A photo from open sources Astronomers managed to fix the rarest space phenomenon at a distance of 15 thousand light years from Earth The rarest cosmic phenomenon – “starquake” (according to analogies to an earthquake) of a special type of neutron star, possessing the strongest magnetic field in the Universe – managed fix astronomers, NASA reported.
Using the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Gamma-Telescope Space Telescope) received the most powerful bursts of x-ray radiation from a neutron star SGR J1550-5418, which is located on a distance of about 15 thousand light years from Earth. This object has the shortest rotation period – 2.07 seconds – of all famous magnetar.
SGR J1550-5418 attracted the special attention of astronomers January 22, 2009 when it was possible to fix the strongest gamma-ray bursts, according several flashes per minute, the most powerful of which are comparable to total energy of the sun for 20 years. In the last few decades similar gigantic outbreaks from various sources have been observed only three times – in 1979, 1998 and 2004, and data on “quake” were obtained only in the last two cases.
Scientists are currently waiting for another burst of activity magnetar SGR J1550-5418 for new data.
Magnetar is a neutron star, spinning very fast and with extremely powerful magnetic field, which is quadrillion times stronger than Earth’s magnetic field. Currently in international catalog of a total of 23 confirmed magnetars in The universe.
Magnetar “quake” – huge neutron vibrations stars during which she, according to a NASA report, “rings like a bell.”
NASA Universe Time
