For the first time ever, astronomers have caught a magnetar being born – the Universe’s most intense, high-speed, magnetic neutron star.
This discovery finally confirms a long-held theory about what actually fuels the brightest explosions in the cosmos.
Reported by researchers at the University of California, the study links magnetars to 'superluminous supernovae'.
These aren't your run-of-the-mill stellar deaths; they shine ten times brighter than a typical supernova.
The wobble that changed everything
The team was keeping a close eye on SN 2024afav, a distant supernova located about one billion lightyears away.
Usually, a supernova’s light fades out smoothly, like a dimming lightbulb. However, this one did something weird: it flickered.
More on neutron stars
Scientists realised this 'chirp' in the light signal was caused by debris falling back onto the newborn magnetar, causing it to wobble.
It’s the clearest proof yet that a magnetar is the engine driving the explosion.
“What’s really exciting is that this is definitive evidence for a magnetar forming as the result of a superluminous supernova core collapse,” says study co-author Alex Filippenko.
ESO/L. Calçada
To catch the event, a global network of telescopes tracked the explosion for over 200 days.
This marathon session allowed them to spot tiny brightness variations that usually go unnoticed.
“For years the magnetar idea has felt almost like a theorist’s magic trick,” says Dan Kasen, a UC Berkeley theoretical astrophysicist. “The chirp in this supernova signal is like pulling back the curtain.”
What is a magnetar, anyway?
When a massive star dies, it collapses into an ultra-dense core. A magnetar is what happens when that core has a magnetic field trillions of times stronger than Earth’s and spins at a dizzying speed.
This 'cosmic dynamo' pumps massive amounts of energy into the surrounding debris, keeping the explosion glowing bright for months.
Why it matters
This isn't just about one shiny star. It opens a new window into the final moments of massive stars.
By hunting for more chirps in the future, astronomers hope to find more newborn magnetars and figure out how these magnetic powerhouses continue to shape our Universe.
