Neutron star
RX J1856.5-3754
Also RX J185635-3754
One of the nearest known neutron stars, a cooling stellar corpse seen by its own heat, with no radio pulses.
Measured
- Distance
- about 400 light-years (published estimates 350–440)
- Constellation
- Corona Australis
- Position (J2000)
- RA 18h 56m 36s, Dec −37.91°
How far, from the Sun
About 400 light-years. To cross it:
- Light400 years
- Voyager 1's speed7.11 million years
- Driving at 100 km/h4.32 billion years
Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.
Facts
- At about 400 light years, it is one of the nearest known neutron stars.
- It belongs to the 'Magnificent Seven', isolated neutron stars that glow in X-rays from leftover heat.
How it was found
- It was found in ROSAT X-ray data and reported as a nearby isolated neutron star in 1996.
Where this comes from
- Walter et al. 2010, HST parallax (123 +11/−15 pc)
Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.