Gamma‑ray bursts are brief, brilliant flashes that can outshine entire galaxies for seconds. Long bursts are linked to the deaths of massive stars that collapse into black holes, while short bursts often trace the mergers of neutron stars. Each event unleashes jets moving near light speed.
Afterglows at X‑ray, optical, and radio wavelengths fade over hours to weeks, carrying information about the jet’s structure and the surrounding environment. By modeling those light curves, astronomers infer energies, opening angles, and the density of nearby gas.
When neutron stars collide, they can forge heavy elements like gold in a kilonova explosion, leaving spectral fingerprints as radioactive debris cools. Such events tie GRBs to the cosmic origin of precious metals and provide laboratories for extreme nuclear physics.
Because GRBs are visible across vast distances, they also serve as lighthouses for probing the early universe, illuminating gas in galaxies we could not otherwise study. Their absorption features sketch the chemical enrichment history of young cosmos.
A better census of GRBs demands rapid alerts, robotic follow‑up, and wide‑field monitors that never blink. Each burst is a fleeting message; catching it in time is the art.