Discover lists the weirdest objects in the Universe. #2 is …
The Black Widow Pulsar
Pulsar J1311-3430 is a dangerous partner to have.
It weighs as much as two suns but is only as wide as Washington, DC — and it’s getting bigger by feeding off its mate, a normal star. The two pirouette around each other every 93 minutes in a deadly, close dance.
The pulsar’s beam strips layers away from the star, which the pulsar then slurps up. That extra material gives the pulsar more energy, making it spin even faster, but leaving its partner depleted. So depleted that someday, nothing will be left and the pulsar will dance with only itself.
Really? Or is it an alien ship harvesting fuel, and it’ll zoom off when the star it’s harvesting is completely gone?
All kidding aside, here’s some NASA simulations on the subject of Black Widow pulsars.
