Gamma-ray Burst Captured by Integral's IBIS Instrument (IMAGE)

European Space Agency

Gamma-ray Burst Captured by Integral's IBIS Instrument

Caption

Integral's IBIS instrument captured the gamma-ray burst (GRB) of Dec. 19, 2004, that Philippe Laurent and colleagues have now analyzed in detail. It was so bright that Integral could also measure its polarization, allowing Laurent and colleagues to look for differences in the signal from different energies. The GRB shown here, on Nov. 25, 2002, was the first captured using such a powerful gamma-ray camera as Integral's. When they occur, GRBs shine as brightly as hundreds of galaxies each containing billions of stars.

Credit

ESA/SPI Team/ECF

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