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Space
Space
Science
Robert Lea

Astronomers catalog over 500 extremely powerful cosmic explosions

Charles Messier Earth
A purple yellow and blue burst of light intersected by a purple beam.

Astronomers have cataloged a stunning treasure trove of over 500 of the universe's most powerful explosions. 

These so-called gamma-ray bursts, or GRBs, are so energetic that if just one of them were to occur within 1,000 light-years of Earth, it could destroy our atmosphere with catastrophic results for life on our planet. Fortunately, however, the closest GRB in this new clutch of 535 observations is 77 million light-years away from Earth.

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