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Why Do Neutron Stars Spin So Fast?

šŸ’” The Answer

  • When a massive star collapses, its core shrinks dramatically, conserving angular momentum and causing extremely rapid rotation.
  • Some neutron stars spin hundreds of times per second, faster than a kitchen blender's blades on high speed.
  • This spin is detected as regular pulses of radiation, earning them the name pulsars.
  • The combination of tiny size and huge mass makes their rotational speed one of the highest known in the universe.

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