Key Information
Black Widow Pulsar
| Type | Neutron Star (Pulsar) |
| Star Type | Neutron Star |
| Diameter | 12.38 miles |
| Mass | 1.4 M☉ |
| Temperature | 359,540 °F |
| Distance | 4990 light years |
| Date of Discovery | 1988 |
| Other Names | PSR B1957+20, QX Sge |
| Planets | 1 (or a brown dwarf) |
Learning Point
- The Black Widow Pulsar is a tiny but very powerful star that spins incredibly fast. It’s a type of star called a pulsar, which is what’s left behind when a giant star explodes. This pulsar got its nickname because it’s slowly “eating” a smaller companion star or planet, kind of like a black widow spider eats its mate. As it spins, it shoots out powerful beams of energy and light that sweep across space. When we see those beams from Earth, they look like quick flashes, just like the light from a spinning lighthouse.
Project
- Draw a diagram of the pulsar, the brown dwarf and the bow wave.
- Overview
- Bow Wave
Location
| Location | Sagitta constellation, within the Milky Way |
Fun Facts
- The Black Widow Pulsar spins incredibly fast, completing a full rotation about 622 times every single second!
- It got its name because it’s slowly “eating” or destroying its tiny companion star, just like a black widow spider sometimes eats her mate.
- It’s a type of star called a pulsar, which is a super-dense star that’s the size of a city but has more mass than our Sun.
- As it spins, it sends out beams of energy and light, and when those beams sweep past Earth, we can see it as a flash, just like a lighthouse.
Past Lessons
| 141 | August 12, 2025 | (North America) |