【I Am a Plaything】

Near the center of the Milky Wayare enormous filaments of radio energy that sometimes look like bones,I Am a Plaything and one in particular has astronomers playing orthopaedists. 

If the new picture at the top of this story reminds you of an X-ray, well, that's because it is. Scientists used a spacetelescope to examine a conspicuous fracture along the bone's 230 light-yearlength. The images from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, coupled with data from the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa and the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array, have revealed what likely caused it to crack. 

The assailant, seen right at the point of the break, could be a fast-spinning neutron star, known as a pulsar. Scientists think that, as the object whizzed through the galaxy at breakneck speed, it slammed through the bone and just kept on going. The collision apparently distorted the bone's magnetic field and warped its radio signal.

---

You May Also Like

---

---

SEE ALSO: Scientists discover a rebellious star family defying the cosmic order NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory helped scientists study The Snake, a filament of radio energy near the Milky Way's galactic center. Credit: NASA / CXC / J. Vaughan illustration

The discovery not only offers a diagnosis for how the filament fractured but highlights that a single star can rattle the galaxy, even long after its own death. The findingsdescribed by NASA this week were published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Researchers have named the filament G359-dot-something-something-something, but friends and fun astronomers just call it "The Snake." Why, you might ask? Because G359.13142-0.20005 just doesn't roll off the tongue. 

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

The glowing streak threads through the congested downtown of the Milky Way. Dozens of other such filamentsappear in radio waves around the galactic center, lit up by particles spiraling through parallel magnetic fields. The Snake is one of the longest and brightest of its kind.

But why these structures exist — and what makes some longer and more luminous than others — remains a mystery. 

---

Related Stories

---

• He found a Milky Way black hole 50 years ago, and finally got to see it
• A star factory at the heart of our galaxy is mysterious and important
• The best telescopes for gazing at stars and solar eclipses in 2024
• Webb telescope just found the holy grail in a famous supernova
• A star-like thing is flying 1 million mph in space. What the heck?

An annotated version of a composite image of The Snake shows a close-up view of the fracture and the object that likely created it. Credit: NASA / CXC / Northwestern University / F. Yusef-Zadeh et al / NRF / SARAO / MeerKat / SAO / N. Wolk

As for the assailant, it's trying to make a quick getaway. Neutron stars form when massive stars explode into supernovas, leaving behind a crushed stellar core, perhaps just 10 miles wide. But a pulsarbeams radiation as it revolves like a lighthouse beacon. 

The new images also suggest extra X-rays may be coming from the area around the pulsar. Particles like electrons and positrons — tiny pieces of matter and antimatter — that sped up during the crash may have caused them. 

After a supernova, remnant neutron stars often get an intense kickback from the blast. Scientists estimate this pulsar could be flying at a dizzying 1 million to 2 million mph. 

Topics NASA

• Digital Culture
• Entertainment
• Science
• Deals
• Tech
• Social Good
• Life
• Games

• The cicadas aren't invading the U.S.
• 5 tough questions for Hyperloop One
• If a regular burger just won't do, have one with Hello Kitty's face on it
• 'The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah calls Meryl Streep's speech 'tone
• How to Easily Make iPhone Ringtones Using Only iTunes
• People are appalled that the Texas governor gave Taiwan's president a clock
• Odell Beckham Jr. punched a hole in the wall and only Crying Jordan knows his pain
• New York Giants really rethinking that yacht party after humiliating playoff loss
• The Sound and the “Furious”
• Former Obama aides behind 'Keepin' It 1600' start a new podcast for the Trump era

• 'Pokémon Quest' is a new boxy game for Nintendo Switch and mobile
• 'Roseanne' has been canceled
• 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' delivers two major deep cut nods to Legends
• Everyone hates Comcast and loves Netflix, according to ACSI report
• Snapchat might soon offer an alternative to 'login with Facebook'
• Investigation uncovers secret Twitter accounts of NBA exec
• The Atari VCS is now available for pre
• 'Battlefield V' will be free of loot boxes, says EA
• 'Fortnite' adds a vehicle for the first time: The shopping cart
• Don't binge 'The Handmaid's Tale' over Memorial Day weekend

• The Anatomy of Liberal Melancholy
• How a Holocaust survivor's graphic novel helped her work through the pain
• 'La La Land' looks set to smash yet another awards ceremony
• Volkswagen's new Microbus is even more 'hippie' than the original
• This fat bear's before and after photos are stunning
• People are gripped by this LAPD car chase streamed live on Facebook
• Twins Emily and Haley Ferguson get their own 'Bachelor' spin
• iPhone 8 might ditch the aluminum body for a stainless steel frame
• Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: $40 off at Amazon
• Apple removes app to help you find lost AirPods from app store

• Ireland fines TikTok $600 million for sharing user data with China
• The iPhone's remarkable 10
• People are gripped by this LAPD car chase streamed live on Facebook
• Meryl Streep’s Trump speech is having a big secret effect on this group
• Fyre Festival and Trump’s Language
• 'La La Land' looks set to smash yet another awards ceremony
• Hacking your NES Classic could also ruin it
• Man attempts 73
• Best speaker deal: Save $30 on the JBL Clip 5
• Apple removes app to help you find lost AirPods from app store