These may be so-called hyper novae, which are exploding stars with perhaps 50 times the mass of our sun. However, if they grow up to become gamma-ray bursts, earthly observers at great distances can detect the gamma rays they emit. The Feb. 22 blast occurred 10 billion light-years from Earth, Piro told Reuters. Only 3,000 gamma-ray bursts have been detected thus far. Of those, scientists only know the locations of about 40.
Scientists believe they occur at the rate of about one a day somewhere in the universe.
These bursts are also believed to be the most highly energetic events after the Big Bang that, according to scientists, gave rise to the universe as we know it. Unfortunately, if a gamma-ray burst occurred at the center of our Milky Way galaxy and was aimed at Earth, the planet would be bombarded with 100,000 times as much energy as we normally get from the sun, with fatal consequences for everything on the planet. Scientists do not know how often such an explosion might occur in our galaxy. Archives - Archives of past weeks' Daily Selected News Stories. All Rights Reserved.