This Is The #1 Threat To Humanity from Space

Subscribe to get the most important science story of the week: bit.ly/newnaturechannel
Help me make science accessible, enjoyable, and awe-inspiring for everyone: patreon.com/NewNature

The gamma-ray burst GRB 221009A, also known as the Brightest of All Time (BOAT), represents the most powerful space explosion ever witnessed by humans. This cosmic event, caused by the death and subsequent collapse of a massive star into a black hole, challenges our understanding of black hole formation and the nature of the universe's brightest explosions. The explosion produced a structured jet surrounded by a wider outflow of gas, and its afterglow remained visible months later, suggesting a complex interaction between the collapsing star and the jet. This record-breaking event offers a unique opportunity to address fundamental questions about black hole formation, energy dynamics, and dark matter models.

References and further reading:
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/acc39…
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adi1405
academic.oup.com/mnrasl/advance-article-abstract/d…

Footage credit: ‪@DeutschesElektronenSynchrotron‬

#sciencenews