NASA Telescopes Are Unlocking the Secrets Behind Mysterious Deep Space Signals

Recent observations by NASA’s X-ray telescopes have provided unprecedented insights into fast radio bursts , powerful and brief cosmic events that have puzzled astronomers. By studying a fast radio burst from a magnetar within our galaxy, scientists have advanced our understanding of these phenomena, revealing rapid changes in magnetar behavior that could explain how FRBs are generated. Credit: SciTechDaily.

What’s causing mysterious bursts of radio waves from deep space? Astronomers may be a step closer to providing one answer to that question. TwoX-ray telescopes recently observed one such event – known as a fast radio burst – mere minutes before and after it occurred. This unprecedented view sets scientists on a path to better understand these extreme radio events.

The burst occurred between two “glitches,” when the magnetar suddenly started spinning faster. SGR 1935+2154 is estimated to be about 12 miles across and spinning about 3.2 times per second, meaning its surface was moving at about 7,000 mph . Slowing it down or speeding it up would require a significant amount of energy.

If the initial glitch caused a crack in the magnetar’s surface, it might have released material from the star’s interior into space like a volcanic eruption. Losing mass causes spinning objects to slow down, so the researchers think this could explain the magnetar’s rapid deceleration.But having observed only one of these events in real time, the team still can’t say for sure which of these factors might lead to the production of a fast radio burst.

Source: Tech Daily Report (techdailyreport.net)

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