Researchers at the Shtenberg State Astronomical Institute of Moscow State University recorded an optical glow that arose after the powerful gamma-ray burst GRB 260207A. This phenomenon accompanies the death of massive, rapidly rotating stars.
The event was captured by the MASTER-OAFA robotic telescope installed in Argentina. Among space observatories, the FERMI telescope was the first to detect the burst.
Gamma-ray bursts are the brightest events in the Universe. In just a few seconds, more energy is released than the Sun emits over 10 billion years. In our galaxy, such phenomena are extremely rare, but they can be seen even from the distant outskirts of space. Following the burst, an optical afterglow arises — this is exactly what ground-based telescopes study.
The behavior of gamma-ray burst light curves several hours after the event is fairly well studied; however, it is the early observations that are of critical importance for understanding the mechanisms of release and radiation of such a gigantic amount of energy. The peculiarities of brightness variation, the nature of the gamma-ray burst fading, and even simply its duration make it possible to draw conclusions not only about the star that produced it, but also about the structure of our Universe as a whole.
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