Astronomers Discover Magnetars: Stars with Magnetic Fields Strong Enough to Destroy Earth’s Ozone Layer
TL;DR:
Magnetars are an extreme type of neutron star formed from supernova explosions, with magnetic fields 1,000 trillion times stronger than Earth’s. These powerful stars emit dangerous gamma-ray flares and can distort atoms and destroy technology from vast distances. Their magnetic fields decay within 10,000 years, causing violent “starquakes” that could trigger mass extinctions on Earth if one were close enough. Luckily, they are rare, and only 16 have been identified so far.
After reading the article, a Reddit user gained more than 184 upvotes with this comment: “How would it warp your atoms? What exactly would happen? How long would you live if it happened?” Don’t forget to discuss this topic below in the comment section!
________________________
Most of us are somewhat familiar with how bizarre the universe can be. We’ve heard about unusual phenomena like pulsars and quasars. We’ve also heard about how the fundamental laws of physics could theoretically break down inside a black hole. However, there are many other extraordinary entities hidden deep within the cosmos.
One of the most extreme types of objects discovered are called “Magnetars.”
Though there isn’t a lot known about magnetars, it is believed that they are a kind of neutron star formed during a supernova explosion, similar to pulsars. They are among the densest objects in the universe. Scientists think their formation might be due to a dynamo mechanism. Essentially, if a neutron star’s spin, temperature, and magnetic field fall within certain ranges, it can convert heat and rotational energy into very powerful magnetic energy.
While both neutron stars and magnetars are formed in a similar way, their characteristics differ greatly. For example, magnetars rotate much more slowly, completing a rotation once every 8 to 10 seconds, whereas neutron stars can rotate multiple times per second.
Another key distinction is that magnetars emit a constant stream of x-rays with far more energy than a neutron star’s rotation can account for. The magnetic fields generated by a magnetar are about 1,000 trillion times stronger than Earth’s magnetic field and can cause surface temperatures to soar to around 18 million degrees Fahrenheit.
Unfortunately for magnetars, their intense magnetic fields decay within 10,000 years, a very short lifespan for stars. When the magnetic field becomes too strong, it deforms the magnetar’s crust, causing “starquakes” that result in some of the most powerful gamma-ray flares in the universe. These flares outshine the entire galaxy for a brief moment and, if a magnetar were as close as 10 light-years from Earth, its burst would destroy our ozone layer, causing mass extinctions.
If you were unfortunate enough to be within a thousand miles of a magnetar, its magnetic force would distort the atoms in your body, while its gravitational pull would tear you apart.
A magnetar just 100,000 miles away from Earth would erase all the data on every credit card worldwide. Luckily, magnetars are exceedingly rare. Scientists hypothesize that only one out of every ten supernovae results in a magnetar. So far, we’ve detected just sixteen of these remarkable objects, and with the Chandra X-ray Telescope, astronomers are starting to unlock the mysteries of these strange phenomena, bringing us closer to a deeper understanding of the universe’s incredible oddities.
This image from NASA’s APOD in 2004 included the following caption:
“Shown on this infrared image of the galactic center are the locations of candidate magnetars — thought to be the strongest magnets in the galaxy. These objects, classified by astronomers as Soft Gamma Repeaters (SGRs) and Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs), are likely city-sized, spinning neutron stars with incredibly strong magnetic fields. How strong is a magnetar’s magnetic field? For context, Earth’s magnetic field, which moves compass needles, measures around 1 Gauss, and the strongest fields created in labs on Earth are about 100,000 Gauss. A magnetar’s magnetic field, however, is estimated to reach 1,000,000,000,000,000 Gauss. A magnet this strong, placed halfway between Earth and the Moon, would wipe out your credit cards and pull pens from your pocket.”
