Unraveling the Mystery of the Brightest Cosmic Explosions

The brightest cosmic explosion ever recorded, known as GRB 221009A or the "Boat," has puzzled astronomers with its persistence. A new study published in Science Advances suggests that the burst was so bright and persistent because the narrow jet of gas launched by the explosion had a difficult time escaping the collapsing star, leading to a lot of mixing with stellar gas along the sides of the jet. This kept the burst bright for an extended period of time, providing a clue to similarly bright events seen in the past.