Satellite X-ray observations reveal neutron star with donut-shaped magnetic field and axial wobble

When a massive star dies, it can collapse under its own gravity with such force that it produces a supernova, leaving behind an extremely dense remnant consisting almost entirely of neutrons--a neutron star. Some neutron stars, known as magnetars, possess powerful magnetic fields, which are stronger than any other known magnetism in the Universe. These intense magnetic fields somehow produce high-energy x-ray pulses, but this process is not well understood.