Magnetar 2 (of 3) (IMAGE) Penn State Caption The core of a massive star in a distant galaxy collapses, ending its life -- though there is little effect visible at the surface. Deep inside, twin beams of matter and energy begin to blast their way outward. Within seconds, the beams have eaten their way out of the star, and observers at Earth see it as a gamma-ray burst, GRB 060729A. Credit None Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.