Magnetar

A magnetar is an exotic type of neutron star possessing the most powerful magnetic fields in the known universe—up to one quadrillion times stronger than Earth's magnetic field. These stellar remnants form when massive stars (20-40 solar masses) undergo core collapse, creating ultra-dense objects where a teaspoon of material would weigh 6 billion tons. What makes magnetars unique is their magnetic field strength of 10^14 to 10^15 Gauss, so intense that it warps the neutron star's crust and triggers spectacular energy releases.</p><p>Magnetars occasionally produce starquakes that crack their crystalline crusts, unleashing tremendous bursts of X-rays and gamma rays. The December 27, 2004 event from magnetar SGR 1806-20 released more energy in one-tenth of a second than our Sun produces in 100,000 years, briefly ionizing Earth's upper atmosphere from 50,000 light-years away. Another famous magnetar, SGR 1935+2154, made headlines in 2020 as the first confirmed source of a fast radio burst within our galaxy.</p><p>First discovered in 1979, only about 30 magnetars are known to exist in the Milky Way. Their extreme magnetic fields gradually decay over roughly 10,000 years, making them relatively young cosmic phenomena. These cosmic lighthouses help astronomers understand extreme physics and the violent deaths of massive stars.