A neutron star with an incredibly powerful magnetic field glitched after it attracted and ripped an asteroid apart

A fast-rotating neutron star with an incredibly powerful magnetic field is out of commission for a while. Star glitched after it attracted an asteroid and ripped it apart.

Here's What We Know

The object is named SGR 1935+2154 and is about 30,000 light-years away from the centre of our galaxy. It is a magnetar, i.e. a neutron star with an exceptionally strong magnetic field.

From time to time, such stars can produce radio bursts. Scientists were able to detect the first burst 16 years ago, but they were unable to determine its nature. Researchers later tried to find an explanation.

Magnetars are surrounded by remnants of planetary systems. Asteroids can fly around them. When a star attracts a rock and tears it apart, the momentum causes it to accelerate or decelerate, depending on the direction of the asteroid's motion relative to the direction of rotation of the magnetar.

If the collision causes the neutron star to spin faster, this is called "glitch". When the magnetar slows down, this is called "anti-glitch".

As a result, the lines of force change configuration, producing a rapid radio burst, and the remnants of the asteroid fall onto the surface of the neutron star and produce a colossal explosion. To understand, a marshmallow falling on a magnetar would generate as much energy as is released when 1,000 hydrogen bombs explode.

Source: space