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Astronomers have detected the most powerful gamma-ray burst that swept the Earth over the weekend. Photo/Illustration/NASA/Newatlas
Last week’s gamma-ray burst is thought to have emitted a beam of high-energy radiation up to 18 times more intense than the previous record. The signal, which has been designated GRB 221009A, was detected on Oct. 9, even though the explosion occurred 1.9 billion years ago.
The explosion came from the direction of the constellation Sagitta and was visible to telescopes for more than 10 hours, making it one of the longest detected GRBs. Not only that, but GRB 221009A produces the highest energy of any GRB ever detected.
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The energies of these events are usually measured in giga-electron volts (GeV), but some have been recorded at energies around 1 tera-electron volt (TeV). This new GRB event may have reached a record 18 TeV, marking the first detection of a GRB with an energy greater than 10 TeV.
At least, that’s the data according to a Chinese observatory called the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). This equipment is designed to detect gamma rays and cosmic rays by measuring the cascade of particles they emit into the earth’s atmosphere.
This data needs to be verified by another team before GRB 221009A is logged in the logs. Regardless, this gamma-ray burst remains one of the most energetic and brightest ever detected, mainly due to its relatively close proximity.
“This explosion is much closer than a typical GRB, which is interesting because it allows us to detect many details that are otherwise too faint to see,” said Roberta Pillera, the astronomer who led the initial communications about the explosion. /2022).
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While it’s still not certain exactly what causes GRBs, the prime suspect is a massive star that collapses into a black hole at the end of its life. This process sends a powerful jet of particles into space, emitting X-rays and gamma rays.
“But it’s also one of the most energetic and brightest explosions ever seen regardless of distance, which makes it doubly exciting,” says Pillera. It should be noted that despite its intensity and proximity, this GRB is not harmful to the Earth.
It is thought that one of the GRBs that exploded inside the Milky Way and its beam accidentally aimed directly at Earth could cause a mass extinction. Fortunately, GRBs are considered relatively rare events, with only a few events per galaxy every million years.
(wib)
