ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

PSR J0737−3039

PSR J0737-3039 is a very special star system that is very far away in space. This star system has two stars called pulsars that spin very quickly and send out signals similar to a lighthouse beacon. These pulsars are like big spinning tops moving around each other in orbit.

One of the pulsars is bigger than the other one and they are both connected by a big magnetic field. This means that energy is constantly being sent between the two pulsars, kind of like a cosmic game of catch.

What's really unique about PSR J0737-3039 is that the two pulsars will eventually spiral closer and closer together until they finally collide and form one huge star. When this happens, a super bright explosion called a supernova will happen and all the energy in the star system will be released, creating lots of new stars and planets.

Scientists are very interested in studying PSR J0737-3039 because it can help us learn more about how these amazing space phenomena work and how the universe was formed. They use special instruments to observe the signals sent by the pulsars and analyze them to learn more about the star system.