Unexplained Cosmic Outburst |
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Written by spacetravel.org
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Saturday, 25 February 2006 18:57 |
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Astronomers using NASAs Swift Telescope detected a new type of cosmic outburst very close to the Milky Way, in the constellation Aries, on 18 February. So far, nobody has been able to explain exactly what it is.
The event looks something like a gamma ray bust and has been catalogued GRB 060218. But it was much closer and lasted much longer than gamma ray bursts usually do. Most gamma ray bursts are billions of light-years away, while this outburst was only about 440 million light-years away. Most gamma ray bursts last less than a second or just a few seconds, but this lasted about 33 minutes. This outburst was also dimmer than most gamma ray bursts.
Italian researchers using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile have found signs in the optical afterglow that the outburst may become a supernova. If so, it should reach peak brightness in about a week.
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