Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have an interesting and colourful history. These extreme events were first discovered, serendipitously, in the 1960s by the U.S. Vela satellites. These satellites were originally designed to make sure that the Soviet Union does not perform any nuclear tests in space, which would be a violation of the 1963 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. When a nuclear explosion takes place it emits flashes of gamma-ray radiation. These satellites had gamma-ray detectors on-board to detect these gamma-ray flashes in case of a nuclear detonation in space. Although the Vela satellites never detected any atomic bombs exploding in space, they observed a new, exciting, phenomenon; Gamma-ray bursts. Initially scientists speculated…
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