Dense knots of dust in otherwise normal galaxies dim the light of a dark gamma-ray burst (center). The dust absorbs most or all of a burst’s visible light but not higher-energy X-rays and gamma rays.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are intense bursts of gamma radiation, typically generating more energy in a few seconds than the sun will produce over its ten-billion-year lifetime. These transient phenomena ...

Cambridge, MA – Gamma-ray bursts are the most powerful explosions in the universe, emitting huge amounts of high-energy radiation. For decades their origin was a mystery. Scientists now believe they ...

A giant explosion that lit up the sky didn't just rock the cosmos – it absolutely rattled our understanding of the Universe's most powerful outbursts. The gamma-ray burst (GRB) recorded on 2 July 2025 ...

Astronomers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have helped uncover new clues about the longest-lasting cosmic explosion ever observed, a gamma-ray burst that lasted nearly seven hours.

A cosmic explosion that lasted seven hours: this is the unusual spectacle recently observed by astronomers. Named GRB 250702B, this gamma-ray burst shattered previous duration records. Unlike typical ...

"The gamma-ray burst traveled through intergalactic space at the speed of light for eleven billion years, during which time the Sun and the planets were born." — Timothy Ferris, in the film version of ...

Scientists at Northwestern University said Friday they had confirmed that the cause of the brightest gamma-ray burst ever observed (the circled infrared afterglow and host galaxy pictured 1-2 months ...

When faraway stars explode, they send out flashes of energy called gamma-ray bursts that are bright enough that telescopes back on Earth can detect them. Studying these pulses, which can also come ...

Back in October of 2022, astronomers around the world were baffled and awed by the largest gamma-radiation burst we've ever recorded. The burst was so powerful, in fact, that it has been nicknamed the ...

"They allow us to see back to the earliest times that stars existed." When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Scientists may be a step ...

In 2022, astronomers discovered the brightest gamma-ray burst (GRB) of all time. Now, astronomers confirm that a 'normal' supernova, the telltale sign of a stellar collapse, accompanied the GRB. The ...