(Rochester Institute of Technology) One of the most powerful eruptions in the universe might have spun an infrared ring around a rare and exotic star known as a magnetar, a highly magnetized neutron star and the remnant of a brilliant supernova explosion signaling the death throes of a massive star.

A paper published in the May 29 issue of Nature announces the detection of the ring around the dead star known as SGR 1900+14.

Observations obtained from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.