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What are GRBs?
- Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are very bright flashes of gamma rays.
- Gamma rays are the highest-energy form of light in the electromagnetic spectrum.
- They have very short wavelengths and very high frequencies.
- Gamma rays have wavelengths shorter than 10 picometers (1×10⁻¹¹ m) and frequencies higher than 30 exahertz (3×10¹⁹ Hz).
- They happen when massive stars die or when neutron stars/black holes collide.
- GRBs were considered the strongest explosions in the universe until ENTs were found.
- They release huge energy but only for a few seconds or minutes.
What are ENTs?
- Transients are celestial events where brightness changes quickly.
- An event happens when a supermassive black hole rips apart a very massive star (≥ 3 times the Sun).
- The debris of the star falls into the black hole (accretion), producing an enormous explosion.
- They shine so strongly that they remain visible in radio wavelengths for years.
How Powerful Are They?
- ENTs release up to 10 times more energy than GRBs.
- They are now considered the biggest explosions since the Big Bang.
Discovery:
- First spotted in data from the Gaia spacecraft (European Space Agency).
- Later confirmed with ground telescopes and surveys like the Zwicky Transient Facility (California, USA).
Why in News?
- Astronomers have found Extreme Nuclear Transients (ENTs), explosions more powerful than Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs).
