Who were observing the relatively close-by galaxy known as M82.
Magnetar gamma-ray bursts are rare explosive events and the latest discovery may provide insights into the frequency of such occurrences.
Giant flares such as this gamma-ray burst are short explosive events releasing extremely large amounts of energy. Only three such flares have been seen from magnetars in our Galaxy and the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud in around 50 years. Observations of giant flares from magnetars further afield are impeded by the fact that the source of energetic bursts can be difficult to determine at long distances.
