Detected in December 2021, an incredible space explosion has finally been identified by the astronomers in charge of its study. Where she comes from ? How to explain the remarkable intensity produced by this cosmic event? All the answers are here. If some movies dealing with space can be over the top, the cosmos is second to none in terms of bombast compared to American blockbusters. Supermassive black holes, nebulae, red supergiants… These celestial objects, each one more impressive than the other, make us feel ridiculous before the gigantism of the stars.

cosmic vertigo And the more we see in space (we thank the James Webb Space Telescope for its incredible visual acuity), the more the feeling of vertigo increases. Today we are going to focus on this “outstanding” space explosion that fascinates astronomers. Detected in December 2021 by the NASA space observatory, the researchers established that it was a very high intensity gamma burst. This space explosion would come from a collision of stars with a black hole. Also read: TOP 10 of the most massive stars in our universe.

a black hole and a star Named GRB 211211A, the outburst apparently contained more infrared light, an indicator of the power of the cosmic explosion, than astronomers would normally expect to detect. This light would come from a kilo nova, the name given to the clash between these two astral giants. For information, kilonovae are extremely bright events but they are only equivalent to 10% of the brightness of a supernova. gamma burst and lights According to the group of scientists, including physicists from the University of Leicester, gamma-ray bursts are the most powerful explosions detectable in the universe. This, having lasted for about a minute, was particularly intense. “We don’t expect the mergers to last more than two seconds. However, it propelled a jet for almost a full minute.” explains Dr. Benjamin Gompertz, a professor at the University of Birmingham. A discovery who could tell us more about these powerful but still very enigmatic explosions.