• Key Information

  • BP Crucis

  • Type
    Star System (binary)
  • Diameter
    432,288 (a), about 12 to 13 miles (b)
  • Distance
    Around 9,910 light years
  • Temperature
    5260 °F (a), 360,000 °F (b)
  • Star Type
    B1 Ia - Blue Hypergiant (a), Neutron Star (b)
  • Date of Discovery
    Unknown
  • Other Names
    GX 301-2
  • Learning Point
  • BP Crucis is a binary star system, with a blue hypergiant star, and a neutron star, also called a pulsar, that produces a powerful and fast pulse of X-rays and radiowaves. The hypergiant star is thought to be one of the brightest stars in our galaxy.
  • Project
  • Draw a picture of BP Crucis, the blue hypergiant, and the pulsar.
  • Location
  • Located in
    Crux, Milky Way
  • Fun Facts
  • Hypergiant stars are the largest stars we know of. BP Crucis A is a star that is as much as 70 times the diameter of our Sun.
  • The neutron star is also called a pulsar because it emits a strong pulse of radiowaves and X-rays that we have been able to track and connect to this star system.
  • Many neutron stars are only a few miles across, and are among the heaviest stars compared to their size, with only black holes being heavier.