The so-called mass gap object has a mass between 2.09 and 2.71 times that of our Sun.
The teams research exploring the neither-here-nor-there object ispublishedtoday in Science.
Both neutron stars and black holes are venues for some of the universesmost extreme physics.
An artist’s impression of the companion object as a black hole. The bright star in background is its pulsar companion.Illustration:Daniëlle Futselaar (artsource.nl)
Their baffling natures likely hold answers to some of the most fundamental questions about the universe.
The two objects are 4.97 million miles (8 million kilometers) apart.
The team observed the binary with theMeerKAT radio telescopein South Africa.
The globular cluster Caldwell 73, home of the mystery object.Image:NASA, ESA, and G. Piotto (Università degli Studi di Padova); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)
It is heavier than any known binary neutron star system.
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Are We Inside a Black Hole?
