An unusual stellar explosion observed on April 27, 2013 by NASA’s Swift satellite is the brightest gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever recorded, says a multinational team of astronomers. Optical afterglow of GRB 130427A. Image credit: J. Mats / H. Lars / H. Patrik. The event, labeled GRB 130427A, produced a jet of matter moving close to the speed of light, which was formed when a massive star collapsed to make a black hole at its center. As a result,...
