Artist's impression of disc around a neutron star

This illustration shows a neutron star (RX J0806.4-4123) with a disc of warm dust that produces an infrared signature as detected by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The disc was not directly images, but one way to explain the data is by hypothesising a disc structure that could be 29 billion kilometres across. The disc would be made up of material falling back onto the neutron star after the supernova explosion that created the stellar remnant.

Links:

• NASA Press Release
• Artist's impression of pulsar wind from a neutron star
• Hubble sees an unusual neutron star