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Flare

Gamma-ray flares from SGR J1550-5418 may have arisen when the magnetar's surface suddenly cracked, releasing energy stored within its powerful magnetic field. A magnetar is a neutron star with a super-strong magnetic field.

Gamma-rays -- the universe's most luminous explosions -- create bright afterglows. Their light encodes information about the gas and dust it encounters on its way to Earth.