When massive stars detonate as supernovae, they leave often behind a pulsar. These fast rotating stellar corpses have fascinated scientists since their discovery in 1967. One nearby pulsar turns 174 times a second and now, its size has been precisely measured. An instrument on board the International Space Station was used to measure x-ray pulses  from the star. A supercomputer was then used to analyse its properties and found it was 1.4 times the mass of the Sun and measured only 11.4 km across! The death of a massive stars leads to one of a number of objects but two of them are closely related, the neutron star and the pulsar. Both are formed during the core collapse and supernova explosion that marks the death of a star. All of the components of the atom are squashed together removing all the space between the neutrons to form one MASSIVE neutron. Pulsars are rotating neutron stars with strong magnetic fields that emit beams of electromagnetic radiation from their magnetic poles. These beams become visible from Earth when aligned with our line of sight, creating a pulsating effect, hence the term “pulsar.” Artist’s illustration of a bright and powerful supernova explosion. (Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss) One of the nearest pulsars, PSR J0437-4725 lies at 510 light years in the constellation Pictor. It rotates 174 times per second which means it rotates once in just 5.75 milliseconds. Perhaps more mind blowing than its rotational velocity is its size. Imagine 1.4 times the mass of the Sun squashed up into a ball just 11.4 kilometres across – the Sun is 1.39 million kilometres across by comparison!  This astonishing result of the pulsars diminutive size are the results of precision measurements by a team fo astronomers at the University of Amsterdam. The scientists used data from the NICER X-ray telescope on the ISS, combining it with a method called pulse profile modelling. The data was fed into Snellius, the Dutch national supercomputer and complex statistical models were created. This allowed them to calculate the star’s radius, assisted by mass measurements from Daniel Reardon (Swinburne University of Technology, Australia) and his colleagues at the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array. Not only were the team able to identify precise dimensions, they were also able to map the temperature distribution of the magnetic poles. The NICER payload, shown here on the outside of the International Space Station. Credit: NASA The lead researcher, Devarshi Choudhury was very happy with the results ”Before, we were hoping to be able to calculate the radius accurately. And it would be great if we could show that the hot magnetic poles are not directly opposite each other on the stellar surface. And we just managed to do both!” The team’s paper reports something known as a softer equation of state. This means there is a smaller increase of pressure for a change in density. This implies that the maximum mass of neutron stars is likely lower than previous theories have predicted. An observation that sits well with gravitational wave observations from neutron stars. Source : Nearest millisecond pulsar has radius of 11.4 kilometres and is 1.4x as heavy as the sun The post A Close Pulsar Measures 11.4 km Across appeared first on Universe Today.

Dark matter is curious stuff! As the name suggests, it’s dark making it notoriously difficult to study. Although it’s is invisible, it influences stars in a galaxy through gravity. Now, a team of astronomers have used the Hubble Space Telescope to chart the movements of stars within the Draco dwarf galaxy to detect the subtle gravitational pull of its surrounding dark matter halo. This 3D map required studying nearly two decades of archival data from the Draco galaxy. They found that dark matter piles up more in the centre, as predicted by cosmological models. Dark matter comprises approximately 27% of the all the mass and energy in the universe but interacts only gravitationally, emitting no light. The idea first – ahem, came to light to explain discrepancies in the rotation curves of galaxies and is detected through its gravitational effects on visible matter. Despite extensive research,  the nature of dark matter remains elusive. Understanding dark matter is crucial for comprehending the composition and evolution of the universe. Astronomers are getting a new tool to help them in the hunt for Dark Matter. This is a rendering of the BREAD design, which stands for Broadband Reflector Experiment for Axion Detection. The ‘Hershey’s Kiss’-shaped structure funnels potential dark matter signals to the copper-colored detector on the left. The detector is compact enough to fit on a tabletop. Image courtesy BREAD Collaboration Dark matter has often been described as the invisible ‘glue’ that holds galaxies together. Although galaxies are mostly composed of dark matter, understanding its distribution within them provides an opportunity to understand its nature and relevance to the evolution of the galaxy. Computer simulations predict a dense concentration of dark matter at the core of the galaxy, forming a density cusp. However, numerous observations have shown that dark matter appears more uniformly spread throughout galaxies, contradicting these simulations.  To study dark matter within galaxies, scientists can analyse the movements of stars, which are influenced primarily by the gravitational pull of dark matter. One common method involves using the Doppler Effect to measure the speed of objects in space—observing changes in the wavelength of light as stars move closer to or further from Earth. Along with moving toward or away from us, stars can also move across the sky. This proper motion, when combined with line of sight measurements allow for the creation of the movement of a star in 3D. Astronomers have employed NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to study the dynamics of stars within the Draco dwarf galaxy, located about 250,000 light-years from Earth. The Draco galaxy was used because, as a dwarf galaxy, it is relatively small and is believed to have a higher proportion of dark matter than other types of galaxy. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope flies with Earth in the background after a 2002 servicing mission. Credit: NASA. Over 18 years of observational data from 2004 to 2022 were examined and they painstakingly mapped the precise three-dimensional motions of these stars, drawing from extensive archival data collected by Hubble. This effort has yielded the most accurate understanding to date of how stars move within this small galaxy. Understanding precisely how stars move in galaxies allows for precise maps of dark matter to be created.  The technique the team have developed is not only of use for the Draco dwarf galaxy but for other galaxies too. The Sculptor dwarf galaxy is already being analysed using the same technique along with the Ursa Minor dwarf galaxy. Source : NASA’s Hubble Traces Dark Matter in Dwarf Galaxy Using Stellar Motions The post Mapping the Stars in a Dwarf Galaxy to Reveal its Dark Matter appeared first on Universe Today.

Habits are hard to break.

Why F-16 fighter jets won't defeat Russia - F-16s for Ukraine, limitations and countermeasures. (0:03) - Potential conflict between Russia and NATO, with focus on Ukraine and nuclear weapons. (3:59) - Ukraine-Russia war, potential for peace negotiations. (11:05) For more updates, visit: http://www.brighteon.com/channel/hrreport NaturalNews videos would not be possible without you, as always we remain passionately dedicated to our mission of educating people all over the world on the subject of natural healing remedies and personal liberty (food freedom, medical freedom, the freedom of speech, etc.). Together, we’re helping create a better world, with more honest food labeling, reduced chemical contamination, the avoidance of toxic heavy metals and vastly increased scientific transparency. ▶️ Every dollar you spend at the Health Ranger Store goes toward helping us achieve important science and content goals for humanity: https://www.healthrangerstore.com/ ▶️ Sign Up For Our Newsletter: https://www.naturalnews.com/Readerregistration.html ▶️ Brighteon: https://www.brighteon.com/channels/hrreport ▶️ Join Our Social Network: https://brighteon.social/@HealthRanger ▶️ Check In Stock Products at: https://PrepWithMike.com ? Brighteon.Social: https://brighteon.social/@HealthRanger ? Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/naturalnews ? Gab: https://gab.com/NaturalNews ? Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/naturalnews ? Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/HealthRangerReport ? Mewe: https://mewe.com/p/naturalnews ? Spreely: https://social.spreely.com/NaturalNews ? Telegram: https://t.me/naturalnewsofficial ? Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/realhealthrangerstore/

Kansas sues Pfizer over COVID vaccine; Pfizer knew in 2021 of the adverse events and harms caused to pregnant women Attorney General Kris Kobach is suing Pfizer over its COVID-19 vaccine, alleging the company engaged in "false and misleading marketing." Kobach said the "most egregious" examples of Pfizer's claims are that it's safe for pregnant women, that it failed to report instances of myocarditis, effectiveness of the vaccine against variants and that the vaccine protected against transmission. Pfizer administered over 3.3 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in Kansas, accounting for more than 60% of all the doses in Kansas. ➡️ READ HERE

A surprising affinity. The post The only musician Ozzy Osbourne wanted to work with: “He’s incredible” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Kier Starmer was invited to and attended the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos earlier this year while incumbent prime minister Rishi Sunak did not attend.  Does this mean Starmer was […]

by M Dowling, Independent Sentinel: Sen. Mike Lee called for the Senate to act on the SAVE Act, recently passed by the House. “Federal elections are only for U.S. citizens,” Lee declared. However, the legislation faced opposition when it was brought to the Senate floor. Despite Lee’s efforts to push for immediate passage, Senate Democrats objected to […]

The comedian has hand-picked some of his favourite psych groups to play at Brighton’s Komedia

Imagine having some workers digging a hole in your garden when they fall into an underground cavern. That happened to a farmer in Margate, Kent, England, in 1835. They found its walls covered in ornate shell mosaics when they entered the underground tunnel. No one knows who made the shell grotto or what its purpose was. The one reigning opinion is that it is an incredible sight! @kaii.wiilson #grotto #shellgrotto #margate #explore ♬ Magical Fantasy – Dmitriy Sevostyanov The shell grotto includes 70 feet of serpentine passageway, with a rectangular cavern at the southern end and a rotunda at the northern end. The passageways are nearly eight feet high, and the underground structure measures roughly 2,000 square feet. Downloadable file: The Shell Grotto Margate. The passages within the shell grotto have more than 4.6 million shells. The mosaic patterns include depictions of gods and goddesses and symbols such as the Tree of Life. No one knows how or why the underground structure came to be, but the imagery hints at a possible pagan origin. Experts believe it was built in the 1700s or early 1800s, but the shells cannot be carbon-dated. Walking Through The Shell Grotto Is Breathtaking Entering via the north staircase, you descend through a carved chalk passage into the north tunnel. The shells in the grotto begin within the rotunda. Image from YouTube. At the south end of the rotunda is a dome that allows natural light into the chamber. As you turn to face the arched entryways to the rotunda, the dome is an impressive sight. Image from YouTube. Stepping into the center of the dome and looking up, you can see its open center. The shell mosaics are visible at the top of the dome structure, which is quite high. Image from YouTube. So many shells, patterns, and images are dancing around the walls that it isn’t easy to focus on just one portion of the raw beauty. Although you may never see this structure in real life, we did find a great YouTube tour. This virtual tour allows viewers to experience the adventure without the travel and displays much more of the cave’s grandeur. The property remains privately owned, but you can visit for a walk-thru if you are in the area. Friends of the Shell Grotto maintains the structure. Sections of the grotto have been used as backdrops for book covers, magazines, news reports, movies, and more. We hope you enjoyed exploring the shell grotto with us. If you think this will amaze your friends and family, please share it with them. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Stunning Footage Shows Shell Grotto Hidden Beneath A Garden appeared first on InspireMore.