The collision produced a gamma-ray burst that is one of the largest ever observed by astronomers.

The Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope (FGST) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) allowed scientists to make an important astronomical discovery. Astronomers have recorded one of the most powerful explosions in space to date and estimate that the explosion produced a large amount of tellurium (a rare and toxic semi-metal) equivalent in mass to 300 Earth. This discovery is an important step toward understanding how heavy metals form in the Universe. Astronomers first noticed the super-bright gamma-ray burst on March 7, when an indistinguishable stream of photons hit the Fermi Observatory. Scientists were surprised at the duration of this burst: most gamma-ray bursts last from a few milliseconds to a few seconds, but this one lasted 200 seconds. Then reports of this sustained explosion began coming in from around the world, which has since been named GRA 230307A. Satellites scattered throughout the solar system also recorded the gamma-ray burst, which eventually helped astronomers locate it in the southern constellation Mensa.

The Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope (FGST) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) allowed scientists to make an important astronomical discovery. Astronomers have recorded one of the most powerful explosions in space to date and estimate that the explosion produced a large amount of tellurium (a rare and toxic semi-metal) equivalent in mass to 300 Earth. This discovery is an important step toward understanding how heavy metals form in the Universe. Astronomers first noticed the super-bright gamma-ray burst on March 7, when an indistinguishable stream of photons hit the Fermi Observatory. Scientists were surprised at the duration of this burst: most gamma-ray bursts last from a few milliseconds to a few seconds, but this one lasted 200 seconds. Then reports of this sustained explosion began coming in from around the world, which has since been named GRA 230307A. Satellites scattered throughout the solar system also recorded the gamma-ray burst, which eventually helped astronomers locate it in the southern constellation Mensa.

Astronomers then used the JWST telescope to study GRA 230307A in more detail. The Webb telescope not only confirmed that the explosion occurred about 900 million light-years away, but also revealed large amounts of tellurium, a heavy semi-metal that is extremely rare on Earth but is actually found very rarely. many everywhere in the universe. This finally confirmed that GRAPH 230307A is the result of a neutron star merger; While most stars can only produce lighter elements like iron, neutron stars can produce heavier elements. Astronomers estimate that the merger created a mass of tellurium equivalent to 300 Earths. The results of this international work were published last week in the journal Nature. “This discovery represents an important step forward in our understanding of where heavy elements are created in the Universe and demonstrates the possibility of important combinations,” said study co-author Benjamin Schneider. observed at different wavelengths to reveal new information about these powerful explosions.” . Massachusetts Institute of Technology.