The neutron star XTE J1739-285 is the burned-out remains of what was once a brilliant celestial body. Now, astronomers have evidence that it’s the fastest-spinning stellar corpse known.
X-ray observations indicate that the neutron star spins 1,122 times a second, about 30 percent faster than the previous record holder, report Phil Kaaret of the University of Iowa in Iowa City and his colleagues in the March 10 Astrophysical Journal Letters.