April 4th, 2002del.icio.us Digg Reddit StumbleUpon
Supernovas May Cause Gamma Ray Bursts
Written by Fraser Cain
Gamma ray bursts are the most powerful explosions ever detected in the Universe, but astronomers have been uncertain what causes them. There are two theories: collisions between neutron stars, or supernova explosions from very massive stars. New data gathered by the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton X-ray observatory have helped rule out the first, and maybe confirm the second. By analyzing the afterglow of a recent burst, astronomers were able to detect chemical elements which are found in supernovae.
Filed under: Astronomy
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