PSR J0002+6216

PSR J0002+6216, also dubbed the Cannonball Pulsar, is a pulsar discovered by the Einstein@Home project in 2017.^[2] It is one of the fastest moving pulsars known, and has moved 53 ly (5.0×10¹⁴ km; 3.1×10¹⁴ mi) away from the location of its formation supernova, where the remaining supernova nebula, CTB 1 (Abell 85^[3]), is. Due to its speed in traversing the interstellar medium, at 1,127 km/s (700 mi/s), it is leaving a 13 ly (1.2×10¹⁴ km; 7.6×10¹³ mi) long wake tail and is traveling fast enough to leave the Milky Way galaxy.^[4] The pulsar is currently 6,500 ly (6.1×10¹⁶ km; 3.8×10¹⁶ mi) away in the Cassiopeia constellation. The star rotates at a rate of 8.7 times a second.^[5][4] There is bow-shock pulsar wind nebula (PWN) associated with PSR J0002+6216. ^[6]

PSR J0002+6216

Pulsar moving away from its Supernova Remnant, while leaving a trail made up of the interstellar medium Credit: Composite by Jayanne English, University of Manitoba; F. Schinzel et al.; NRAO/AUI/NSF; DRAO/Canadian Galactic Plane Survey; and NASA/IRAS. [CC BY 3.0]
Observation data Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation	Cassiopeia
Right ascension	00h 02m 58.17s [1]
Declination	+62° 16′ 09.4″ [1]
Astrometry
Total velocity	1127 km/s
Distance	6500 ly (2,000 pc)
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage	Pulsar
Database references
SIMBAD	data

References

1. "PSR J0002+6216". SIMBAD.
2. Schinzel, F. K.; Kerr, M.; Rau, U.; Bhatnagar, S.; Frail, D. A. (2019-05-03). "The Tail of PSR J0002+6216 and the Supernova Remnant CTB 1". The Astrophysical Journal. 876 (1). American Astronomical Society: L17. arXiv:1904.07993. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ab18f7. ISSN 2041-8213.
3. "Abell 85". AstroSurf.
4. Dave Finley (19 March 2019). "Astronomers Find "Cannonball Pulsar" Speeding Through Space". National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
5. "Astronomers Find Pulsar Hurtling Through Space". Sci-News.com. 22 March 2019.
6. Kumar, P.; Schinzel, F. K.; Taylor, G. B.; Kerr, M.; Castro, D.; Rau, U.; Bhatnagar, S. (2023-03-01). "Resolving the Bow Shock and Tail of the Cannonball Pulsar PSR J0002+6216". The Astrophysical Journal. 945 (2). American Astronomical Society: 129. arXiv:2302.04927. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/acba93. ISSN 0004-637X.

• "Spotted: One of the Fastest Pulsars Ever Seen". SciShow News. 29 March 2019. PBS.
• Sarah Lewin (23 March 2019). "Whirling 'Cannonball' Pulsar Flees Supernova Site at Epic Speed". Space.com.
• Monica Young (22 March 2019). "60-Second Astro News: Cannonball Pulsar & Mapping a Star from Afar". Sky & Telescope.

External links

• AstroSurf, Abell 85 (CTB 1)