... Tonight's Sky . ... Observing . ... Astronomy for Kids . ... Observations of optical flares challenge theories on magnetars . ... The next step of the scientists therefore must be to study the consequences magnetar theories predict for optical emission. ... Astronomers explore magnetar mega-flare . ... Only registered members of Astronomy.com are allowed to comment on this article. ... Receive news, sky-event information, observing tips, and more from Astronomy's weekly email newsletter. ...