Could this fuzzy blob be the key to the whole
gamma-ray burst (GRB) mystery?
Astronomers the world over are now scrambling to determine the
true nature of the extended emission seen to the lower right of
the bright source in the above image.
The bright object in the center is rapidly fading - and thought
to be the first true optical counterpart to a GRB.
But is it housed in a galaxy? If
so, after the central emission has faded, this galaxy should be
identifiable. Today, follow up observations of this blob are
planned with the Hubble Space Telescope.
If the extended emission does come from a galaxy it would bolster
indications that the February 28th GRB
occurred in that galaxy, across the universe from us. This,
in turn, would imply that GRBs are
truly the most powerful explosions ever known.
