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Neutron star
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==Population and distances== At present, there are about 3,200 known neutron stars in the [[Milky Way]] and the [[Magellanic Clouds]], the majority of which have been detected as radio pulsars. Neutron stars are mostly concentrated along the disk of the Milky Way, although the spread perpendicular to the disk is large because the supernova explosion process can impart high translational speeds (400 km/s) to the newly formed neutron star. Some of the closest known neutron stars are RX J1856.5−3754, which is about 400 [[light-year]]s from Earth, and [[PSR J0108−1431]] about 424 light-years.<ref name="aaa496">{{cite journal |last1=Posselt |first1=B. |last2=Neuhäuser |first2=R. |last3=Haberl |first3=F. |title=Searching for substellar companions of young isolated neutron stars |journal=Astronomy and Astrophysics |volume=496 |issue=2 |date=March 2009 |pages=533–545 |doi=10.1051/0004-6361/200810156 |bibcode=2009A&A...496..533P |arxiv=0811.0398 |s2cid=10639250 }}</ref> RX J1856.5-3754 is a member of a close group of neutron stars called [[The Magnificent Seven (neutron stars)|The Magnificent Seven]]. Another nearby neutron star that was detected transiting the backdrop of the constellation Ursa Minor has been nicknamed [[Calvera (X-ray source)|Calvera]] by its Canadian and American discoverers, after the villain in the 1960 film ''[[The Magnificent Seven]]''. This rapidly moving object was discovered using the [[ROSAT]] Bright Source Catalog. Neutron stars are only detectable with modern technology during the earliest stages of their lives (almost always less than 1 million years) and are vastly outnumbered by older neutron stars that would only be detectable through their [[Black-body radiation|blackbody radiation]] and gravitational effects on other stars.
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