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Article: News Flash: Astronomers Demystify Gamma-Ray Bursts.(birth of black holes)
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- July 10, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Brightest lights may herald the birth of black holes
For a few brief shining moments, a gamma-ray burst radiates more light than anything else in the universe does. Then the light vanishes, never to be seen again.
For 3 decades, astronomers have puzzled over the nature of these fleeting powerhouses. A growing body of evidence now suggests that the brightest events in the cosmos signify the birth of its very darkest inhabitants. Gamma-ray bursts may herald the formation of the dense, collapsed stars known as black holes.
"After 30 years, the mystery of gamma-ray bursts has been partially resolved," says Tsvi Piran of Hebrew University in ...