Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

RX J185635-375: Candidate Quark Star

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for April 14, 2002 is “RX J185635-375: Candidate Quark Star,” an image. It is credited to M. van Kerkwijk ( Institute of Astronomy, Utrecht ), S. Kulkarni ( Caltech ), VLT Kueyen, ESO. The original explanation runs about 169 words.

RX J185635-375: Candidate Quark Star
Credit: M. van Kerkwijk ( Institute of Astronomy, Utrecht ), S. Kulkarni ( Caltech ), VLT Kueyen, ESO Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Is RJX J185635-375 really so small? Previously, this compact star held claim to being the closest neutron star — only 150 light-years away.”

— APOD editors, April 14, 2002

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
April 14, 2002
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: M. van Kerkwijk ( Institute of Astronomy, Utrecht ), S. Kulkarni ( Caltech ), VLT Kueyen, ESO
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 169 words

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.