All About Space

ONE OF THE UNIVERSE’S MOST ‘EXTREME’ DEAD STARS JUST SPRANG BACK TO LIFE UNEXPECTEDLY

Scientists were astounded when they witnessed a ‘dead’ neutron star with one of the most powerful magnetic fields in the cosmos unexpectedly spring back to life. The reactivation of this highly magnetic neutron star, or ‘magnetar’, doesn’t conform to the current understanding of these exotic celestial objects. A team made the discovery of this magnetar’s return from the dead when they spotted strange radio signals from the closest known magnetar to Earth, XTE J1810-197, located around 8,000 light years away, using the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from All About Space

All About Space9 min read
“I’m A Curious Human. That’s All I Am”
Although comedian Robin Ince graduated from university with a degree in English and drama, he has become one of the best-known voices for science in the UK. Inspired by science populariser and astronomer Carl Sagan, Ince has been presenting the popul
All About Space3 min read
This Month’s Planets
Mars is a morning object this month, and gets easier to see as the days pass from May into June Mars is famously known as the Red Planet because when it’s visible at its best – high in a dark sky – its colour is very striking, although it shines with
All About Space1 min read
Do All Planets Have Magnetic Fields?
The magnetic field of a planet is generated by fluid motions in an electrically conducting region of its interior; without such motions, or if they are not vigorous enough, a planet will not have a magnetic field. For Earth, this region is the liquid

Related Books & Audiobooks