A magnetar is outbursting again right on schedule

Magnetars are bizarre and terrifying objects, capable of immense explosions that are detectable hundreds of millions of light years away. We also don’t know that much about them.

A team of scientists, though, had their own flash of insight that provides another clue on how these tiny but mighty monsters work. They found a magnetar in our galaxy that has predictable periodic outbursts.

Kinda.

A rotating neutron star with a powerful magnetic field whips up subatomic particles around it. Artwork...