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Science Astronomers see gamma-ray burst shot toward Earth halfway across Universe
Science Astronomers see gamma-ray burst shot toward Earth halfway across Universe | Astronomers see gamma-ray burst shot toward Earth halfway across Universe |
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| by William Atkins | |
| Friday, 12 September 2008 | |
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Page 3 of 3 The authors of the Nature paper reported that the jet expelled from the gamma-ray burst was shot directly toward Earth at "99.99995 percent the speed of light," where the speed of light is defined as being 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum. Featured Whitepaper
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Science DiscussionsIn addition, the wide-field optical camera TORTORA (sometimes also called the “Pi of the Sky”), which is mounted on the 0.6-meter REM telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile, recorded the event in the visible light part of the electromagnetic spectrum. (ESO stands for European Organization for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere.) The NASA news report also stated, “The team believes the jet directed toward Earth contained an ultra-fast component just 0.4 of a degree across. This core resided within a slightly less energetic jet about 20 times wider.” Dr. Racusin explained, “It's this wide jet that Swift usually sees from other bursts. Maybe every gamma-ray burst contains a narrow jet, too, but astronomers miss them because we don't see them head-on." Learn more about gamma-ray bursts at NASA’s website "Introduction to a Mystery." |
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