Key Information
PSR B1620-26
| Type | Star System (binary) |
| Star Types | Pulsar (A), DB – White Dwarf (B) |
| Diameter | 26 miles (A), 8,645 miles (B) |
| Mass | 1.35 M☉ (A), 0.34 M☉ (B) |
| Temperature | 53,540 °F (A), 44,900 °F (B) |
| Distance | 12,400 light years |
| Discovery | Before 1988 |
| Other Names | PSR J1623-2631 |
| Planets | 1 |
Learning Point
- PSR B1620−26 is a really cool star system with not one, not two, but three things spinning around each other! There’s a super-fast spinning star called a pulsar that flashes light, a dim star called a white dwarf, and a giant planet way bigger than Jupiter. This planet is so old, it’s almost as old as the universe itself! Imagine a planet with two suns in the sky, orbiting two very different kinds of stars. It’s like a cosmic dance of three very special objects, all twirling together in space.
Project
- Draw a picture of PSR B1620−26 with its two stars and planet visible.
Location
| Located in | Scorpius constellation, within the Milky Way |
Fun Facts
- PSR B1620−26 has three objects: a pulsar (a spinning star), a white dwarf (a dim star), and a giant planet!
- The planet in this system is super old, almost as old as the universe itself!
- This strange system is found inside a big group of stars called a globular cluster.
- One of the stars, the pulsar, spins around really fast and flashes light like a cosmic lighthouse.
Past Lessons
| 218 | March 25, 2025 | (North America) |