In November 2023 our Integral telescope spotted a sudden explosion from a rare object. For only a tenth of a second, a short burst of energetic gamma-rays appeared from the direction of the bright galaxy M82.
Only a few hours later, our XMM-Newton telescope searched for an afterglow from the explosion but found none. Astronomers realised that the burst must have been an extra-galactic flare from a magnetar, a young neutron star with an exceptionally strong magnetic field.
🎥 ESA – European Space Agency
📸 ESA/Integral, ESA/XMM-Newton, INAF/TNG, M. Rigoselli (INAF)
📸NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
#ESA #Magnetar #Universe
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