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Collision Sequence for a Magnetar-Powered Kilonova Blast Illustration

Collision Sequence for a Magnetar-Powered Kilonova Blast Illustration

This illustration shows the sequence for forming a magnetar-powered kilonova, whose peak brightness reaches up to 10,000 times that of a classical nova. 1) Two orbiting neutron stars spiral closer and closer together. 2) They collide and merge, triggering an explosion that unleashes more energy in a half-second than the Sun will produce over its entire 10-billion-year lifetime. 3) The merger forms an even more massive neutron star called a magnetar, which has an extraordinarily powerful magnetic field. 4) The magnetar deposits energy into the ejected material, causing it to glow unexpectedly bright at infrared wavelengths.

  • Release Date
    November 12, 2020
  • Science Release
    NASA’s Hubble Sees Unexplained Brightness from Colossal Explosion
    Read the release
  • Credit
    NASA, ESA, and D. Player (STScI)

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Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
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Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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