SGR 1806-20

SGR 1806-20
On Dec. 27th, astronmers observed what is being touted as the largest explosion recorded in human history. The explosion came from the other side of the Milky Way, about 50,000 light-years away. It originated from the surface of the super-magnetic neutron star, SGR 1806-20 -- an object about 20 km across, that makes a complete revolution in 7.5 seconds. For a brief moment, the star released the amount of energy the Sun releases in 100,000 years. The explosion was observed on Earth as gamma rays that bounced off the Moon and hit our atmosphere. Astronomers say that if SGR 1806-20 was around 10 light-years from us, the radiation would have been strong enough to trigger mass extinction.

For more information, see the following:
Massive Stars in the SGR 1806-20 Cluster [PDF]

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