So, we saw a gamma radiation explosion in space. And it happens to be 13.14 billion light-years away, which means this explosion happened before the universe was out of diapers, and that it was massive.
How massive? Well, we could see it from several billion light years away. It lasted for about ten seconds but was brighter than the sun by about a million million times (don’t look at us, that’s the actual scientific estimate. This thing was BRIGHT.)
Beyond being neat, why is this important? Analyzing this blast can tell us both why space, like Bruce Banner’s pants, seems prone to gamma-ray bursts and also possibly get insights into the origins of the universe, answering questions that aren’t explained by examining the clothing of fictional characters.
Also, big freakin’ space explosions are awesome. It’s just a rule.
[ via the Farm Film Report at Space.com ]