chandra_192 November 3rd, 2000
Credit: NASA/CNR/L.Piro et al.
An international team of researchers used the Chandra X-ray Observatory to detect never-before-seen properties in the X-ray afterglow of a gamma-ray burst (GRB). GRBs are mysterious blasts of high-energy radiation, believed to be the most powerful explosions in the universe. Chandra's latest discovery of iron emission lines from the ejected material surrounding GRB991216 strengthens the case for a "hypernova" model for GRBs. In this theory, GRBs are caused by massive stars that collapse under their own weight, releasing gigantic amounts of energy.
Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory
Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2000/0596/
Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA
Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html
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