A 'zombie star' that could rip the humans apart is shooting through the Milky Way very soon
Image credits: X/@Hispaniceng
Astronomers have discovered an immensely powerful "
zombie star
" speeding through the
Milky Way
galaxy at an alarming speed of 110,000 mph. While asteroids, meteors and stars are known to move through the galaxy at high speeds often, what is concerning about this 'zombie star' is the fact that it has a magnetic field capable of ripping humans apart atom by atom.
Zombie star is a magnetar
Termed as SGR 0501+4516, is a
magnetar
, a
neutron star
with a commanding magnetic field. Neutron stars are the remains of dead stars that have collapsed into the size of small planets but retain mass that is equal to the sunlike stars. This makes them the densest cosmic objects in space after the black holes.
When was the zombie star discovered?
Image credits: X/@konstructivizm
The zombie star is one of the only 30 magnetars in the Milky Way galaxy and was discovered back in 2008. Back then it was around 15,000 light years away from the planet.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around
Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List
Undo
However, in a new
study
published on April 15th in Astronomy & Astrophysics, researchers analysed the subsequent sightings of SGR 0501+4516 to find that it is moving through the galaxy at a much faster speed than expected.
Could the zombie star wipe out humans?
According to experts, the SGR 0501+4516's magnetic field is around 100 trillion times more powerful than Earth's protective shield. If it "flew by Earth at half the Moon's distance, its intense [magnetic] field would wipe out every credit card on our planet," wrote
NASA
in a statement.
"If a human got within 600 miles, the magnetar would become a proverbial sci-fi death-ray, ripping apart every atom inside the body" the statement continued.
Discoveries about magnetars
Until now, researchers assumed that magnetars were formed by the explosion of dying stars that are later reforged into neutron stars. However, the research around SGR 0501+4516 showed that it's moving too fast and in the wrong direction to have originated from this method. "Tracing the magnetar's trajectory thousands of years into the past showed that there were no other supernova remnants or massive star clusters with which it could be associated," added representatives from NASA.
Thus, researchers believe that it was formed after the direct collapse of a white dwarf, which is the leftover core of a star after it has exhausted its fuel. "Normally, the [supernova] scenario leads to the ignition of nuclear reactions, and the white dwarf exploding, leaving nothing behind," study co-author Andrew Levan, an astronomer at Radboud University in the Netherlands and the University of Warwick in England, said in the statement. "But it has been theorized that under certain conditions, the white dwarf can instead collapse into a neutron star. We think this might be how [this magnetar] was born."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
More Starlink satellites are falling, and it's because of the sun: Here's how
Double trouble! and his billion-dollar space company have both been facing a difficult time recently. While the former is a victim of his own actions, his company is being attacked by the king of the solar system – the sun. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to a recent study by a NASA research center, cited by media reports, the Sun's intensifying activity is affecting Earth's satellites, particularly those in SpaceX's Starlink constellation. As the Sun approaches the peak of its 11-year cycle, there is a surge in geomagnetic storms which is causing more and more Starlink satellites to deorbit and fall from the sky. On Monday, an expert warned that while the Starlink satellites typically burn-up during atmospheric re-entry, their de-orbiting phase presents significant risks, as their unpredictable trajectories can create collision hazards for other spacecraft present in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). After their launch in 2019, SpaceX satellites began their atmospheric re-entry in 2020 when two satellites fell from the sky. However, in the progressive years, more and more such satellites have fallen. In 2021, 78 satellites fell, in 2022, 99 satellites fell; and in 2023, 88 fell. The figure surged even higher in 2024 when 316 Starlink satellites fell out of the sky, as per a report by a team led by space physicist Denny Oliviera of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, reported Science Alert. It was when the researchers analysed the 523 Starlink satellites that entered the Earth's atmosphere again between 2020 and 2024, that they figured out the clear correlation with solar behaviour. This was the period when the Sun escalated towards the peak of its activity cycle. "We clearly show that the intense solar activity of the current solar cycle has already had significant impacts on Starlink reentries," wrote the researchers. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "This is a very exciting time in satellite orbital drag research, as the number of satellites in low-Earth orbit and the level of solar activity are at historic highs." What is the 11 year cycle? Image credits: Getty Images The solar cycle is an 11-year cycle of fluctuations in the Sun's activity, and currently it is at the peak of this cycle. This means a rise in solar activity and thus solar ejections, which has left the upper atmosphere heating up significantly. The added heat energy causes the atmosphere to expand, increasing the drag on spacecraft in low Earth orbit and making it difficult for them to maintain their trajectories. "This phenomenon is normal and is caused by atmospheric anomalies due to heightened solar activity. When solar activity intensifies, the upper boundary rises, increasing collisions between low-orbit satellites and atmospheric molecules, which accelerates orbital decay. The satellites gradually lose speed and eventually deorbit," Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Monday. Typically, high-value satellites have autonomous orbit adjustment capabilities that allow them to handle the impact of the solar activities. However, the Starlink satellites that have been designed as low-cost, high-density, mass-produced satellites have a weaker orbit control. According to Wang, Starlink satellites burn up quickly and thus are unlikely to become long-term space debris or hit Earth's surface. They just pose an ability to affect other low-orbit space launches.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Axiom-4 mission with Gaganyatri delayed to June 11, launch at 5:30 pm: Isro
The Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla to International Space Station has been postponed to 11th June 2025 from 10th June 2025. The targeted time of launch is 5:30 pm IST on 11th June 2025," according to a post by Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on X Earlier, the launch of the Axiom Mission 4 was postponed to June 10th due to predicted inclement weather. The mission was originally scheduled for June 9th, but the delay was announced to allow for better weather conditions and to complete final processing of the spacecraft. The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission is scheduled to launch from Launch Complex 39A at Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson, pilot Shukla, and mission specialists Tigor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland. Over their 14-day stay aboard the International Space Station, the Ax-4 crew is likely to engage in interactions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, students, and key figures from the space industry. India's return to space The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission -- also referred to as Mission Akash Ganga -- represents a significant chapter in India's space ambitions, with astronaut Shukla becoming the first Indian to venture into space since Rakesh Sharma's historic journey aboard a Soviet spacecraft in 1984. In preparation for the now-rescheduled launch, the Ax-4 crew and SpaceX teams carried out a full-scale rehearsal on Sunday. Reflecting the mission's strategic value, the Indian government has earmarked ₹550 crore for its involvement in the Ax-4 programme, showcasing the importance of international partnerships in advancing space exploration. While on the International Space Station, Shukla will carry out experiments tailored to Indian research interests, especially in the areas of food and space nutrition. Jointly designed by Isro and the Department of Biotechnology, with Nasa's support, the experiments are aimed at developing sustainable life-support systems for long-duration missions. These include studies on sprouting fenugreek and green gram seeds in microgravity and examining their viability for multi-generational growth once back on Earth.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Indian astronaut's launch to Space Station postponed due to bad weather
The much-anticipated launch of the Axiom-4 mission, which will send Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS), has been postponed for the third Indian Space & Research Organisation (Isro) on Monday said that the launch has been postponed due to bad weather in the launch area. Meanwhile, SpaceX said high winds in the ascent corridor is why the launch would be no earlier than Wednesday. advertisementThe Ax-4 mission with astronauts from India, US, Poland and Hungary will launch on June 11, 2025, due to unfavourable weather conditions at the Kennedy Space Center on June 10. The new targeted launch time is set for 5:30 PM IST on June 11. The mission, a landmark event for India's space ambitions, is a collaborative effort involving Axiom Space, NASA, SpaceX, and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It marks India's return to human spaceflight more than four decades after Rakesh Sharma's historic 1984 Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a decorated Indian Air Force pilot and Isro astronaut, will serve as the mission's pilot, joining mission commander Peggy Whitson (former NASA astronaut) and specialists from Hungary and V. Narayanan, Chairman of Isro, confirmed the Axiom-4 crew will travel aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, launched by a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space mission was initially scheduled to launch on May 29 and was delayed to June 8. The launch was then pushed to June 10 due to technical issues. The mission was initially scheduled to launch on May 29. (Photo: Axiom) The Ax-4 mission, once underway, will see the astronauts spend up to 14 days aboard the ISS, conducting a suite of scientific experiments, many of which are led by Indian researchers. These experiments will focus on advancing understanding in microgravity, life sciences, and material sciences, and will involve collaboration with scientists from over 30 postponement, while a minor setback, shows the complexities of spaceflight and the importance of weather in launch global space community, including millions in India, continues to watch with anticipation as the Axiom-4 mission prepares for its new launch Watch
