Swift, Gemini probe mysterious explosion in the distant past

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Swifts UltravioletOptical Telescope captured this image of the afterglow of GRB 070714B the farthest short gamma-ray burst with a measured distance. Credit: Credit: Swift TeamUVOTNASA
Swift’s Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope captured this image of the afterglow of GRB 070714B, the farthest short gamma-ray burst with a measured distance. Credit: Credit: Swift Team/UVOT/NASA

Using the powerful one-two combo of NASA’s Swift satellite and the Gemini Observatory, astronomers have detected a mysterious type of cosmic explosion farther back in time than ever before. The explosion, known as a short gamma-ray burst (GRB), took place 7.4 billion years ago, more than halfway back to the Big Bang.


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