Scientists have finally solved the mystery of gamma ray bursts, the most violent explosions in the universe. Lasting a fraction of a second, they release 100,000,000,000,000 (100 trillion) times more energy than the Sun. But since they were first detected in 1970, scientists have wondered what exactly gamma ray bursts are.

Now, thanks to three satellites and four ground-based telescopes, they have figures out that the explosions occur when two neutron stars collide, or when a neutron star is swallowed by a black hole.

A neutron star is an old star that has burned off most of its fuel and collapsed under its own weight. Though they are only about 10 miles across, they weigh 1 1/2 times as much as the Sun. Gravity squeezes the atoms of together until the protons and electrons merge, forming neutrons.

Collisions between neutron stars can also create black holes. This study may give scientists their first chance to learn how black holes are formed.

All tags:

Tags : black holes, neutron star, gamma rays, explosions, explosives

How would you tag this story?

My tags:

A comma-separated list of terms describing this content. Example: funny, bungee jumping, "Company, Inc.".

• Email
• Delicious
• Digg
• Facebook
• Google
• Yahoo