"Unprecedented Reawakening: Mysterious Behavior of a Magnetar"

1 min read
Source: Space.com
"Unprecedented Reawakening: Mysterious Behavior of a Magnetar"
Photo: Space.com
TL;DR Summary

Scientists were surprised when a "dead" neutron star, known as a magnetar, with an incredibly powerful magnetic field unexpectedly emitted strange radio signals, deviating from the current understanding of these celestial objects. The magnetar, XTE J1810-197, located 8,000 light-years away, exhibited unprecedented circularly polarized light, challenging previous knowledge. This phenomenon, observed using the Australian CSIRO Parkes radio telescope, suggests the presence of superheated plasma above the magnetar's magnetic pole, acting as a polarizing filter. The team's research, published in Nature Astronomy, aims to provide insights into various extreme magnetar-related phenomena through continued observations.

Share this article

Reading Insights

Total Reads

1

Unique Readers

1

Time Saved

4 min

vs 5 min read

Condensed

89%

87293 words

Want the full story? Read the original article

Read on Space.com