Magnetar star SGR 1806-20. Artwork showing a gamma ray burst (blue shell) from the magnetar SGR 1806-20. A magnetar is a type of neutron star with a v

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Magnetar star SGR 1806-20. Artwork showing a gamma ray burst (blue shell) from the magnetar SGR 1806-20. A magnetar is a type of neutron star with a very strong magnetic field. SGR 1806-20 is located 50,000 light years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. On 27th December 2004 an explosion on its surface sent out a gamma ray burst that reached Earth. It was the brightest known event to have been seen on Earth that originated form outside our solar system.

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Size: 3602px × 2432px
Photo credit: © NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1860-20, 27, 2004, artwork, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, burst, december, flare, gamma, grb, illustration, magnetar, neutron, radiation, ray, sagittarius, sgr, shell, space, star, stellar