Astronomers using the Gemini South telescope in Chile today observed gamma-ray burst GRB221009A and it could be one of the brightest as well as most powerful explosions ever recorded. This record-breaking event, which was first detected on October 9th, 2022 by orbiting X-ray and gamma-ray telescopes, occurred 2.4 billion light-years from Earth and was probably triggered by a supernova explosion giving birth to a black hole.
As black holes form, they drive powerful jets of particles that are accelerated to nearly the speed of light, which then piece through what remains of the progenitor star, emitting X-rays and gamma rays as they stream into space. If these jets happen to be pointed in the general direction of Earth, they are observed as bright flashes of X-rays and gamma rays. In other news, scientists are still baffled by this lightning burst that rose 50-miles into space.
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The exceptionally long GRB 221009A is the brightest GRB ever recorded and its afterglow is smashing all records at all wavelengths. Because this burst is so bright and also nearby, we think this is a once-in-a-century opportunity to address some of the most fundamental questions regarding these explosions, from the formation of black holes to tests of dark matter models,” said Brendan O’Connor, Graduate Student at the University of Maryland/George Washington University.
