{"id":473998,"date":"2026-07-10T06:08:35","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T20:08:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/missions\/ixpe\/nasa-space-telescope-maps-magnetic-fields-of-lighthouse-pulsar\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T06:08:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T20:08:35","slug":"nasa-space-telescope-maps-magnetic-fields-of-lighthouse-pulsar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=473998","title":{"rendered":"NASA Space Telescope Maps Magnetic Fields of \u2018Lighthouse\u2019 Pulsar"},"content":{"rendered":"
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4 Min Read<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA Space Telescope Maps Magnetic Fields of \u2018Lighthouse\u2019 Pulsar\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Scientists<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

For the first time, scientists have used NASA\u2019s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) to directly measure the magnetic fields of PSR J1101\u22126101, a pulsar located within what is often referred to as the Lighthouse Nebula. The results provide new insight into the structure of some of the most extreme objects in the cosmos, as NASA continues to explore the secrets of how the universe works. A paper describing the results<\/a> published Thursday in the Astrophysical Journal.<\/p>\n

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\"Scientists<\/a><\/figure>
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Scientists have successfully measured the magnetic field of the Lighthouse pulsar\u2019s nebula using NASA\u2019s IXPE. Their measurements confirm the theory that high-energy particles escape along the galaxy\u2019s magnetic field lines. This composite image contains X-ray data from IXPE in blue (highlighted in the inset), the Chandra X-ray Observatory in purple, and radio data from CSIRO in green. The starfield is optical data from the 2MASS optical survey.<\/div>\n
X-ray: Chandra: NASA\/CXC\/Stanford Univ.\/J.T. Dinsmore et al.; IXPE: NASA\/MSFC\/J.T. Dinsmore et al., Radio: CSIRO\/ATNF\/ATCA; Optical: 2MASS\/UMass\/IPAC-Caltech\/NASA\/NSF; Image processing: NASA\/CXC\/SAO\/L. Frattare<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Fast facts<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n