Scientists Just Detected a Colossal Gamma-Ray Burst, And It's a Record-Breaker
An artist's impression of a gamma-ray burst. (ESO/A. Roquette)
12 October 2022
By MICHELLE STARR
Observatories around the world have just detected a colossal flare of extremely energetic radiation described as "record-breaking".
The event, first detected on October 9, was so bright that it was initially confused for an event closer to home. Initially dubbed Swift J1913.1+1946, it was thought to be a brief flash of X-rays from a not-too-distant source. It was only through further analysis that astronomers discovered the true nature of the glow – a gamma-ray burst, one of the most violent explosions in the Universe, now re-named GRB221009A.
Though further away, it was still one of the closest seen yet, just 2.4 billion light-years away. Moreover, this exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst appears to be the most energetic ever detected, coming in at up to 18 teraelectronvolts.
To be clear, though this proximity happens to be 20 times closer than the average long gamma-ray burst, it poses absolutely no danger to life on Earth.
Rather, it's tremendously exciting – an event that could shed new light (pun intended) on these fascinating explosions. Although its closeness makes it appear brighter in our sky, GRB221009A is possibly the most intrinsically bright gamma-ray burst we've ever seen.