'Naked Eye' Gamma Ray Burst Was Aimed Squarely At Earth

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This artists concept shows the naked-eye GRB close up. Observations suggest material shot outward in a two-component jet (white and green beams). Credit: NASASwiftMary Pat Hrybyk-Keith and John Jones
This artist's concept shows the "naked-eye" GRB close up. Observations suggest material shot outward in a two-component jet (white and green beams). Credit: NASA/Swift/Mary Pat Hrybyk-Keith and John Jones

(PhysOrg.com) -- The brightest explosion ever seen was observed in March this year. Now a team of astronomers from around the world, including the University of Leicester, the Mullard Space Science Laboratory of University College London and Liverpool John Moores University, have combined their data from satellites and observatories to explain what happened.


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All News summaries for September 10, 2008

NASA Invites Students to Name New Mars Rover

Nov 18, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA is looking for the right stuff, or in this case, the right name for the next Mars rover. NASA, in cooperation with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures' movie WALL-E from Pixar Animation ...

Astronaut outside space station loses tool bag

Nov 18, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
(AP) -- A spacewalking astronaut whose grease gun erupted in a backpack-sized tool bag accidentally let go of the tote outside the international space station Tuesday, and it floated off along with everything ...

Calif. utilities must use 33 percent renewable energy for power generation by 2020

Nov 18, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
California utilities, already struggling to meet a law requiring more renewable energy, saw the bar raised even higher Monday.

Global warming predictions are overestimated, suggests study on black carbon

Nov 18, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
(PhysOrg.com) -- A detailed analysis of black carbon -- the residue of burned organic matter -- in computer climate models suggests that those models may be overestimating global warming predictions.

Scientists discover new planet orbiting dangerously close to giant star

Nov 18, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
A team of astronomers from Penn State and Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland has discovered a new planet that is closely orbiting a red-giant star, HD 102272, which is much older than our own Sun. The ...