Magnetar SGR 0501+4516 Challenges Star Origin Theories

Astronomers have identified SGR 0501+4516, a rare magnetar with a magnetic field 100 trillion times stronger than Earth's, racing through the Milky Way at over 110,000 mph. Discovered in 2008 and located about 15,000 light-years from Earth, this 'zombie star' could theoretically shred human atoms from hundreds of miles away and would erase all credit cards if it passed within half the distance to the Moon. Recent observations using the Hubble Space Telescope and ESA’s Gaia spacecraft show its speed and trajectory do not match any known supernova remnants, challenging existing theories about magnetar origins. Scientists now believe it may have formed from the direct collapse of a white dwarf, bypassing a supernova explosion, a process that may also help explain phenomena like fast radio bursts. SGR 0501+4516 poses no threat to the solar system and will remain safely distant. Its discovery and unusual properties are prompting astronomers to rethink how such extreme cosmic objects form.