Exploring Gamma Ray Bursts

In 1963, superpowers signed a test ban treaty to limit the arms race. To ensure compliance, the U.S. developed VILA satellites equipped with sensors to detect nuclear detonations. These satellites unexpectedly detected gamma ray bursts from deep space, leading researchers to investigate their origins. Gamma rays, previously associated with nuclear events, were found to come from distant cosmic sources, releasing immense energy. This discovery prompted the launch of the Swift satellite in 2004 to study these bursts further. Swift recently detected a gamma ray burst from 13 billion light years away, marking it as the most distant known feature in the universe.

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