The most energetic burst, GRB 971214, was detected December 14, 1997. Astronomers measured the distance to a faint galaxy from which the burst originated. While gamma ray bursts last only a few seconds, their afterglows can be studied for several months. By analyzing afterglows, astronomers have discovered that the bursts do not originate within our own galaxy, the Milky Way, but are associated with extremely distant galaxies. The Hubble images of GRB 971214 confirmed the association of the burst s afterglow with a faint galaxy.
Astronomers still don t understand the origins of gamma ray bursts.
Theories suggest they happen where vigorous star formation takes place. Whatever are the origins of gamma ray bursts, the Telescope has observed many of them, and in nearly every case they have been found to be associated with faint host galaxies.