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In 2004, a magnetar on the far side of the Milky Way unleashed a giant flare so intense it disturbed Earth’s ionosphere from tens of thousands of light-years away — and in just 0.2 seconds released as much energy as the Sun emits in roughly 250,000 years.

Stellar Phenomenon Shakes Earth: The 2004 Magnetar Flare In an extraordinary cosmic event, a massive flare from the magnetar SGR 1806-20 illuminated Earth’s upper atmosphere on December 27, 2004, releasing...