Strange "Hybrid Star" Discovered

Location of the first suspected TZO object, some 200,000 light-years from Earth.
Credit:  Space.com

       

 Astronomers have discovered what can be referred to as a hybrid star, which is a smaller star squeezed into a larger star, and it's likened to cosmic buried treasure. Why? Well since 1975, it's only been a theory, there was no tangible evidence that such an object existed, until now.

 This "hybrid star" is what results when a neutron star is swallowed up by a red supergiant, which is the largest star scientists have discovered. A neutron star is essentially a supermassive star that collapsed into a radius of about 10km due to the force of gravity, after a supernova. 

 These "hybrid stars" are actually called Thorne-Zytkow (TZO) objects. They're theorized to result from the existence of binary systems, which makes perfect sense. You might wonder though, "How could astronomers tell that a neutron star is sitting inside a red supergiant?" Well a TZO looks exactly like a red supergiant, but the fact that there's a neutron star inside it cause it to give off a unique chemical signature, setting it apart from a red supergiant.

 The TZO is located in a dwarf Galaxy neighboring the Milky Way, about 200,000 light-years from earth. It's also said that the evidence of the TZO existing is strong, but not 100%. It perfectly matches scientists expectations, but they're based off models and calculations that are a few decades old. So it seems likely that there'll be new research done as to make up-to-date models of a TZO. Which is most likely going to create new expectations for one as well.

 Just a few months ago, a TZO was considered to be an obscure topic; just a theory. Now, however, they're existence is becoming a distinct possibility.