Cosmoview Episode 31: Astronomers Uncover Briefest Supernova-Powered Gamma-Ray Burst

Using the Gemini North telescope in Hawai‘i, astronomers identified the cause of a surprisingly short burst of gamma rays. The source was a supernova explosion, which usually produces a long gamma-ray burst (GRB). Astronomers now think that this and many other short GRBs are actually supernova-produced GRBs in disguise. They suspect these GRBs look shorter because their gamma-ray jets aren’t strong enough to completely escape the collapsing star.