Explanation:
Indicated on this infrared image of
the galactic center region
are positions of candidate magnetars --
believed to be
the strongest magnets in the galaxy.
Classified by observers as Soft Gamma Repeaters
(SGRs) and Anomalous X-ray Pulsars
(AXPs), these cosmic powerhouses are likely
city-sized,
spinning, highly-magnetized neutron stars.
How strong is a magnetar's magnetic field?
The Earth's magnetic field
which deflects
compass
needles is measured
to be about 1 Gauss, while
the strongest fields sustainable in earthbound laboratories are
about 100,000 Gauss.
A magnetar's
monster magnetic field
is estimated to be as high as 1,000,000,000,000,000 Gauss.
A magnet this strong, located at about
half the distance to the Moon
would easily erase your credit cards and suck pens out of your pocket.
In 1998, from a distance of about 20,000 light-years, one magnetar,
SGR 1900+14 generated
a powerful flash of gamma-rays detected
by many spacecraft.
That blast of high-energy radiation
is now known to have
had a measurable effect on Earth's ionosphere.
At the surface of the magnetar,
its powerful magnetic field is thought to buckle and shift the neutron
star crust generating the intense high-energy flares
