A team of researchers, including NOIRLab astronomer André-Nicolas Chené, has found a highly unusual star that may become one of the most magnetic objects in the Universe: a variant of a neutron star known as a magnetar. This finding marks the discovery of a new type of astronomical object — a massive magnetic helium star — and sheds light on the origin of magnetars. Panel one illustrates the system, known as HD 45166, as it appears today. Panel two illustrates how, in a few million years, HD 45166 will explode as a very bright, but not particularly energetic, supernova. During this explosion, its core will contract, trapping and concentrating the star’s already daunting magnetic field lines. Panel three illustrates the ultimate fate of HD 45166 after its core has collapsed, resulting in a neutron star with a magnetic field of around 100 trillion gauss — the most powerful type of magnet in the Universe.