Artist’s illustration of GRB 250702B (IMAGE)

Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)

Artist’s illustration of GRB 250702B

Caption

This artist’s illustration, which shows a high-speed jet of material being launched from a source that is embedded in a very dusty galaxy, depicts GRB 250702B — the longest gamma-ray burst that astronomers have ever observed. This powerful, extragalactic explosion was first detected on 2 July 2025. It exhibited repeated bursts that lasted over seven hours. Astronomers conducted rapid follow-up observations with multiple telescopes around the world and found that GRB 250702B resides in a large, extremely dusty galaxy. Their data support a range of progenitor scenarios, including interactions between a star and a black hole, or possibly a neutron star.

Credit

NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/M. Garlick

Usage Restrictions

Credit must be given to the creator.

License

CC BY

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