NuSTAR uncovers unique features of brightest gamma-ray burst.

Scientists have used data from NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) X-ray observatory to study the origins and characteristics of the brightest gamma-ray burst ever detected, named GRB 221009A. The burst was 70 times brighter than the previous record holder and far more energetic than any other gamma-ray burst ever detected. The team of scientists found that the jet of material in GRB 221009A was uniquely different than other gamma-ray burst jets, and the energy of the material within the jet varied as the distance from the jet’s core increased, a phenomenon never observed before. The physical characteristics of the progenitor star may have something to do with GRB 221009A’s unique characteristics.