GRB 221009A

2022年10月15日

GRB 221009A
Image Credit: NASA, DOE, Fermi LAT Collaboration

Explanation: Gamma-ray burst GRB 221009A likely signals the birth of a new black hole, formed at the core of a collapsing star long ago in the distant universe. The extremely powerful blast is depicted in this animated gif constructed using data from the Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope. Fermi captured the data at gamma-ray energies, detecting photons with over 100 million electron volts. In comparison visible light photons have energies of about 2 electron volts. A steady, high energy gamma-ray glow from the plane of our Milky Way galaxy runs diagonally through the 20 degree wide frame at the left, while the transient gamma-ray flash from GRB 221009A appears at center and then fades. One of the brightest gamma-ray bursts ever detected GRB 221009A is also close as far as gamma-ray bursts go, but still lies about 2 billion light-years away. In low Earth orbit Fermi’s Large Area Telescope recorded gamma-ray photons from the burst for more than 10 hours as high-energy radiation from GRB 221009A swept over planet Earth last Sunday, October 9.

Tomorrow’s picture: barred spiral

GRB 221009A
影像提供: NASA, DOE, Fermi LAT Collaboration

说明: 伽玛射线爆发GRB 221009A可能是遥远宇宙，很久以前一颗恒星的核心发生塌缩形成新黑洞时所发出的讯号。这部使用费米伽玛射线太空望远镜数据建构的gif动画，就绘述了这例极其强大的爆炸。费米望远镜所记录的数据，其光子的能量超过1亿电子伏特。相较之下，可见光子的能量约为2电子伏特。在这片宽20度的视野里，来自我们银河系盘面的常态性高能伽玛射线辉光斜穿过左侧，而来自GRB 221009A的瞬态伽玛射线亮闪，则出现在中心然后再消失。GRB 221009A是迄今侦测到的最明亮伽玛射线爆发之一，同时也名列离我们最近的伽玛射线爆发事件之中，纵然如此它离我们仍然约有20亿光年远。在10月9日星期日，当GRB 221009A的高能辐射扫过地球之时，在低地球轨道上的费米大面积望远镜，所记录的这例事件之高能伽玛射线辐射持续了超过10个小时。

明日的图片: barred spiral