Latest news with #SGR0501+4516
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Science
- Time of India
NASA tracks ultra-rare Neutron star so powerful it could shred a human from 600 miles away, and no one knows where it came from
NASA is focused on a terrifying cosmic enigma . This rare neutron star , known as a " magnetar ," has powers straight out of a science fiction film, and it's unlike anything scientists have ever seen. The most perplexing part is that nobody knows exactly how or where it was formed. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack The groundwork before India mounts a strike at Pakistan India considers closing airspace to Pakistani carriers amid rising tensions Cold Start: India's answer to Pakistan's nuclear threats How dangerous is this star, really? NASA is now monitoring SGR 0501+4516, a rare and dangerously powerful neutron star capable of tearing apart a human from 600 miles away, as quoted in a report by The Express. Owing to its extreme rarity, the neutron star is believed to be one of only 30 in the Milky Way's total population of about 100 billion stars. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Moose Approaches Girl At Bus Stop In Jawa Timur - Watch What Happens Happy in Shape Undo ALSO READ : Jennifer Garner's boyfriend John Miller reportedly furious as Ben Affleck eyes on-screen reunion with his ex-wife in potential movie role NASA claims that the object, which has been given the catchy name SGR 0501+4516, has "comic-book-hero superpowers," such as a magnetic field that is "about a trillion times more powerful than Earth's magnetosphere." This means that if the object passed Earth at a distance of roughly half that of the Moon, it would destroy every credit card on the planet, as per a report by The Express. Live Events What makes magnetars so rare? Magnetars are special because of their intense magnetic fields. According to a NASA press release, "the magnetar would turn into a literal sci-fi death-ray, tearing apart every atom inside the body, if a human got within 600 miles." It is thought that magnetar are created when a star explodes as a supernova and collapses to form an extremely dense neutron star. They are occasionally called " zombie stars ." "Magnetars are neutron stars, the dead remnants of stars. composed entirely of neutrons," explained Ashley Chrimes, lead author of the discovery paper that was published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics on April 15, as quoted in a report by The Express. How did this rare star originate? The Hubble Space Telescope made the initial observation of the object in 2008. It seemed to have been created by a nearby supernova at the time. However, a ten-year analysis of its movement revealed that this couldn't be true, indicating that it must either be older than its estimated 20,000-year age or have formed in a different way, as per a report by The Express. According to scientific theories, SGR 0501+4516 might have formed by accretion-induced collapse, in which a white dwarf absorbs gas from a nearby star, grows too massive to sustain itself, and crashes. This may help to explain the enigmatic fast radio bursts that are occasionally detected in deep space. FAQs What makes this star particularly dangerous? Its magnetic field is so strong that it could rip a human apart from hundreds of miles away, and even destroy credit cards on Earth if it got too close. Where does this star come from? Scientists aren't sure yet, but it could have formed from a rare collapse of a white dwarf.
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Mysterious ‘zombie star' speeds through the Milky Way at 177,000 km/h, capable of ripping human atoms; origin remains unknown
Source: Live Science In a stunning cosmological find, astronomers saw an ultra-massive and magnetic stellar remnant speeding through our galaxy at record speed. Called a " zombie star ," the object—properly known as SGR 0501+4516—is moving through the Milky Way at over 110,000 miles per hour (177,000 km/h). Even more dramatic is the star's fatal magnetic field capable of ripping human matter apart atom by atom. But aside from its velocity and brutality, the origin of this star is confounding astronomers and could redefine existing theories of how such objects are formed. A 'zombie star' SGR 0501+4516 moving through Milky Way SGR 0501+4516 is a magnetar—a neutron star with an unusual and extreme magnetic field. Neutron stars in general are dense remnants of giant stars that exploded as supernovae. Though tiny, a little larger than a city, neutron stars contain more mass than our Sun and are among the densest objects known in the universe, except for black holes. Magnetars, though, take it a step further. With magnetic fields as much as 100 trillion times more powerful than Earth's, they are the most magnetic objects in the universe. Only about 30 of these objects have been found in our galaxy. SGR 0501+4516 was discovered in 2008, about 15,000 light-years from Earth. But a new study published April 15 in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics has found something surprising: it's not only strong—it's also speeding through space at a surprisingly high speed. Magnetic field strength of the 'zombie star' The magnetic field strength of SGR 0501+4516 is unimaginable. If it were to fly by at half the distance to the Moon, its magnetism would wipe out all credit cards on the planet. Get within 600 miles, and its magnetic force would dissolve the human body on an atomic level. Fortunately, the magnetar is no threat to our solar system and will stay safely far away. By employing data from the European Space Agency's Gaia spacecraft as well as the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists tracked the magnetar's recent history and discovered a great enigma. At first assumed to have been born of the local supernova remnant HB9, SGR 0501+4516 was travelling much too quickly—and in the opposite direction—to have been born out of that place. Indeed, when researchers mapped its galactic trajectory over the course of millennia, they found it doesn't seem to be associated with any supernova remnants or giant star clusters. That's a fly in the ointment of the conventional view of magnetar formation. Zombie star hints at rare cosmic transformation This surprising path has brought astronomers to a new theory: SGR 0501+4516 could have developed without a supernova explosion whatsoever. Rather, it could have resulted from the direct collapse of a white dwarf—the dense core that remains after a medium-sized star exhausts its fuel. Usually, a white dwarf would explode as a supernova if nuclear reactions are triggered within it. But in exceptional conditions, theorists have suggested, it could instead collapse directly into a neutron star without going through the explosive stage. "We think that this magnetar might have been formed through this exotic pathway," said Andrew Levan, study co-author and astronomer at Radboud University and the University of Warwick. Zombie star theory could unlock cosmic mysteries This uncommon formation mechanism may have wider cosmic implications. If white dwarf collapse can actually produce magnetars, it may shed light on the enigmatic fast radio bursts (FRBs)—brief, brilliant pulses of radio waves—from distant galaxies that are too old to contain star deaths. The group stresses that additional observational information is required to verify this theory. But the research raises new questions regarding magnetar formation and their contribution toward creating some of the universe's most powerful and fleeting phenomena. "Figuring out where magnetars are born is one of the greatest challenges of high-energy astrophysics," said study co-author Nanda Rea, an astrophysicist at Spain's Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona. "It might help us understand some of the most violent events in the universe." Also Read | NASA astronaut Don Pettit to discuss his seven-month space mission on April 28 - live streaming, time and how you can participate
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Science
- Time of India
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."
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Extreme 'zombie star' capable of ripping human atoms apart is shooting through the Milky Way
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Astronomers have spotted an immensely powerful "zombie star" shooting through the Milky Way at more than 110,000 mph (177,000 km/h). The stellar cannonball, which has a magnetic field capable of ripping humans apart atom by atom, also has a puzzling origin story that could alter our understanding of similar stellar remnants. The surprising object, dubbed SGR 0501+4516, is a magnetar, a neutron star with a powerful magnetic field. Neutron stars are the remains of dead stars that have collapsed into shriveled husks the size of small planets while retaining as much mass as sunlike stars. This makes neutron stars the densest known cosmic objects, behind the hypothesized singularities of black holes. The incredibly compact object, which is one of only 30 known magnetars in the Milky Way, was first discovered in 2008, when it was around 15,000 light-years from Earth. But in a new study, published April 15 in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, researchers analyzed data of subsequent sightings of SGR 0501+4516 from the Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency's Gaia spacecraft and found that the stellar remnant is moving through our galaxy much faster than expected. Magnetars are among the most magnetic objects in the universe, and SGR 0501+4516 is no exception. Experts think the object's magnetic field is around 100 trillion times more powerful than Earth's protective shield. If SGR 0501+4516 "flew by Earth at half the Moon's distance, its intense [magnetic] field would wipe out every credit card on our planet," NASA representatives wrote 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." However, the undead star is not expected to get anywhere near the solar system. Related: Immensely powerful 'magnetar' is emitting wobbly radio signals in our galaxy — and scientists can't explain them The discovery challenges what we know about how magnetars form. Until now, researchers assumed that these objects are born from the explosions of dying stars that get blown apart before they are reforged into neutron stars. This is what researchers assumed had happened to SGR 0501+4516, which was originally spotted close to the supernova remnant HB9. However, the new study showed that the magnetar is moving too fast and in the wrong direction to have originated from this particular cosmic crime scene. "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," NASA representatives added. The researchers are still unsure exactly how SGR 0501+4516 was created. But they predict that it formed through the direct collapse of a white dwarf — the leftover core of a star after it has exhausted its fuel — rather than via a stellar explosion. "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." RELATED STORIES —Ultra-powerful plasma 'blades' could slice entire stars in half, new paper suggests —Enormous explosion in 'Cigar Galaxy' reveals rare type of star never seen beyond the Milky Way —Supernova that lit up Earth's skies 843 years ago has a flowering 'zombie star' at its heart — and it's still exploding This formation method also hints at the mysterious origin of some fast radio bursts — extremely brief and intense flashes of radio-wave radiation — detected coming from faraway galaxies that are too ancient to host exploding stars, the researchers wrote. However, more data is needed to tell for sure. "Magnetar birth rates and formation scenarios are among the most pressing questions in high-energy astrophysics, with implications for many of the universe's most powerful transient events," study co-author Nanda Rea, an astrophysicist at the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona, Spain, said in the statement.
