February 19th, 2002del.icio.us Digg Reddit StumbleUpon
First Detection of Short Gamma Ray Burst Afterglow
Written by Fraser Cain
Scientists believe they have spotted the first evidence of a radiation afterglow from short gamma-ray bursts. The afterglow from the bursts was discovered by an international team of astronomers while poring through data gathered by NASA's Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory. It's believed longer gamma-ray bursts are caused by the collapse of massive stars, while shorter bursts might be from colliding neutron stars or black holes. By studying the afterglow, astronomers might have another tool to uncover the size, distance, and cause of the bursts.
Filed under: Astronomy
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