Short gamma-ray burst, illustration

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Illustration of a short gamma-ray burst (GRB). GRBs are high energy explosions that can either be long burst, lasting two seconds or more, or short burst, lasting less than two seconds. This GRB has formed from the merger of two neutron stars. Jets of high-speed particles created from the merger are thought to produce the initial gamma-ray burst (GRB). GRBs can only be detected if one of these jets is pointed towards Earth.

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Size: 3947px × 2220px
Location:
Photo credit: © NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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