Featured Image Credit: International Gemini Observatory/Timothy Hodgkinson / Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: Science, NASA, Twitter, Social Media, Space
Poppy Bilderbeck
Topics: Science, NASA, Twitter, Social Media, Space
NASA has revealed it recently detected the most powerful explosion in the universe, so strong it could be felt on Earth.
On Sunday, 9 October, 2022, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and Wind spacecraft picked up pulsations from an 'exceptional cosmic blast' which took place in the solar system.
The Gamma-Ray burst (GRB) - which is now being called GRB 221009A - is reported as being the most powerful of its kind ever detected.
Astrologers have since been left captivated by the blast and how it could have affected Earth.
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Gamma-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation and gamma-ray bursts are 'the most powerful class of explosions in the universe' and 'rank among the most luminous events known,' according to NASA.
GRB 221009A occurred 'from the direction of the constellation Sagitta' and travelled 'an estimated 1.9 billion years to reach Earth'.
It lasted for over 10 hours and its signal could be felt all the way back on Earth because of how close it is to our planet.
"Astronomers think it represents the birth cry of a new black hole, one that formed in the heat of a massive star collapsing under its own weight. In these circumstances, a nascent black hole drives powerful jets of particles traveling near the speed of light.
"The jets pierce through the star, emitting X-rays and gamma rays as they stream into space," NASA continues.
The explosion captivated astronomers globally due to its intense and striking bright light, not just the most powerful but also the brightest explosion of its kind to ever have been spotted from Earth.
PhD student Jillian Rastinejad from Northwestern University in Illinois told the New Scientist: "If we look at all of the gamma ray bursts that have been detected, this one stands apart.
"Informally, we’ve been calling it the BOAT – the brightest of all time."
Professor in astrophysics at Radboud University in the Netherlands, Andrew Levan, continued: "If you had gamma-ray eyes, you’d be blinded."
Thankfully, Earth wasn't harmed by the GRB, but if it had been any closer, it's reported the explosion could have caused some serious damage to the ozone layer and left the planet vulnerable to the Sun's powerful Ultra Violent (UV) rays.
However, the GRM was close enough to give astrologers a more detailed look.
Doctoral student at the Polytechnic University of Bari, Ital, Roberta Pillera, said: "This burst is much closer than typical GRBs, which is exciting because it allows us to detect many details that otherwise would be too faint to see.
"But it’s also among the most energetic and luminous bursts ever seen regardless of distance, making it doubly exciting."
It should be noted that such a Gamma-Ray explosion is extremely rare.
One so bright and powerful isn't expected to occur again for at least another thousand years.
So it's no wonder Rasinejad reflected: "It seems like pretty much every telescope in the world is starting to look at it."
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