The hibernating stellar magnet (artist's impression)

Astronomers have discovered a possible magnetar that emitted 40 visible-light flashes before disappearing again. Magnetars are young neutron stars with an ultra-strong magnetic field a billion times stronger than that of the Earth. The twisting of magnetic field lines in magnetars give rise to ''starquakes'', which will eventually lead to an intense soft gamma-ray burst. In the case of the SWIFT source, the optical flares that reached the Earth were probably due to ions ripped out from the surface of the magnetar and gyrating around the field lines.

Credit:

Credit: ESO/L.Calçada.

Over de afbeelding

Id:eso0831a
Type:Ontwerp
Publicatiedatum:23 september 2008
Gerelateerde berichten:eso0831
Grootte:3000 x 2000 px

Over het object

Naam:Stars
Type:Milky Way : Star : Evolutionary Stage : Neutron Star : Magnetar
Afstand:15000 lichtjaren
Categorie:Illustrations
Stars

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