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
- Create a list of someone other known pulsars.
- Overview
- Pulsar Diagram
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.
Past Lessons
| 59 | August 28, 2023 | (North America) |