NASA's Fermi Witnesses Record-Breaking 'Fizzle' from Collapsing Star 💫🌌

On August 26, 2020, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope captured a celestial spectacle – the shortest gamma-ray burst (GRB) triggered by the demise of a massive star. GRBs, the most powerful events in the universe, are categorized as long or short based on their duration. Meet GRB 200826A, a short-duration burst that defies expectations, suggesting its origin lies in the collapse of a massive star. 🌠💥

When a massive star exhausts its fuel, its core undergoes a rapid collapse, birthing a black hole. The ensuing cosmic drama involves powerful jets racing outward at nearly the speed of light, generating a pulse of gamma rays detectable on Earth. GRB 200826A, a fleeting burst lasting about a second, caught the attention of Fermi's Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, as well as NASA's Wind and Mars Odyssey missions, and ESA's INTEGRAL satellite.

Led by Tomás Ahumada, a doctoral student at the University of Maryland, the scientific team tracked the burst's afterglow and the emerging light of a supernova, affirming its origin in the collapse of a massive star. Described as a 'fizzle,' this unique event unveils the delicate balance required for such bursts to occur – a celestial dance where weak jets breached the star's surface before gently subsiding. 🔭🌌 #FermiGammaRay #StellarCollapse #recordbreaker