A computer combines the four images into one and compares the scene with previous images to help locate the burst. The optical emission from GRB 990123 was so bright that it would have been visible through a pair of binoculars or a small amateur telescope - if the observer knew where to look. Many amateur astronomers have telescopes that can reach very faint magnitudes. Given what we known now about 990123 it seems possible that skilled amateurs, by monitoring GRB positions and searching for new counterparts, might be able to make an important contribution to gamma-ray burst research. One of the strengths of amateur astronomers is their ability to monitor positions and objects in the sky for long periods of time.
Amateurs also make important contributions to searches for new comets, asteroids, and supernovae.
T he next frontier for amateur research may be gamma-ray bursts. Amateurs could then train their telescopes on the GRB coordinates and begin monitoring. One of the things that we'd expect from gamma-ray bursts that are located at the far corners of the Universe would be a 'gravitational lens' signature in at least a few of the bursts. We've been looking, but so far haven't seen such an event. University of Michigan T he basic idea behind gravitational lensing is that radiation from the burst is distorted and focused by the gravitational force of galaxies that lie between the Earth and the burst.