Once a gamma-ray burst is detected from space, other telescopes take a look. Here, the fading infrared afterglow of GRB 090423 appears in the center of this false-color image taken with the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii. The burst is the farthest cosmic explosion yet seen. Credit: Gemini Observatory/NSF/AURA, D. Fox and A. Cucchiara (Penn State Univ.) and E. Berger (Harvard Univ.)
2 posted on
04/28/2009 8:56:35 AM PDT by
NormsRevenge
(Semper Fi ... Godspeed.)
To: NormsRevenge
The gamma-ray burst came from about 13 billion light-years away, and represents a relic from when the universe was just 630 million years old. I suppose this could be accurate, but I find it surprising. It seems almost like watching the Big Bang occur.
3 posted on
04/28/2009 8:57:51 AM PDT by
ClearCase_guy
(American Revolution II -- overdue)
To: NormsRevenge
How was it determined that this was “about 13 billion light-years away”?
4 posted on
04/28/2009 8:58:01 AM PDT by
DuncanWaring
(The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
To: NormsRevenge
"Yeah, and that'll lead you to another clue. And that's all you'll ever find, is another clue."
To: NormsRevenge
"So astronomers are seeing this particular burst as it existed 13 billion years ago, because the light took that long to reach Earth observers." Ummmm....I don't get it. If this is right, we are assuming that the universe was as large (the expansion from 13 billion years) as it is today.
8 posted on
04/28/2009 9:13:17 AM PDT by
mosaicwolf
(Strength and Honor)
To: NormsRevenge
Can someone explain to this layman how a start can form and explode within 630million years, while our star has existed for at least 4.5 billion years?
9 posted on
04/28/2009 9:14:31 AM PDT by
thefrankbaum
(Ad maiorem Dei gloriam)
To: AdmSmith; bvw; callisto; ckilmer; dandelion; ganeshpuri89; gobucks; KevinDavis; Las Vegas Dave; ...
34 posted on
04/28/2009 10:15:07 AM PDT by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
To: KevinDavis; annie laurie; garbageseeker; Knitting A Conundrum; Viking2002; Ernest_at_the_Beach; ...
35 posted on
04/28/2009 10:15:23 AM PDT by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
To: 75thOVI; aimhigh; Alice in Wonderland; AndrewC; aragorn; aristotleman; Avoiding_Sulla; BBell; ...
One of those rare hat-trick topics...
36 posted on
04/28/2009 10:15:59 AM PDT by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson
