A Quick Look at E0102
(Credit: NASA/CXC/A. Hobart)
[Runtime: 01:08]
A distant and lonely neutron star has been discovered outside the Milky Way galaxy for the first time.
Neutron stars are the ultra-dense cores of massive stars that collapse and undergo a supernova explosion.
1E 0102.2-7219 is a supernova remnant, the stellar debris field left behind after the giant star exploded.
Data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes points to a celestial bull's eye where the neutron star was found.
Unlike many other neutron stars, this one has a very low magnetic field and no stellar companion.
Astronomers will continue to observe this object at X-ray, radio, and visible light wavelengths to learn more about this cosmic oddity.