Hubble Eyes Milky Way's mysterious Runaway Magnetar
Apr 17, 2025, 4:50 PM | Skymet Weather Team
Image: Skymet
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured data on a cosmic wanderer – a rare and powerful object known as a magnetar, speeding through our Milky Way galaxy with no clear point of origin. This discovery challenges our understanding of how these extreme objects form.
What is a Magnetar?
Imagine a star far more massive than our Sun collapsing under its own gravity. Sometimes, this process forms a neutron star – an incredibly dense object. A magnetar is a special, rare type of neutron star boasting a magnetic field trillions of times stronger than Earth's, making them the most powerful magnets known in the universe.
Hubble's Surprising Find: SGR 0501+4516
Using the keen vision of the Hubble Space Telescope, combined with precise measurements from the European Space Agency's (ESA) Gaia spacecraft, astronomers tracked a magnetar named SGR 0501+4516. They measured its motion across the sky and found it's moving rapidly, but its trajectory doesn't point back to any known supernova remnant (the expected birthplace of such objects) or massive star cluster. Its origin remains a puzzle.
A Cosmic Mystery: Where Did It Come From?
Typically, scientists believe magnetars are born in the fiery supernovae explosions of massive stars. However, SGR 0501+4516's journey suggests it might not have formed this way. This opens the door to alternative theories, such as the merger of two smaller neutron stars or other exotic stellar events.
Why This Discovery Matters
Studying unusual objects like this roaming magnetar helps scientists:
Understand the extreme physics governing neutron stars and magnetic fields.
Refine theories about stellar evolution and the aftermath of star death.
Potentially shed light on the origins of other cosmic enigmas, like Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs).
Hubble continues its mission to observe other magnetars, hoping to unravel the secrets surrounding the formation and journeys of these fascinating, powerful celestial objects. The mystery of SGR 0501+4516 highlights how much we still have to learn about the cosmos.
