NOIRLab - The Shortest Long GRB

Gamma ray bursts (GRBs) are some of the most energetic events in the universe. There are two categories of GRBs: short and long. Extensive studies of a recent GRB show the dividing line between short and long is not clear as this “long” GRB was exceptionally short! Learn how Tomás Ahumada and a team of astronomers used data from a wide variety of telescopes to unravel the mystery of this very short long GRB!   Bio: Rob Sparks is in the Communications, Education and Engagement group at NSF’s NOIRLab. Tomás Ahumada is a fourth year Astronomy PhD candidate at the University of Maryland (UMD) and a research assistant at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. He is originally from Chile, and he is currently searching for optical counterparts of short gamma-ray bursts and gravitational waves. He is working with Dr. Leo Singer from NASA using the Zwicky Transient Facility to cover large portions of the sky and maximize the probability to find transients in the northern night sky.   Links: https://noirlab.edu/public/news/noirlab2121/ https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/nasa-s-fermi-spots-a-supernova-s-fizzled-gamma-ray-burst NOIRLab social media channels can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/NOIRLabAstro https://twitter.com/NOIRLabAstro https://www.instagram.com/noirlabastro/ https://www.youtube.com/noirlabastro   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too! Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://astrogear.spreadshirt.com/ for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Astrosphere New Media. http://www.astrosphere.org/ Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].