Free Astronomy Magazine November-December 2023

T his artist’s impression illustrates how, in a few million years, HD 45166 will explode as a very bright, but not particularly energetic, super- nova. During this explosion, its core will contract, trapping and concentrat- ing the star’s already daunting mag- netic field lines. [NOIRLab/AURA/NSF/ P. Marenfeld/M. Zamani] T his artist’s impression illustrates the ultimate fate of HD 45166 after its core has collapsed, resulting in a neutron star with a magnetic field of around 100 trillion gauss — the most powerful type of magnet in the Universe. [NOIRLab/AURA/NSF/ P. Marenfeld/M. Zamani] result will be a neutron star with a magnetic field of around 100 trillion gauss — the most powerful type of magnet in the Universe. “We thought that the most likely magnetar candidates would come from the most massive of stars,” said Chené. “What this research shows us is that stars that are much less mas- sive can still become a magnetar, if the conditions are just right.” tems and how many come from other types of systems,” said Chené. In a few million years, HD 45166, which is located 3000 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros (the Unicorn), will explode as a very bright, but not particularly ener- getic, supernova. During this explo- sion, its core will contract, trapping and concentrating the star’s already daunting magnetic field lines. The team were able to make precise es- timates of its mass and age. The researchers speculate that, un- like other helium stars that eventu- ally evolve from a red supergiant, this particular star was likely created by the merger of a pair of interme- diate-mass stars. “This is a very specific scenario, and it raises the question of how many magnetars come from similar sys- !