Scientists are studying an object that shines over 10 million times brighter than the sun, challenging their understanding of physics.
Scientists have determined that ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs), known for their extraordinary brightness, defy conventional expectations as they should theoretically explode due to their extreme luminosity.
NASA Study Confirms Brilliant Brightness
According to NASA, the anomaly displayed a brightness approximately 100 times greater than what should be feasible according to the Eddington limit, a measure that sets an upper bound on an object’s brightness based on its mass.
Initially, a hypothesis was proposed suggesting that the perceived brightness of ULXs was merely an optical illusion. However, a recent study published in the Astrophysical Journal has refuted this hypothesis, affirming that ULXs are indeed as brilliantly luminous as they appear.
The scientists employed NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array to investigate M82 X-2, the inaugural ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) ever identified. The results of their study propose a novel hypothesis suggesting that ULXs originate from neutron stars, which are highly condensed celestial bodies characterized by significant gravitational forces that efficiently absorb immense quantities of energy.
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Astronomy’s Unique Perspective
This theory proposes that the apparent brightness results from changes in the atomic structure brought on by the strong magnetic fields surrounding the neutron stars.
Matteo Bachetti, the lead author of the study and an astrophysicist at the National Institute of Astrophysics’s Cagliari Observatory in Italy, explained the significance of these observations.
He highlighted that the observations provided a glimpse into the effects of incredibly strong magnetic fields, phenomena that cannot be replicated on Earth with current technology.
Bachetti emphasized the unique nature of astronomy, where the exploration of the universe allows for a deeper understanding of its inner workings, even though definitive answers often require patience as the universe gradually unveils its secrets.
Nevertheless, due to the incomprehensible power of the magnetic fields involved, the complete truth behind this phenomenon can only be speculated upon.
The magnetic field of a neutron star is estimated to be billions of times more potent than the most formidable magnet ever created on Earth.
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