Huge gamma ray burst.....One of the biggest ever

[Solar_observer]

http://tl.gd/lntc5c

http://earthsky.org/space/record-setting-blast-of-gamma-rays-from-a-dying-star

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[Solar_observer]

Not sure of that link works properly guys. If not please delete.

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[Solar_observer]

Hmmmm seems to be. Going to be watching this with interest. There expecting to see supernova remains over the next couple of weeks.

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[rory]

interesting , thanks for the link.

[Solar_observer]

Just happy the link works, never posted one before from my mobile :-)

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[JamesF]

Looks like the supernova could be nicely positioned for viewing from the UK too.

James

[Solar_observer]

It does James between the plough and Leo, really will placed. There one thing I don't understand, the burst is so far away I thought it takes years for the visible event to reach us. So how can they say it's just a matter of weeks? Or am I missing something?

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[JamesF]

The gamma rays should take exactly the same amount of time to reach us as the visible light. I wonder if the reason it isn't visible at the moment is that something is blocking the less energetic radiation. I'm really not sure about that. I did wonder when reading the article. If the source is 3.6bn light years away then the (assumed) supernova happened 3.6bn years ago. All the electromagnetic radiation should be reaching us now, be it gamma, X-ray, UV, visible or IR.

James

[Solar_observer]

It's fascinating too say the least, it's a sure story to follow.

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[Beulah]

Fascinating, thanks for the heads up. Links worked fine, the article was a great read. Ideally placed for UK observers!

[Paul M]

There one thing I don't understand, the burst is so far away I thought it takes years for the visible event to reach us. So how can they say it's just a matter of weeks? Or am I missing something?

I'm a bit rusty and it's years since I read much astrophysics, but...

The gamma rays are released by the nuclear/quantum events happening in the stars collapsing core. That is where the supernova event takes place.

The core collapses but we don't see it immediately because it's obscured by the outer layers of the star. As the intense radiation propagates through the outer layers of the star they are subsequently heated to staggeringly high temperatures and are blasted off into space.

It's the super heated gas/plasma of the outer layers that we see as the supernova.

As they expand through space they cool and eventually leave the kind of remnant we observe at the location of known historical supernovae such as the crab nebula.

So right now at the site of this GRB the progenitor star is being torn apart from the inside but it takes time...

I read somewhere once that the outer layers of our sun are heated by nuclear reactions that took place tens (hundreds?) of years ago. It take a long time for radiation and convection to transport the energy to the surface.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Interesting stuff, thanks for posting.

I did just add the direct link, as the other link did not work for me.

[Solar_observer]

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/06/opinion/urry-gamma-ray-burst/index.html?iref=allsearch bit more info on this grb.

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[Solar_observer]

Yesssssssssssssss and my link works like a treat this time :-)

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