A record-breaking gamma-ray burst detected in October 2022 has now been described as a one-in-a-thousand years event.
GRB 221009A was first detected on 9 October 2022, and was initially thought to be a less powerful flash of X-rays from a relatively nearby source. Follow-up, however, revealed that the flash of light traveled from much farther than first thought – 2.4 billion light-years – meaning that it was also much more powerful than first thought.
Light echoes from the gamma-ray burst, produced by the light traveling through thick dust as it moves towards us, creating an"expanding ring" effect. led by Maia Williams of Pennsylvania State University, a team of astronomers found that the X-ray afterglow of GRB 221009A in the immediate aftermath of the burst was the brightest ever detected by the Swift observatory, by an order of magnitude.
What makes the GRB truly peculiar is the evolution of the afterglow, which doesn't fit the standard theory. Gamma-ray bursts are typically followed by the glow of electrons moving at near-light speeds. Referred to as a synchrotron emission, it's the result of the shocks that form as the initial explosion slams into the interstellar medium.
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