A neutron star's almost incomprehensible density causes ... As they compress and shrink, this spinning speeds up because of the conservation of angular momentum—the same principle that causes ...

Imagine the bizarre and potentially deadly environment of a planet orbiting a rapidly spinning neutron star (pulsar).

Pulsars, rapidly spinning neutron stars, were first discovered in 1967. As a pulsar spins, it emits a continuous beam of radio energy that rotates along with the star. Like a lighthouse beam sweeping ...