'Black Widow' Pulsar Animation (VIDEO)

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Caption

This animation shows a black widow pulsar like J0952 together with its small stellar companion, as seen from within their orbital plane. Powerful radiation and the pulsar's "wind" -- an outflow of high-energy particles -- strongly heat the facing side of the companion, evaporating it over time.

Credit

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Cruz deWilde

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