The numbers, sizes, and sophistication of X-ray detection systems have increased rapidly since their simple beginnings in the 1960s. The RXTE X-ray Satellite. A light curve is a graph which shows the brightness of an object over a period of time. In the study of objects which change their brightness over time such as novae, supernovae, and variable stars, the light curve is a simple but valuable tool to a scientist. A sample of a plot called a light curve.
Neutron stars are fascinating objects because they are the most dense objects known.
They are only about 10 miles in diameter, yet they are more massive than the Sun. One sugar cube of neutron star material weighs about 100 million tons, which is about as much as a mountain. Neutron stars are created in supernova explosions. This one can be seen surrounded by its supernova remnant. An image of a neutron star.