Twenty years ago, a distant magnetar exploded, sending shockwaves across the Milky Way that physically impacted Earth, showcasing the immense power of these tiny cosmic objects.
The explosion from a small neutron star, SGR 1806-20, compressed Earth's magnetic field and ionized the atmosphere despite being 50,000 light-years away.
Magnetars are neutron stars formed from supernovae, compressing core matter into neutrons, resulting in densities that are almost incomprehensibly high.
A cubic centimeter of a neutron star weighs about 100 million metric tons, highlighting the extreme density of these celestial bodies.
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