Astronomers Unveil Record-Breaking Fast-Spinning Neutron Star

Astronomers have discovered a neutron star in the binary system 4U 1820-30 that spins at a record-breaking 716 times per second, making it one of the fastest-spinning cosmic bodies ever observed. This neutron star, located in the globular cluster NGC 6624 in the Milky Way, also experiences powerful thermonuclear explosions on its surface. The discovery was made using NASA's NICER X-ray telescope on the ISS, and the findings provide insights into the extreme properties of neutron stars and the dynamics of binary star systems.