A team of astronomers has spotted a cosmic explosion that is truly one-of-a-kind. This event, known as a gamma-ray burst (GRB), happened outside the Milky Way and repeated several times over a day. GRBs are usually single events caused by massive stars dying, but this one, called GRB 250702B, is different.
Dr. Antonio Martin-Carrillo from University College Dublin led the study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. He shared that, “This event is unlike anything we’ve seen in 50 years of GRB research. Typically, these explosions only happen once because the star can’t survive such a violent end.” The repeating nature of this explosion raises many questions.
According to Dr. Martin-Carrillo, the explosion might have resulted from a star being torn apart by a black hole. This phenomenon, known as a tidal disruption event (TDE), is rare. He explained that for this to happen, the black hole might need to be an “intermediate mass black hole,” a type we’ve been looking for. If true, this would be a groundbreaking discovery.
Most GRBs last only a few milliseconds to a few minutes. However, GRB 250702B lasted about a day—100 to 1,000 times longer than typical bursts. Professor Andrew Levan from Radboud University noted that this extended duration adds another layer to its mystery.
On July 2, 2025, NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detected this extraordinary activity. It struggled to locate it precisely, but a day earlier, another spacecraft, the Einstein Probe, also spotted signs of the burst. The European Southern Observatory then utilized the Very Large Telescope (VLT) to narrow down its origins. Remarkably, they found it was from a different galaxy entirely, which greatly amplified its power and importance, according to Dr. Martin-Carrillo.
This discovery hints at the potential existence of new types of celestial phenomena. The host galaxy of the burst is believed to be billions of light-years away, further emphasizing the scale of the event. Current studies are using a variety of advanced telescopes, including the James Webb Space Telescope, to gather more insights.
As scientists probe deeper into this event, they hope to unravel more about its origins and implications. “Understanding this event could reshape our knowledge of cosmic explosions and black holes,” Dr. Martin-Carrillo stated. Researchers are excited but also aware of the challenges ahead. Comprehensive data collection will be vital to understand this unique cosmic phenomenon.
For those interested in the details, the original study can be found in The Astrophysical Journal Letters here: The day long, repeating GRB 250702B: A unique extragalactic transient.
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