What are gamma-ray bursts?
The most powerful explosions in the universe since the Big Bang.
The answer
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most energetic events in the known universe. Long-duration GRBs (lasting more than two seconds) occur when massive stars collapse into black holes, shooting jets of material at 99.99% the speed of light. Short GRBs result from neutron star mergers. In just seconds, a GRB can release more energy than our Sun will emit in its entire 10-billion-year lifetime. If one occurred within about 6,000 light-years of Earth and pointed directly at us, it could strip away our ozone layer and trigger a mass extinction.
Source: NASA Swift Mission
- gamma-ray bursts
- high-energy astrophysics
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