NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) has conducted over 140 hours of observations on a magnetar, potentially capturing a predicted physical phenomenon.
Key facts
- •NASA's IXPE telescope observed the magnetar 1E 1547-5408 for over 140 hours.
- •The observations took place between March and April 2025.
- •The findings may confirm a 90-year-old physics prediction regarding the behavior of empty space.
- •Magnetars possess the strongest magnetic fields of any known object in the observable universe.
Scientists using NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) have completed more than 140 hours of observations of the magnetar 1E 1547-5408. The data, collected between March and April 2025, may provide the first direct observation of empty space behaving in a manner predicted by physicists for 90 years.
Understanding Magnetars
Magnetars are a specific category of neutron stars characterized by magnetic fields of extreme intensity. These fields are considered the strongest of any object in the observable universe, measuring approximately a trillion times more powerful than the strongest permanent magnets created on Earth.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by NASA Breaking News.
