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NASA’s IXPE Studies Magnetar

Scientists using NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) conducted more than 140 hours of observations of the magnetar 1E 1547-5408, shown in this Aug. 5, 2026, artist’s concept, between March and April 2025. In doing so, they may have captured empty space behaving in a way physicists have predicted for 90 years, but never directly […] The post NASA’s IXPE Studies Magnetar appeared first…

NASA’s IXPE Studies Magnetar

NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) has observed the magnetar 1E 1547-5408 for over 140 hours between March and April 2025, as reported by NASA Science. Magnetars are neutron stars with the strongest magnetic fields in the universe, a trillion times stronger than the strongest magnets built on Earth. The observations may have captured empty space behaving in ways predicted by physicists for 90 years, but never directly observed. The findings were published in a post titled "NASA’s IXPE Studies Magnetar" on NASA Science.

Brief written by urgent.news from NASA Science's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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