star’s magnetic poles.
Artist’s impression of a long period transient Credit: James Josephides/Oz Grav