UAE astronomers detect cosmic explosion

Astronomers from the Al Hatim Observatory, located in the desert of Abu Dhabi, on 25 August recorded a powerful cosmic explosion. The observatory became the third in the world to publish the results of this event.

Gamma-ray bursts, first detected by NASA’s Swift and Fermi space telescopes, are likely the result of the cosmic explosion of a massive star (more than 20 times the mass of the Sun) in a galaxy more than 6 billion light years away from us.

The phenomenon, dubbed GRB 240825A, was discovered by the Emirates Observatory through the observation of optical afterglow.

Nidhal Ghoussoum, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the American University of Sharjah, and Mohammed Shaukat Odeh, Director of the International Astronomy Centre, said that this work is part of the cooperation between the International Astronomy Centre and the American University of Sharjah.

Odeh explained that after receiving notification from NASA Space Telescopes at 20:48 UAE time, the Al Hatim Observatory telescope was pointed at the source of gamma rays and X-rays. After two hours of observation, visible light was recorded, allowing its brightness to be measured, and the results were immediately sent to NASA.

The findings indicate a rapid fading of the afterglow, which the researchers will study in the coming days and weeks. Such observations help scientists understand the evolution of massive stars, the first moments of their demise and the different types of radiation they produce.

Source: WAM