Scientists have made a discovery that could be huge. Last week, astronomers received a brief x-ray burst that occurred near the galactic plane. The event was recorded by the Swift Burst Alert Telescope, and analysis might have confirmed the burst was coming from a previously unknown magnetar.
The new magnetar has been named Swift J1555.2-5402. If the new object is actually a magnetar, it will raise the magnetar tally to 25. Magnetars are an extremely rare type of neutron star, the collapsed core of a star that has a mass 8-30 times the sun.
Highly dense objects
When such stars go supernova, the outer material is blown and the core turns into one of the densest objects in the cosmos. These cores could be twice the Sun’s mass stuffed into a sphere of only 12 miles across.
As the name magnetar suggests, these objects have an incredibly high magnetic field surrounding around them. The magnetic field generated by the magnetar is around 1000 times more powerful than that of a normal neutron star. It’s a quadrillion time more powerful than Earth’s magnetic field.
Since magnetar is very rare and hard to tech, very little is known about them to astronomers. Before the latest discovery, only 24 magnetars have been confirmed. However, there are 6 other candidates that are awaiting confirmation.
Final observations pending
Follow-up observations of Swift J1555.2-5402 have been done leveraging the NASA Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer telescope and the Swift X-ray telescope, both of which are orbiting our planet.
Astronomers suggest that Swift identified the new X-ray source at the coordinates of the burst, while NICER detected magnetars’ coherent pulsations characteristic. However, astronomers are yet to completely analyze the new object. Once fully examined, it will determine whether or not it is a magnetar.
Besides, astronomers have identified close to 4,000 planets that have similar characteristics as Earth and orbit Sun-like stars. However, only some of them could foster life. But how can they be identified? Scientists might have an answer. By searching liquid on the surface, they might be able to understand which planets are capable of sustaining life.
