A black hole and neutron star just collided in a strange oval orbit

Scientists analyzing a gravitational-wave signal have discovered that a neutron star and black hole spiraled together on an oval-shaped orbit just before merging. This unusual motion, detected in the event GW200105, contradicts the long-held expectation that such pairs settle into nearly perfect circles before collision. The eccentric orbit suggests the system likely formed in a chaotic stellar environment with strong gravitational interactions. The research was carried out by scientists from the University of Birmingham, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, and the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics. Their findings were published on March 11 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Unus... [3278 chars]