http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0204/grb011211_hst.jpg

Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglow: Supernova Connection
Credit: HST Image: D.W. Fox, J.S. Bloom, S.R. Kulkarni (Caltech), et al.
XMM Result: J.N. Reeves, D. Watson, J.P. Osborne (University of Leicester), et al.
What causes the mysterious gamma-ray bursts? Indicated in this Hubble Space Telescope exposure of an otherwise unremarkable field in the constellation Crater, is the dwindling optical afterglow of a gamma-ray burst first detected by the Beppo-SAX satellite on 2001 December 11. The burst's host galaxy, billions of light-years distant, is the faint smudge extending above and to the left of the afterglow position. After rapidly catching the fading x-ray light from the burst with the orbiting XMM-Newton observatory, astronomers are now reporting the telltale signatures of elements magnesium, silicon, sulphur, argon, and calcium - material most likely found in an expanding debris cloud produced by the explosion of a massive star. The exciting result is evidence that the gamma-ray burst itself is linked to a very energetic supernova explosion which may have preceded the powerful flash of gamma-rays by up to a few days.

Hi wet1, interesting things these GRBs, I wonder if they detected a heap of neutrinos this time too. Hope it makes a nice nebula.

We had a real good show on TV here down under called catalyst.

There was a really awesome video footage of gas clouds forming stars and then exploding as hypernovas and collapsing into black holes as the source of the larger GRBs.

It was a combination of all the great photos you and I post all rolled back in time and then fast fowarded back to what we see now.

Hope I can find the short clips on the net someday, again it looked awesome to see those pictures we post moving and the sound track was great too even though you shouldn't hear it

<A HREF="http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s519689.htm" target=new><FONT COLOR=ff009 size=+1> Catalyst story </FONT></A>

Explosions of inconceivable power are tearing through the universe hundreds of times a day. Something out there was causing huge explosions blasting out deadly gamma rays. If the bursts were coming from beyond our galaxy then they had to be caused by something far bigger than science could explain.


Just found this pic from the movie.

<img src="http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/img/Deathstar_m371653.jpg">

This pic is clearer from here though just imagine the movie of it.

<img src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2001/pics/deathstar.jpg">

<A HREF="http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2001/deathstar.shtml" target=new><FONT COLOR=ff009 size=+1> BBC Horizon </FONT></A>

Out in deepest space lurks a force of almost unimaginable power. Explosions of extraordinary violence, are blasting through the Universe every day. If one ever struck our Solar System it would destroy our Sun and all the planets. For years no one could work out what was causing these awesome explosions. Now scientists think they have identified the culprit. It's the most extreme object ever found in the Universe; they have christened it a 'hypernova'.


<A HREF="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/bursts.html" target=new><FONT COLOR=ff009 size=+1> More on GRBs</FONT></A>

<img src="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/Images/basic/gamma/grb_animation.gif">

Awesome,
Thank you, John...