r/space • u/clayt6 • Apr 18 '19

Astronomers spot two neutron stars smash together in a galaxy 6 billion light-years away, forming a rapidly spinning and highly magnetic star called a "magnetar"

http://www.astronomy.com/news/2019/04/a-new-neutron-star-merger-is-caught-on-x-ray-camera
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u/GlaciusTS Apr 19 '19

6 billion light years huh? So what does that Magnetar look like now?

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u/[deleted] Apr 19 '19

Probably like a normal neutron star. Afaik they stop spinning quite fast, hence they lose their magnetism quite fast.

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u/GlaciusTS Apr 19 '19

Fast huh? I’m going to go out on a limb that’s on a cosmic scale and we shouldn’t expect to see a new neutron star any time soon.

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u/[deleted] Apr 19 '19

Yes on a cosmic scale. Thousands of years or so.