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Ghostly Ring Found Circling Dead Star

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the check-your-optics dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "An international team of scientists has found a strange ring around a dead star by using images taken by NASA's Spitzer space telescope. This star, called SGR 1900+14, belongs to a class of objects known as magnetars. According to NASA, a magnetar is 'a highly magnetized neutron star and the remnant of a brilliant supernova explosion signaling the death throes of a massive star.' So far, about a dozen magnetars have been found. An amazing thing about these stellar objects is their magnetic field. One of the researchers said that 'magnetars possess magnetic fields a million billion times stronger than the magnetic field of the Earth.'

13 of 207 comments (clear)

  1. The ring by Plazmid · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh great, now that NASA posted pictures on the internet of a ghostly ring, a lot of people are going to die seven days from now.

    1. Re:The ring by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I wouldn't worry abo...Whoa wait a minute. A ghostly ring, posted on Slashdot can mean only one thing. Do not RTFA! For the love of God DO NOT RTFA!

    2. Re:The ring by SBrach · · Score: 5, Funny

      In all fairness, they kept on rickrolling me.

  2. I for one welcome . . . by StefanJ · · Score: 4, Funny

    . . . whoever the hell ran weapon tests on that star and its planets.

    Hail Whoever!

  3. why oh why by thermian · · Score: 4, Funny

    As soon as I read the summary I immediately thought 'Intergalactic Goatse'.

    I need less internets.

    --
    A learning experience is one of those things that say, 'You know that thing you just did? Don't do that.' - D. Adams
  4. Re:Pssst! by SBrach · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is that more or less than a Brazilian?

  5. Ringworld? by spineboy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Cool!, now we just need a General Products hull # 4 sufficient for colonization. Except that the damn star is dead.

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    ..........FULL STOP.
    1. Re:Ringworld? by rubycodez · · Score: 4, Funny

      Dear Partners and VARS,

      The following is privileged information as described by your General Products N.D.A. and is not to be transmitted to customers or third parties.

      while our General Products Hulls including the #4 provide protection against most hazards encountered in interstellar travel, gravitational tides with a steep gradient such as those found in the vicinity of neutron stars including magnetars can in fact cause bodily harm to occupants while not damaging or voiding warranty on the hull, e.g. rendering of tissues/organs to pulp or plasma.

      Also, although not widely advertised, antimatter may destroy a G.P. hull completely, and void the warranty, service agreements and maintenance contracts.

      We are not putting out any bulletins to customers or potential clients at this time, and partners only are to communicate any issues or incidents to our Hindmost and Vice Hindmost Partner's Relationship Manager, but going forward G.P. will deal with any occurrences on a case by base basis.

      Yours Very Truly,

      Messus, HTO, General Products

  6. Re:In other news by Bovius · · Score: 4, Funny

    Magnetar? Sorry, I'm not really into Pokemon.

  7. Re:(As if this would be any different...) by Tubal-Cain · · Score: 4, Funny

    i.e., all of slashdot.

  8. Re:Pssst! by jd · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, they had a choice. Either switch to the small scale or have very, very large billiard tables.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  9. Constellation... by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 4, Funny
    So far, about a dozen magnetars have been found.

    Most are in the constellation "Refrigetar".

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    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  10. Re:In other news by Torvaun · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's super effective!

    --
    I see your informative link, and raise you a pithy comment.