The slowest rotating 'cosmic lighthouse' yet discovered

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-01-15 21:00

Australia; NSW

James Josephides

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.

Media release

From: The University of Sydney

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 CSIRO's 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.

Multimedia

CSIRO’s ASKAP radio telescope on Wajarri Country

Lead author Joshua Lee

Artist's impression of the slow rotating 'radio transit' neutron star

Journal/
conference: Nature Astronomy

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: The University of Sydney, CSIRO, International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), Curtin University, Swinburne University of Technology

Funder: CSIRO, ARC Centre of Excellence OzGrav, Australian Research Council.

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