Multiwavelength Astronomy Multimedia



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Title

Time lapse video of soft gamma-ray repeater J1550-5418 over six days, captured by the Swift space telescope

Description

Swift's X-Ray Telescope (XRT) captured an apparent expanding halo around the flaring neutron star SGR J1550-5418. The halo formed as X-rays from the brightest flares scattered off of intervening dust clouds. The animation shows the glow of the halo pulsing and dispersing over six days in January 2009.

Facility

Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer

Instrument

X-Ray Telescope (XRT)

Subject

  • SGR J1550-5418
  • Neutron Star
  • Compact Object
  • Soft Gamma Repeater

Spectral Type

X-ray

Credits

NASA/Swift/Jules Halpern, Columbia Univ.

Type

Simulation

Associated Lesson

Gamma Ray Impact

This material is based upon work supported by NASA under Grant Nos. NNX09AD33G and NNX10AE80G issued through the SMD ROSES 2009 Program.

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