Naked-Eye Visible GRB: Witnessing Halfway Across All Creation

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around a gamma-ray burst (GRB) that occurred on March 19th, which was notable for being visible to the naked eye despite its distance of 7.5 billion light years from Earth. Participants explore the implications of this event, including its brightness, duration, and the potential effects on Earth.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes the extraordinary energy output of the GRB, stating it was a million trillion times more than the Sun's total energy output over its lifetime.
  • Another participant expresses excitement about analyzing radio observations related to the event, indicating a focus on data analysis in the context of GRBs.
  • Questions arise regarding the visibility of the GRB, with participants inquiring about photographs and the duration of its visibility in the sky.
  • There is a discussion about the burst's duration, with one participant clarifying that the gamma-ray burst lasted about 60 seconds, while the optical observations are part of the afterglow.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential gamma-ray radiation reaching Earth, with one participant questioning its significance and another responding that the burst occurred far away and that Earth's atmosphere provides protection from gamma rays.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express curiosity and excitement about the GRB, but there are differing views on the implications of its visibility and potential effects on Earth. The discussion includes both questions and clarifications, indicating that some aspects remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific measurements such as the redshift of the burst (z = 0.937) and the protective role of Earth's atmosphere, but the discussion does not resolve the broader implications of the event.

Who May Find This Useful

Astronomy enthusiasts, astrophysicists, and those interested in gamma-ray bursts and their effects on Earth may find this discussion relevant.

DaveC426913
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On March 19th at 2:20AM** http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2008/03/20/naked-eye-visible-grb/". In the few seconds this object flared, it put out a million, million, million times more energy than the Sun will in its entire 10 billion year lifetime.

This occurred very, very far away, but it was so bright that it was visible to the naked eye. The object's intrinsic brightness is almost inconceivable.

Until March 19th, the farthest object visible to the naked eye was galaxy M33, at a modest 2.9 million light years away. This Gamma Ray burst occurred 7.5 billion light years away - and was visible to the naked eye.

That's 7.5 billion light years.

The universe is only 13 billion light years wide.


This GRB was an object powerful enough to be naked-eye visible from halfway across all Creation.



** (Not quite the same day, but almost exactly 24 hours after the death of Arthur C. Clarke.)
 
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My entire team is very excited. One of us (not me! :biggrin:) had to wake up very early this morning to analyze a radio observation. Unfortunately, I've been too swamped with other things to take a look at it (I analyze X-ray data primarily).
 
Any pictures of when it happened? How long was it visible in the sky for? I would hate to think nobody was looking into the sky when it happened.
 
bassplayer142 said:
Any pictures of when it happened? How long was it visible in the sky for? I would hate to think nobody was looking into the sky when it happened.

Great frame animation: http://grb.fuw.edu.pl/pi/ot/grb080319b/normal.html

The gamma-ray burst itself lasted about 60 seconds. The optical observations are actually part of the afterglow, which occurs after the burst.
 
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Was there significant gamma ray radiation found on Earth because of this. Obviously this didn't wipe out everything
 
bassplayer142 said:
Was there significant gamma ray radiation found on Earth because of this. Obviously this didn't wipe out everything

No, the burst occurred far from us (redshift z = 0.937), and Earth's atmosphere protects us from gamma-rays. High-energy observations are conducted by space-based telescopes.
 

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