Astronomers recently made an incredible discovery when studying a type of celestial object called an X-ray binary. X-ray binaries are binary star systems in which one of the stars is a compact object, such as a neutron star or a black hole, that emits X-rays. The other star is usually a normal star like the Sun.

In a recent study, astronomers have identified X-ray binary XTE J1739-285, which consists of a neutron star and a companion star with a mass of only 0.1 solar masses. This is the first time that a binary system has been observed with a companion star of such a low mass, making it a very interesting system to study. The mass of the companion star is so low that it may be a brown dwarf, a type of substellar object that is too low in mass to sustain hydrogen fusion, the process by which stars generate energy.

This discovery is groundbreaking because it provides us with an opportunity to observe a binary system unlike any other. By studying XTE J1739-285, astronomers will gain a better understanding of how such systems form and evolve. It also provides an opportunity to learn more about brown dwarf stars and the processes that form and sustain them.

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source: Phys.org