Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "items": [ { "id": 214971, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373556, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipOnly_Still.png", "filename": "02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipOnly_Still.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Animation showing a wide view of SGR 1830, a magnetar that underwent an outburst in October 2020. NICER measurements from the first day of the event show that the X-ray emission exhibited three close peaks with every rotation. Astronomers think the triple peak occurred when three individual surface regions much hotter than their surroundings spun into and out of our view from Earth. NICER tracked the magnetar nearly every day for more than a month. Over that time, the hot spots dimmed, drifted relative to each other, and two even merged – a phenomenon not seen before. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 214972, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373555, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipOnly_Still_print.jpg", "filename": "02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipOnly_Still_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Animation showing a wide view of SGR 1830, a magnetar that underwent an outburst in October 2020. NICER measurements from the first day of the event show that the X-ray emission exhibited three close peaks with every rotation. Astronomers think the triple peak occurred when three individual surface regions much hotter than their surroundings spun into and out of our view from Earth. NICER tracked the magnetar nearly every day for more than a month. Over that time, the hot spots dimmed, drifted relative to each other, and two even merged – a phenomenon not seen before. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 214973, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373557, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipOnly_Still_searchweb.png", "filename": "02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipOnly_Still_searchweb.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Animation showing a wide view of SGR 1830, a magnetar that underwent an outburst in October 2020. NICER measurements from the first day of the event show that the X-ray emission exhibited three close peaks with every rotation. Astronomers think the triple peak occurred when three individual surface regions much hotter than their surroundings spun into and out of our view from Earth. NICER tracked the magnetar nearly every day for more than a month. Over that time, the hot spots dimmed, drifted relative to each other, and two even merged – a phenomenon not seen before. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 214974, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373554, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipOnly_Still_thm.png", "filename": "02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipOnly_Still_thm.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Animation showing a wide view of SGR 1830, a magnetar that underwent an outburst in October 2020. NICER measurements from the first day of the event show that the X-ray emission exhibited three close peaks with every rotation. Astronomers think the triple peak occurred when three individual surface regions much hotter than their surroundings spun into and out of our view from Earth. NICER tracked the magnetar nearly every day for more than a month. Over that time, the hot spots dimmed, drifted relative to each other, and two even merged – a phenomenon not seen before. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 80, "height": 40, "pixels": 3200 } }, { "id": 214968, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373559, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipOnly_1080.mp4", "filename": "02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipOnly_1080.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Animation showing a wide view of SGR 1830, a magnetar that underwent an outburst in October 2020. NICER measurements from the first day of the event show that the X-ray emission exhibited three close peaks with every rotation. Astronomers think the triple peak occurred when three individual surface regions much hotter than their surroundings spun into and out of our view from Earth. NICER tracked the magnetar nearly every day for more than a month. Over that time, the hot spots dimmed, drifted relative to each other, and two even merged – a phenomenon not seen before. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 214969, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373560, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipOnly_web.webm", "filename": "02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipOnly_web.webm", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Animation showing a wide view of SGR 1830, a magnetar that underwent an outburst in October 2020. NICER measurements from the first day of the event show that the X-ray emission exhibited three close peaks with every rotation. Astronomers think the triple peak occurred when three individual surface regions much hotter than their surroundings spun into and out of our view from Earth. NICER tracked the magnetar nearly every day for more than a month. Over that time, the hot spots dimmed, drifted relative to each other, and two even merged – a phenomenon not seen before. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 214970, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373553, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/frames/1920x1080_16x9_30p/02_Magnetar_Wide_BlipOnly1/", "filename": "02_Magnetar_Wide_BlipOnly1", "media_type": "Frames", "alt_text": "Animation showing a wide view of SGR 1830, a magnetar that underwent an outburst in October 2020. NICER measurements from the first day of the event show that the X-ray emission exhibited three close peaks with every rotation. Astronomers think the triple peak occurred when three individual surface regions much hotter than their surroundings spun into and out of our view from Earth. NICER tracked the magnetar nearly every day for more than a month. Over that time, the hot spots dimmed, drifted relative to each other, and two even merged – a phenomenon not seen before. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 214967, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373558, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipOnly_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov", "filename": "02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipOnly_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Animation showing a wide view of SGR 1830, a magnetar that underwent an outburst in October 2020. NICER measurements from the first day of the event show that the X-ray emission exhibited three close peaks with every rotation. Astronomers think the triple peak occurred when three individual surface regions much hotter than their surroundings spun into and out of our view from Earth. NICER tracked the magnetar nearly every day for more than a month. Over that time, the hot spots dimmed, drifted relative to each other, and two even merged – a phenomenon not seen before. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 315417, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20359/#media_group_315417", "widget": "Basic text with HTML", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "For the first time, NASA’s Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) has observed the merging of multimillion-degree X-ray spots on the surface of a magnetar, a supermagnetized stellar core no larger than a city. These animations illustrate what astronomers think is going on.", "items": [], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 315419, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14115/#media_group_315419", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "In addition to the regular X-ray peaks from the magnetar's hot spots, NICER also detected dozens of powerful X-ray bursts. In this animation, quick flashes have been added to the above animation to illustrate these bursts.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "items": [ { "id": 214979, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373562, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipFlare_Still.png", "filename": "02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipFlare_Still.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "In addition to the regular X-ray peaks from the magnetar's hot spots, NICER also detected dozens of powerful X-ray bursts. In this animation, quick flashes have been added to the above animation to illustrate these bursts. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 214980, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373561, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipFlare_Still_print.jpg", "filename": "02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipFlare_Still_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "In addition to the regular X-ray peaks from the magnetar's hot spots, NICER also detected dozens of powerful X-ray bursts. In this animation, quick flashes have been added to the above animation to illustrate these bursts. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 214975, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373564, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipFlares_1080.mp4", "filename": "02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipFlares_1080.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "In addition to the regular X-ray peaks from the magnetar's hot spots, NICER also detected dozens of powerful X-ray bursts. In this animation, quick flashes have been added to the above animation to illustrate these bursts. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 214977, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373566, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipFlares_web.webm", "filename": "02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipFlares_web.webm", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "In addition to the regular X-ray peaks from the magnetar's hot spots, NICER also detected dozens of powerful X-ray bursts. In this animation, quick flashes have been added to the above animation to illustrate these bursts. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 214978, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373563, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/frames/1920x1080_16x9_30p/02_Magnetar_wide_BlipFlare1/", "filename": "02_Magnetar_wide_BlipFlare1", "media_type": "Frames", "alt_text": "In addition to the regular X-ray peaks from the magnetar's hot spots, NICER also detected dozens of powerful X-ray bursts. In this animation, quick flashes have been added to the above animation to illustrate these bursts. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 214976, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373565, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipFlares_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov", "filename": "02_MAGNETAR_Wide_view_BlipFlares_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "In addition to the regular X-ray peaks from the magnetar's hot spots, NICER also detected dozens of powerful X-ray bursts. In this animation, quick flashes have been added to the above animation to illustrate these bursts. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 315420, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14115/#media_group_315420", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Animation showing a closer view, with our perspective tracking the hot spots to better illustrate their migrating and merging behavior. The magnetar rotates every 10.4 seconds, so hovering above the hot spots results in a blurred starry background.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "items": [ { "id": 214984, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373570, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/01_MAGNETAR_fixed_view.00100_print.jpg", "filename": "01_MAGNETAR_fixed_view.00100_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Animation showing a closer view, with our perspective tracking the hot spots to better illustrate their migrating and merging behavior. The magnetar rotates every 10.4 seconds, so hovering above the hot spots results in a blurred starry background. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 214981, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373567, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/01_MAGNETAR_fixed_view.mp4", "filename": "01_MAGNETAR_fixed_view.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Animation showing a closer view, with our perspective tracking the hot spots to better illustrate their migrating and merging behavior. The magnetar rotates every 10.4 seconds, so hovering above the hot spots results in a blurred starry background. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 214983, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373569, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/frames/1920x1080_16x9_30p/01_Magnetar_fixed/", "filename": "01_Magnetar_fixed", "media_type": "Frames", "alt_text": "Animation showing a closer view, with our perspective tracking the hot spots to better illustrate their migrating and merging behavior. The magnetar rotates every 10.4 seconds, so hovering above the hot spots results in a blurred starry background. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 214985, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373571, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/01_MAGNETAR_fixed_view.webm", "filename": "01_MAGNETAR_fixed_view.webm", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Animation showing a closer view, with our perspective tracking the hot spots to better illustrate their migrating and merging behavior. The magnetar rotates every 10.4 seconds, so hovering above the hot spots results in a blurred starry background. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 214982, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 373568, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020300/a020359/01_MAGNETAR_fixed_view.mov", "filename": "01_MAGNETAR_fixed_view.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Animation showing a closer view, with our perspective tracking the hot spots to better illustrate their migrating and merging behavior. The magnetar rotates every 10.4 seconds, so hovering above the hot spots results in a blurred starry background. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 315421, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20359/#media_group_315421", "widget": "Basic text", "title": "For More Information", "caption": "", "description": "See [https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-s-nicer-telescope-sees-hot-spots-merge-on-a-magnetar](https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-s-nicer-telescope-sees-hot-spots-merge-on-a-magnetar)", "items": [], "extra_data": {} } ], "studio": "cil", "funding_sources": [ "NASA Astrophysics" ], "credits": [ { "role": "Animator", "people": [ { "name": "Krystofer Kim", "employer": "KBR Wyle Services, LLC" } ] }, { "role": "Technical support", "people": [ { "name": "Aaron E. Lepsch", "employer": "ADNET Systems, Inc." } ] }, { "role": "Producer", "people": [ { "name": "Scott Wiessinger", "employer": "KBR Wyle Services, LLC" } ] }, { "role": "Science writer", "people": [ { "name": "Francis Reddy", "employer": "University of Maryland College Park" } ] } ], "missions": [ "Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER)" ], "series": [ "Astrophysics Animations" ], "tapes": [], "papers": [], "datasets": [], "nasa_science_categories": [ "Universe" ], "keywords": [ "Ast", "Astrophysics", "Neutron Star", "NICER", "Pulsar", "Space", "Star", "X-ray" ], "recommended_pages": [], "related": [], "sources": [], "products": [ { "id": 14802, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14802/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Earth to Space: A National Symphony Orchestra Concert", "description": "Explore the vastness of space with music inspired by the planets, stars, and beyond! In anticipation of the upcoming voyage of Artemis II, the National Symphony Orchestra celebrates the discoveries and beauty of space through music and images produced by NASA. Explore this page to learn more about the visuals used in the Kennedy Center's 2025 Earth to Space Festival NSO Family Concert.", "release_date": "2025-03-28T14:31:59-04:00", "update_date": "2025-03-28T14:31:07.685909-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 1095591, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014500/a014523/STScI-01EVT8F67B9Y3QAJ0DFB1KYQDT.jpg", "filename": "STScI-01EVT8F67B9Y3QAJ0DFB1KYQDT.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This artist's concept shows how the universe might have looked when it was less than a billion years old, about 7 percent of its current age. Star formation voraciously consumed primordial hydrogen, churning out myriad stars at an unprecedented rate. NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will peer back to the universe’s early stages to understand how it transitioned from being opaque to the brilliant starscape we see today.\rCredit: NASA, ESA, and A. Schaller (for STScI)\rAlt text: This illustration depicts a mesmerizing and chaotic cosmic scene, filled with misshapen clumps and twists of white and purplish material on a black background. Most of the clumps are small, but a particularly large conglomeration extends from the lower-right of the frame up to the middle and nearly all the way across to the left side, sort of like billowing clouds. It's full of bulbous shapes outlined with glowing lavender tendrils. Bright groups of stars are concentrated in the center of each lobe, and also scattered more sparsely throughout the surrounding area.", "width": 3000, "height": 2375, "pixels": 7125000 } }, { "id": 14115, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14115/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "NASA's NICER Tracks a Magnetar's Hot Spots", "description": "Explore how NASA’s Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) tracked brilliant hot spots on the surface of an erupting magnetar – from 13,000 light-years away. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: \"Particles and Fields\" from Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || Magnetar_Still.jpg (1920x1080) [574.3 KB] || Magnetar_Still_print.jpg (1024x576) [229.0 KB] || Magnetar_Still_searchweb.png (320x180) [66.1 KB] || Magnetar_Still_thm.png (80x40) [5.2 KB] || 14115_Merging_Magnetar_HotSpots_1080_Best.webm (1920x1080) [17.4 MB] || 14115_Merging_Magnetar_HotSpots_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [158.9 MB] || 14115_Merging_Magnetar_HotSpots_1080_Best.mp4 (1920x1080) [382.0 MB] || 14115_Migrating_Magnetar_HotSpots_1080.en_US.srt [2.1 KB] || 14115_Migrating_Magnetar_HotSpots_1080.en_US.vtt [2.1 KB] || 14115_Merging_Magnetar_HotSpots_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov (1920x1080) [2.1 GB] || ", "release_date": "2022-03-08T13:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2024-08-14T22:46:34.146003-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 372577, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014100/a014115/Magnetar_Still.jpg", "filename": "Magnetar_Still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Explore how NASA’s Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) tracked brilliant hot spots on the surface of an erupting magnetar – from 13,000 light-years away. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: \"Particles and Fields\" from Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } ], "newer_versions": [], "older_versions": [], "alternate_versions": [] }