Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglow Anniversary
On Feb 28, 1997, the Italian-Dutch satellite BeppoSax detected the first afterglow of a gamma-ray burst. From its precise determination of the position of the X-ray counterpart, optical observers were able to determine that the burst had occured in a distant galaxy. The puzzle as to where GRBs occur had finally been solved.
This became the first of many such detections, and opened the field of GRBs to a new array of theories and explanations. Much remains a mystery, but discovery on that day led to a new understanding of the most powerful explosions in the Universe. We offer a second look at some on GRBs:
- Then vs. Now: Gamma Ray Bursts - a retrospective of what we knew ten years ago vs what we know now
- Gamma-ray Bursts - our introductory article on GRBs
GRBs in the News
- In a Flash NASA Helps Solve 35-year-old Cosmic Mystery
- Most Distant Explosion Detected, Smashes Previous Record
- NASA'S Swift Satellite Provides New Insight into Black Hole Formation
- NASA Scientists Catch Unique Gamma-Ray Burst
- Cosmic Explosion Among the Brightest in Recorded History
Publication Date: February 2007