"Gamma-Ray Bursts: The Universe's Most Violent Cosmic Explosions"
Published: January 9, 2026
Duration: 1:51
# This is your Astronomy Tonight podcast.
Good evening, stargazers! It's January 9th, and we've got a celestial anniversary that'll make you want to dust off those telescopes and bundle up for some serious nighttime observing.
On this date in 1992, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory detected something absolutely mind-bending: a **gamma-ray burst** that lasted only a few seconds but released more energy than our Sun will produce in its entire 10-billion-year lifetime. We're talking about the kind of cosmic violence that makes supernovae look like birthday candles!
For decades, these gamma-ray bursts were among astronomy's...
Good evening, stargazers! It's January 9th, and we've got a celestial anniversary that'll make you want to dust off those telescopes and bundle up for some serious nighttime observing.
On this date in 1992, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory detected something absolutely mind-bending: a **gamma-ray burst** that lasted only a few seconds but released more energy than our Sun will produce in its entire 10-billion-year lifetime. We're talking about the kind of cosmic violence that makes supernovae look like birthday candles!
For decades, these gamma-ray bursts were among astronomy's...