Astronomers Surprised by Massive Neutron Star That Won’t Become a Black Hole | Science

The merger of two neutron stars gives astronomers a headache. Where, according to current theories, a black hole should have formed almost immediately, a relatively large neutron star initially remained in this situation, he writes. The Guardian.

Neutron stars are the remnants of massive stars that exploded as supernovae. These particles are compressed very vigorously, leaving behind a small but incredibly massive star. A teaspoon of matter from the star would weigh more than 1 billion tons.

The neutron star has been visible to scientists for at least a day. “An exceptionally long period,” said the British newspaper cites one of the researchers.

After more than a day, astronomers lost sight of the neutron star. It is still a mystery how the neutron star can remain intact for so long. The star may have rotated so fast that the implosion was delayed.

Astronomers also question the origin of so-called gamma-ray bursts. These are extremely bright flashes of light that occur during the formation of black holes. Scientists now say it is necessary to investigate whether neutron stars can also cause gamma-ray bursts before their implosion.