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We present optical photometry and spectroscopy of the superluminous SN 2002ghfrom maximum light to $+204$ days, obtained as part of the Carnegie Type IISupernova (CATS) project. SN 2002gh is among the most luminous discoveredsupernovae ever, yet it remained unnoticed for nearly two decades. Using DarkEnergy Camera archival images we identify the potential SN host galaxy as afaint dwarf galaxy, presumably having low metallicity, and in an apparentmerging process with other nearby dwarf galaxies. We show that SN 2002gh isamong the brightest hydrogen-poor SLSNe with $M_{V} = -22.40 \pm 0.02$, with anestimated peak bolometric luminosity of $2.6 \pm 0.1 \times 10^{44}$ ergs$^{-1}$. We discount the decay of radioactive nickel as the main SN powermechanism, and assuming that the SN is powered by the spin down of a magnetarwe obtain two alternative solutions. The first case, is characterized bysignificant magnetar power leakage, and $M_{\mathrm{ej}}$ between 0.6 and 3.2$M_{\odot}$, $P_{\mathrm{spin}} = 3.2$ ms, and $B = 5 \times 10^{13}$ G. Thesecond case does not require power leakage, resulting in a huge ejecta mass ofabout 30 $M_{\odot}$, a fast spin period of $P_{\mathrm{spin}} \sim 1$ ms, and$B\sim 1.6 \times 10^{14}$ G. We estimate a zero-age main-sequence mass between14 and 25 $M_{\odot}$ for the first case and of about 135 $M_{\odot}$ for thesecond case. The latter case would place the SN progenitor among the mostmassive stars observed to explode as a SN.

A puzzle solved after two decades: SN 2002gh among the brightest of superluminous supernovae