Astronomers Detect Huge Cosmic Explosion; What Made It Happen?

Astronomers have detected a massive galactic explosion, and they believe it is a result of a black hole's collision with a star. The blast named GRB 211211A lasted for around 50 seconds and spewed copious gamma rays in a galaxy located around 1.1 billion light-years away.

NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope picked up the event in December last year, and it quickly caught the attention of the scientists. The explosion lasted way longer than other previously detected gamma-ray bursts, which indicates an event of staggering magnitude.

Time To Update Our Knowledge Of Star Deaths?

"We don't expect mergers to last more than about two seconds," said Benjamin Gompertz, co-author of a new study published in the journal Nature, as quoted by the BBC. "Somehow, this one powered a jet for almost a full minute."

For several years, astronomers have believed that such gamma-ray bursts only occur when massive stars collapse. However, this explosion could alter our knowledge of what we know about these rare and intense events. For instance, the light released by this explosion had way more infrared light than expected.

Researchers are also trying to theorize as to what may have caused this immensely powerful explosion. As per the team led by astrophysicist Jillian Rastinejad, the light could be a result of a kilonova, an event triggered when a neutron star collides with a black hole.

"This event looks unlike anything else we have seen before from a long gamma-ray burst," said Rastinejad in a statement. "Its gamma rays resemble those of bursts produced by the collapse of massive stars."

Spotting A Rare Sight In The Cosmos

The observation could alter some old notions in astrophysics. "When I entered the field 15 years ago, it was set in stone that long gamma-ray bursts come from massive star collapses," said Wen-fai Fong, a senior author of the study. "This unexpected finding not only represents a major shift in our understanding but also excitingly opens up a new window for discovery."

Kilonovae is a very rare occurring phenomenon in the universe, and spotting them is even more difficult as they tend to fade quickly. Thankfully, they leave behind a signature, as they "are powered by the radioactive decay of some of the heaviest elements in the universe," Rastinejad explained.

But with the latest observation of GRB 211211A, scientists could expand the scope of their research. The scientists are in hopes that NASA’s powerful James Webb Space Telescope could take a close at the phenomenon and offer more insights.