Media Information
 
 
 
Collection:
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Collection
Title:
BATSE GRB Final Sky Map
Explanation:
What causes the most powerful explosions in the universe? The BATSE [ http://gammaray.msf…] modules that flew on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory [ http://cossc.gsfc.n…] allowed more insight into enigmatic gamma-ray burst [ http://www.sciam.co…] (GRB) explosions than ever before. From 1991-2000, BATSE detected 2704 GRBs, much more than ever previously recorded. The above final sky map [ http://gammaray.msf…] of GRB locations (and fluence [ http://science.nasa…]) shows them to occur at random locations on the sky - strong evidence [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] that GRBs [ http://science.msfc…] occur across our universe and not in sky bands indicative of our Solar System [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] or our Galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. As with any successful mission, answers create more questions, and astronomers continue to puzzle over what object creates a GRB [ http://glast.gsfc.n…], and what happens in the initial stages of the explosion. BATSE [ http://www.batse.co…]'s legacy includes recording [ http://umbra.nascom…] 1190 gamma-ray flares from the Sun [ http://hesperia.gsf…] and the discovery of Terrestrial Gamma Flashes [ http://gammaray.msf…], unusual bursts of gamma rays [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] that emanate from the Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] itself. To protect people from an uncontrolled re-entry, Compton [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] was recently crashed [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] into the Pacific Ocean [ http://www.odci.gov…].
Credit and Copyright:
G. Fishman [ mailto:Jerry.Fishman @msfc.nasa.gov ] et al., BATSE [ http://gammaray.msf…], CGRO [ http://cossc.gsfc.n…], NASA [ http://www.nasa.gov]
keyword:
gamma-ray bursts
keyword:
BATSE
facet_where:
Pacific Ocean
facet_where:
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
facet_where:
Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
facet_what:
Earth
facet_what:
Sun
original url:
http://antwrp.gsfc.…
UID:
SPD-APOD-ap000628

BATSE GRB Final Sky Map
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