Astronomers find ‘spider stars’ that devour their companions

Astronomers have discovered a new type of spider star, which are pulsars that shred material from companion stars in binary orbits. When a super giant star exhausts its nuclear fuel, it collapses into a neutron star, which can become a pulsar. Spider stars, including Black Widow and Redback stars, are highly energetic pulsars that siphon material from their companions. Recent findings include three Black Widows and one Redback in the Milky Way, discovered using the RSCIBO observatory before its collapse.

What happens to a super giant star when it runs out of nuclear fuel?

• It explodes into a nova.

• It becomes a black hole.

• It collapses into a neutron star.

• It turns into a white dwarf.

What is a characteristic of Black Widow stars?

• They emit no radiation.

• They are not part of binary systems.

• They have a companion star larger than the sun.

• They reduce their companion to less than 1/10 the mass of the sun.

How are Redback stars different from Black Widow stars?

• Their companion star is larger than 1/10 the mass of the sun.

• They do not emit radiation.

• They are not found in the Milky Way.

• They have no companion star.

What was used to discover the new spider stars in the Milky Way?

• Chandra X-ray Observatory

• Arecibo Observatory

• James Webb Space Telescope

• Hubble Space Telescope

What is unique about the hybrid star discovered by researchers?

• Its companion is larger than a Black Widow's but smaller than a Redback's.

• It does not emit any radiation.

• It has no companion star.

• It is the only star of its kind in the universe.