Scientists are baffled by a powerful and long-lasting gamma ray explosion outside our galaxy
This image provided by the European Southern Observatory shows a powerful explosion, orange dot at the center of the image, that repeated several times over the course of a day, The image, taken with ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), allowed astronomers to determine that the explosion didn't take place in the Milky Way but in another galaxy. Credit: AP/Uncredited
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Scientists have discovered a gamma ray explosion outside our galaxy that’s not only exceptionally powerful, but also long-lasting.
Telescopes on Earth and in space — including Hubble — have teamed up to study the unique explosion of high-energy radiation first observed in July. Astronomers reported Tuesday it's unlike anything they've witnessed before.
The repeated bursts of gamma rays were detected over the course of a day, according to scientists. That’s highly unusual since these kinds of bursts normally last just minutes or even milliseconds — rarely no more than a few hours — as dying stars collapse or are torn apart by black holes.
Scientists said such a long and recurrent gamma ray explosion is puzzling — a cosmic whodunit, at least for now. More observations are needed to confirm its precise whereabouts.
The European-led team announced its findings in the Astrophysical Journal Letters in August.
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