Speedy response reveals new information about gamma ray bursts
Gamma ray bursts (GRBs), the brief flashes of light signalling distant, extremely energetic events, have been elusive targets for astronomical observation. (It's something like the fairground game of Whack-a-Mole:by the time you're aware of the GRB, it's vanished, and you have no way of knowing where the next one will appear.) An orbiting observatory that quickly alerts ground-based astronomers about GRBs has allowed a very quick response and an unprecedented look at the GRBs' aftermath.
