Researchers were monitoring enigmatic bursts from the cosmos—and they may have pinpointed their source.

Eleonora Troja and her research group observed an interesting flash related to a cosmic collision. Troja noted that if the collision resulted in a magnetar—a type of rapidly spinning neutron star with powerful magnetic fields—it could lead to longer-lasting and brighter explosions. She emphasized her excitement upon analyzing the X-ray data from this event, which indicated something unusual. The findings have been published in the journal Science Bulletin.