Scientists Worldwide Race to Observe Fading Gamma-Ray Burst

Scientists have seen the afterglow of a gamma-ray burst just nine minutes after the explosion, a result of precision coordination and fast slewing of ground-based telescopes upon detection of the burst by NASA's High-Energy Transient Explorer (HETE) satellite.

The quick turnaround has so far allowed scientists to determine a minimum distance to the explosion, which likely marks the creation of a black hole. Results continue to pour in, as nearly 100 telescopes in 11 countries have tracked the burst.

The burst was detected on Friday, Oct. 4, at 8:06 a.m. EDT. The Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory observed the afterglow on the following day, and another Hubble observation is planned for later this week. These and other observations are providing valuable clues to the mysterious nature of gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions known.

For more information on the observing of afterglow of a gamma-ray burst, visit: http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20021008heteburst.html