Smothered jet may explain weird light from neutron star crash
The glow from the stellar collision has lingered much longer than expected
NO WAY OUT Astronomers thought a merged neutron star’s odd light was explained by a jet facing away from Earth (left in this illustration). But a new study says the jet may have been smothered in a cocoon of debris from the merger, causing the cocoon to glow (right).
NRAO, AUI, NSF, D. Berry
The neutron star collision heard and seen around the world has failed to fade.