Skip to comments.
Record-Breaking X-Ray Blast, So Bright It Blinded Space Observatory Briefly
Space.com ^
| 07/14/2010
| Space.com
Posted on 07/14/2010 4:54:38 PM PDT by The Magical Mischief Tour
A violent cosmic explosion has unleashed the brightest blast of X-rays ever detected from distant space, a signal so bright it temporary blinded the NASA space telescope assigned to spot it.
The powerful explosion, called a gamma-ray burst, was detected by NASA's Swift observatory, scientists announced Wednesday. Gamma-ray bursts are narrow beams of intense radiation shot out when stars explode in supernovas. In addition to gamma-ray light, they also produce X-rays and other forms of radiation, including visible light.
This recent event, dubbed GRB 100621A, was particularly powerful.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: catastrophism; science; stringtheory; xplanets
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-46 next last
To: The Magical Mischief Tour
So the question I need answered is...
Do I need to go buy a new microwave, or just toss my TV dinner up on the roof and bring the dog inside?
To: The Magical Mischief Tour
Swift's measurements showed that the burst emitted 143,000 X-ray photons per second during its short period of greatest brightness. That's more than 140 times brighter than the brightest continuous X-ray source in the sky a neutron star that releases a steady 10,000 X-ray photons per second. How does this math work? And does this mean emitted in all directions all told or per so much angular area or at the telescope or what?
3
posted on
07/14/2010 4:59:19 PM PDT
by
HiTech RedNeck
(I am in America but not of America (per bible: am in the world but not of it))
To: The Magical Mischief Tour
If the gamma ray burst is close enough it would fry the earth.
4
posted on
07/14/2010 4:59:32 PM PDT
by
C19fan
To: SunkenCiv
5
posted on
07/14/2010 5:00:31 PM PDT
by
KoRn
(Department of Homeland Security, Certified - "Right Wing Extremist")
To: The Magical Mischief Tour
This still sounds like an awful feeble beam as light sources that are noticeable by humans go. Don’t worry about the dog and keep using your microwave.
6
posted on
07/14/2010 5:02:32 PM PDT
by
HiTech RedNeck
(I am in America but not of America (per bible: am in the world but not of it))
To: The Magical Mischief Tour
It’s cool, I keep[ my tin-foil cap close at hand for just these moments............
To: The Magical Mischief Tour
Do I need to go buy a new microwave, or just toss my TV dinner up on the roof and bring the dog inside? Turn up the AC, and if you have some handy, layer your roof with 6 meters of solid lead.
Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.
8
posted on
07/14/2010 5:13:34 PM PDT
by
The Comedian
(Evil can only succeed if good men don't point at it and laugh.)
To: HiTech RedNeck
How does this math work?The author needs a refresher course in multiplication...
9
posted on
07/14/2010 5:15:38 PM PDT
by
Zeppo
("Happy Pony is on - and I'm NOT missing Happy Pony")
To: The Magical Mischief Tour
so the light or the gamma rays impacted our satellite (and us) on Summer Solstice, June 21st? that date is quite a coincidence! any crop circles predict it? (thumbing through calendar to see where dogs were that day....)
10
posted on
07/14/2010 5:18:46 PM PDT
by
blueplum
To: HiTech RedNeck
The burst is directional and narrow as it propagates from the polar regions of the nova or supernova. If concentrated enough, a gamma ray burst would devastate life on earth.
To: The Magical Mischief Tour
Light from this explosion traveled through space for 5 billion years before slamming into Swift, overwhelming its X-ray camera. The observatory, launched in November 2004, was designed specifically to hunt for gamma-ray bursts, though scientists didn't count on a blast quite so strong. How could they possibly know the date of origin?
12
posted on
07/14/2010 5:20:22 PM PDT
by
raybbr
(Someone who invades another country is NOT an immigrant - illegal or otherwise.)
To: The Magical Mischief Tour
So that’s why my solar cells have really been cranking out the watts...
13
posted on
07/14/2010 5:21:06 PM PDT
by
Errant
To: Zeppo
Or there is some per-XYZ conversion factor in there that is not being mentioned.
14
posted on
07/14/2010 5:21:08 PM PDT
by
HiTech RedNeck
(I am in America but not of America (per bible: am in the world but not of it))
To: The Magical Mischief Tour
So, are we all sterile now?
To: The Magical Mischief Tour
Of course the explosion probably happened 20 million years ago.
16
posted on
07/14/2010 5:24:02 PM PDT
by
The Duke
To: raybbr
The standard calculations of old-universe, big-bang cosmology are implied here. It's explained at various old earth creationist sites as
www.reasons.org
17
posted on
07/14/2010 5:24:56 PM PDT
by
HiTech RedNeck
(I am in America but not of America (per bible: am in the world but not of it))
To: The Magical Mischief Tour
If a Gamma Ray Burster is ever close enough to cook a dinner you won't really need to
worry about where to eat it.
18
posted on
07/14/2010 5:29:13 PM PDT
by
Nateman
(If liberals are not screaming you are doing it wrong!)
To: raybbr
They base it on the gulf oil rig explosion times the number of days till obama is out of office divided by the number of days it has been leaking then the you take the number of states 57 whichever is bigger
19
posted on
07/14/2010 5:31:13 PM PDT
by
al baby
(Hi Mom sarc ;))
To: raybbr
I would guess like Hubble did with visible red shift there is a similiar doppler effect in the EM spectrum of these bursts.
20
posted on
07/14/2010 5:33:14 PM PDT
by
C19fan
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-46 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson