SUNSET: 
Focusing on the Brightest Gamma-ray Burst of All Time
Gamma-ray bursts are the most luminous explosions in the universe, and we’ve learned much about these superlative outbursts since their discovery in 1967.
Gamma-ray Burst Surprise
Gamma-ray bursts are generally thought to come in two flavors — supernovae or neutron star mergers. But new discoveries are blurring that line.
Brightest Gamma-Ray Burst Yet Lights Up the Sky
A recently detected gamma-ray burst GRB 221009A was so intense that it temporarily blinded instruments and disturbed Earth’s atmosphere.
Did Astronomers See a Distant, Dying Star? Or an Earth-bound Satellite?
What seemed a lucky break — the discovery of a gamma-ray burst in the most distant known galaxy — might instead be the flash of passing space debris. As satellites fill low-Earth orbit, such events might become common.
Milky Way Magnetar Spits Gamma Rays on Schedule
A Milky Way magnetar surprises astronomers by burping up gamma rays right when their predictions anticipated.
Astronomers Find Most Distant Gamma-ray Burst Yet
From the farthest-known galaxy in the observable universe comes the brightest and most energetic of events: a possible gamma-ray burst.
Gamma-ray Flash Heralds Birth of a Magnetar
What happens when two neutron stars don't add up to a black hole?
Astronomers See Extreme Photons from Collapsing Massive Stars
Astronomers have detected a long-sought signal from gamma-ray bursts — the highest-energy photons ever seen from these events.
Two Explosions with Similar Quirks
High-energy radiation released during the merger of two neutron stars last year has left astronomers puzzled. Could a burst of gamma rays from 2015 help us to piece together a coherent picture of both explosions?
GRBs: A New Standard Candle?
Astronomers might be on the brink of developing a new rung on the cosmic distance ladder.
Dead Stars Caught Colliding
Astronomers have detected a signal that looks like it's from two neutron stars crashing together. The observations could be solid evidence for the hypothesized culprits of short gamma-ray bursts.
