504-thorne-zytkow-object-tzo-dixon - TZO - a dead star inside a dying star. A neutron star stirs the chaotic heart of a companion red giant star. A cross-sectional artistic depiction of a Thorne-Żytkow Object (TZO), a theoretical hybrid star formed when a red supergiant swallows a dense neutron star at its core. The image shows a massive, glowing orange stellar envelope surrounding a highly energetic, turbulent central region where the degenerate neutron star resides. Bright, explosive convective patterns and high-energy white-pink radiation emanate from the deep core, illustrating the unusual nuclear processes driving the hybrid star's interior. digital, for Astronomy Magazine , copyright 2016 Don Dixon
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