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Dissecting a stellar explosion

3 April 2009

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This artist's impression illustrates how a gamma-ray burst can flare dramatically over a short time period (gamma ray bursts usually last between a hundredth of a second to a hundred seconds). The bursts can occur as often as several times a day. There is no way to predict when or where they will next occur.

ESA missions such as XMM-Newton, Integral and Ulysses study these mysterious, powerful bursts.

Credits: ESA (Illustration by AOES Medialab)

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This artist's impression shows the centre of a dying star collapsing minutes before the star implodes. The blast from a Gamma Ray Burst is thought to be produced by a jet of fast-moving gas that bursts from near the central engine; probably a black hole created by such a collapse of the massive star.

Credits: NASA/Dana Berry

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This is an artist’s impression of ESA’s orbiting gamma-ray observatory, Integral.

Credits: ESA

ESA's gamma-ray astronomy mission

ESApod

Integral anniversary

Around the world in 80 telescopes at ESA XMM-Newton and Integral clues on magnetic powerhouses Faint gamma-ray bursts do actually exist Integral locates origin of high-energy emission from Crab Nebula Astronomers may have glimpsed tiny star’s surface Integral reveals exotic and dusty binary systems Integral: Stellar winds colliding at our cosmic doorstep X-rays betray giant particle accelerator in the sky

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Related ESA publications

Integral results leaflet (pdf)Integral mission brochure (pdf)