Cosmic Discoveries: Longest Gamma-Ray Burst and Supernova Insights

Astronomers have made significant cosmic discoveries, including the longest gamma-ray burst ever recorded, known as GRB 250702B. Detected on July 2, 2025, by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, this explosion lasted an astounding seven hours, nearly double the duration of the previous record-holder.

The burst may originate from an elusive intermediate-mass black hole devouring a star, as suggested by researchers at George Washington University and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The host galaxy is billions of light-years away and has a higher mass than those of other GRBs.

Meanwhile, the James Webb Space Telescope has observed a supernova from 13 billion years ago, occurring when the universe was only 730 million years old. This supernova, identified as a gamma-ray burst, is the oldest detected to date, surpassing previous records by over a billion years.

The discovery involved multiple observatories, including the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, which worked in tandem to confirm the age and distance of the explosion.

Researchers are excited to find that this ancient supernova shares characteristics with modern supernovae, indicating similarities across epochs in cosmic history.