Gamma-ray bursts seem to be the most powerful explosions in the Universe. Yet their sources continue to elude researchers who stand in awe and frustration at the bursts' transient, enigmatic behavior. The blinking gif above illustrates the latest hard-won result in the quest to identify and understand the nature of the bursters . The gamma-ray burst triggered satellite observatories on Sunday, December 14th. Though thousands of bursts have been detected by satellites sensitive to gamma rays, it is likely that this object represents only the third known optical counterpart to a gamma-ray burst .
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