APOD: 2019 December 18 - A Hotspot Map of Neutron Star J0030s Surface

Good morning, Rallypoint. Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) is titled "A Hotspot Map of Neutron Star J0030's Surface." A neutron star is the remnant core of matter that remains after a star collapses and explodes (supernova). As they rapidly spin, they generate strong magnetic fields, accelerating particles and emitting electromagnetic pulses. The Neutron star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER), installed on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2017, permits measurements of the sizes, masses, cooling times, stabilities, and internal structures of neutron stars. It does so by measuring the characteristics of the pulses they emit.

J0030 lies only 1,100 light years away, is 25.7 km in diameter, spins 204 times per second, and has a mass 1.35 times greater than our Sun. Observations by NICER of J0030 were used to develop this first surface map of a neutron star. Hotspots (areas of increased x-ray and particle emission) are highlighted against the false blue background.