Brightest ever gamma-ray burst illuminates Milky Way like never before

Telescopes in space and on Earth have observed the brightest gamma-ray burst ever. The data from this rare event could contribute to a better understanding of the colossal explosions that cause gamma-ray bursts. Hundreds of astronomers took part in the study, including Andrew Levan and his Radboud University group. Levan led the observations with the Webb and Hubble space telescopes. The results are described in a series of articles published today in Astrophysical Journal Letters. The gamma and X-ray emissions from the burst provide new insight into how jets of material accelerate and can even illuminate 20 dust clouds in our galaxy. However, one mystery remains: the remains of the exploded star that caused the gamma-ray burst seem to have disappeared without a trace.