This is not a dead star!
The SGR 1935 , a dead star that is around , light-years away from earth, registered for the radio observatories around the world with a single and millisecond-long burst of incredibly bright radio waves.
- Last Updated:
- May 3, , 9: AM IST
Share this:
There is a very powerful radio signal that is doing rounds in our galaxy, and astronomers are perplexed because this is the first ever fast radio burst (FRB) originating in our own galaxy. And this has happened as recently as April 28, when SGR 2019 , a dead star that is around , light-years away from earth, registered for the radio observatories around the world with a single and millisecond-long burst of incredibly bright radio waves. Astronomers say this radio signal is so powerful, it is possible it can also be detected in nearby galaxies
“Something like this has never been seen before,” Shrinivas Kulkarni, astronomer at Caltech, told ScienceAlert. The consensus seems to be on the fact that this FRB signal may have originated as a result of massive, shifting gravitational forces causing a starquake or magnetar flare, that caused a disturbance in the magnetic field surrounding it. As gravitational force tries to keep the star together – an inward force – the magnetic field is so powerful, it distorts the star’s shape . This leads to an ongoing tension between the two forces, which sometimes produces gargantuan starquakes and giant magnetar flares, kulkarni explains to sciencealert. Astronomers believe that a magnetar can possibly produce even larger outbursts. The SGR The SGR ‘s burst did not require much energy, they say, for a magnetar and the star could easily handle a burst a thousand times stronger.
At this time, astronomers are still observing the source of this signal for any follow-signals, which could indicate further activity on the SGR 2020 .
(Read More)
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings