Magnetar

4U 0142+61

A neutron star with the strongest magnetic field known, given to violent outbursts.

Measured

Distance
about 11,742 light-years

How far, from the Sun

About 11,700 light-years. To cross it:

  • Light11,700 years
  • Voyager 1's speed209 million years
  • Driving at 100 km/h127 billion years

Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.

Facts

  • turns once every 8.7 seconds
  • seen to give off bursts, glitches
  • About 12,000 light-years away (± 1,300).

Where this comes from

  • Pulsar distances: Deller et al. 2019, ApJ 875, 100 (PSRπ, VLBA parallaxes). Magnetars: Olausen & Kaspi 2014, ApJS 212, 6, via the VizieR catalogue access tool, CDS, Strasbourg (DOI 10.26093/cds/vizier).

Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.