Author
Listed:
- J. van Paradijs
(University of Amsterdam, and Center for High Energy Astrophysics
University of Alabama in Huntsville)
- P. J. Groot
(University of Amsterdam, and Center for High Energy Astrophysics)
- T. Galama
(University of Amsterdam, and Center for High Energy Astrophysics)
- C. Kouveliotou
(Universities Space Research Association
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, ES-84)
- R. G. Strom
(University of Amsterdam, and Center for High Energy Astrophysics
Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy)
- J. Telting
(Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy
Isaac Newton Group)
- R. G. M. Rutten
(Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy
Isaac Newton Group)
- G. J. Fishman
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, ES-84)
- C. A. Meegan
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, ES-84)
- M. Pettini
(Royal Greenwich Observatory)
- N. Tanvir
(Institute of Astronomy)
- J. Bloom
(Institute of Astronomy)
- H. Pedersen
(Copenhagen University Observatory)
- H. U. Nørdgaard-Nielsen
(Danish Space Research Institute)
- M. Linden-Vørnle
(Danish Space Research Institute)
- J. Melnick
(European Southern Observatory)
- G. van der Steene
(European Southern Observatory)
- M. Bremer
(Leiden Observatory)
- R. Naber
(Kapteyn Astronomical Institute)
- J. Heise
(SRON Laboratory for Space Research)
- J. in't Zand
(SRON Laboratory for Space Research)
- E. Costa
(Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale CNR)
- M. Feroci
(Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale CNR)
- L. Piro
(Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale CNR)
- F. Frontera
(Universita di Ferrara)
- G. Zavattini
(Universita di Ferrara)
- L. Nicastro
(Istituto Tecnologie e Studio Radiazione Extraterrestrie CNR)
- E. Palazzi
(Istituto Tecnologie e Studio Radiazione Extraterrestrie CNR)
- K. Bennet
(ESA/ESTEC, Space Science Department)
- L. Hanlon
(University College Dublin)
- A. Parmar
(ESA/ESTEC, Space Science Department)
Abstract
For almost a quarter of a century1, the origin of γ-ray bursts— brief, energetic bursts of high-energy photons—has remained unknown. The detection of a counterpart at another wavelength has long been thought to be a key to understanding the nature of these bursts (see, for example, ref. 2), but intensive searches have not revealed such a counterpart. The distribution and properties of the bursts3 are explained naturally if they lie at cosmological distances (a few Gpc)4, but there is a countervailing view that they are relatively local objects5, perhaps distributed in a very large halo around our Galaxy. Here we report the detection of a transient and fading optical source in the error box associated with the burst GRB970228, less than 21 hours after the burst6,7. The optical transient appears to be associated with a faint galaxy7,8, suggesting that the burst occurred in that galaxy and thus that γ-ray bursts in general lie at cosmological distance.
Suggested Citation
J. van Paradijs & P. J. Groot & T. Galama & C. Kouveliotou & R. G. Strom & J. Telting & R. G. M. Rutten & G. J. Fishman & C. A. Meegan & M. Pettini & N. Tanvir & J. Bloom & H. Pedersen & H. U. Nørdgaa, 1997.
"Transient optical emission from the error box of the γ-ray burst of 28 February 1997,"
Nature, Nature, vol. 386(6626), pages 686-689, April.
Handle:
RePEc:nat:nature:v:386:y:1997:i:6626:d:10.1038_386686a0
DOI: 10.1038/386686a0
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