Huge gamma-ray blast spotted 12.2 bln light-years from earth

[Peikko 1,575]

I like this stuff:

Link

[one...two...tree 2,762]

See, MC - that's God pulling the trigger.

[NickD 203]

I like this stuff:

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You're a little late, that happened 12 billion years ago, and ha, in a universe that is only 10 billion years old. But they explain that the universe wasn't here 10 billion years ago, therefore the laws of physics as we know them, didn't exist either, so mass could travel faster than the speed of light.

I need an aspirin.

[JayJay 4]

So how long ago did that blast occur? Since it was 12.2 billion light years away, doesn't that mean it occurred a very, VERY long time ago and the light from the explosion is just reaching visible distance from earth?

Forgive my ignorance (I think)

I like this stuff:

Link

You're a little late, that happened 12 billion years ago, and ha, in a universe that is only 10 billion years old. But they explain that the universe wasn't here 10 billion years ago, therefore the laws of physics as we know them, didn't exist either, so mass could travel faster than the speed of light.

I need an aspirin.

There we go - that's what I thought! I was like "yes....but isn't the universe younger than that?"

Thank God they just found out things could move faster than light at the universe's creation. Without that, this event would be scientifically impossible

Plus actually, at the time of the event, the explosion would have been closer to us, since the universe is expanding....

[Ban Hammer 14,183]

I like this stuff:

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Taking into account the huge distance from earth of the burst, scientists worked out that the blast was stronger than 9,000 supernovae -- powerful explosions that occur at the end of a star's lifetime -- and that the gas jets emitting the initial gamma rays moved at nearly the speed of light.

wow that's a big un!

[NickD 203]

So how long ago did that blast occur? Since it was 12.2 billion light years away, doesn't that mean it occurred a very, VERY long time ago and the light from the explosion is just reaching visible distance from earth?

Forgive my ignorance (I think)

I like this stuff:

Link

You're a little late, that happened 12 billion years ago, and ha, in a universe that is only 10 billion years old. But they explain that the universe wasn't here 10 billion years ago, therefore the laws of physics as we know them, didn't exist either, so mass could travel faster than the speed of light.

I need an aspirin.

There we go - that's what I thought! I was like "yes....but isn't the universe younger than that?"

Thank God they just found out things could move faster than light at the universe's creation. Without that, this event would be scientifically impossible

Plus actually, at the time of the event, the explosion would have been closer to us, since the universe is expanding....

Ha, that is assuming the universe is still there, could have disappeared millions and millions of year ago, Ha, just like parents and lovers, we are going to be the last to know.

Think I need another aspirin.

[Jasman0717 9]

Wow, that is almost back to the beginning of time give or take a couple billion years. Wonder if my 8" scope can see that far

[Nagishkaw 510]

See, MC - that's God pulling the trigger.

I believe it is.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

See, MC - that's God pulling the trigger.

I believe it is.

Hopefully he doesn't look like this...

[Nagishkaw 510]

[NickD 203]

See, MC - that's God pulling the trigger.

I believe it is.

Hopefully he doesn't look like this...

I am not worried, Bugs Bunny will take care of Marvin, we are safe.

[EstebanTrabajos 7]

It's time for the Fantastic 4!

[panamania79 2]

It's time for the Fantastic 4!

Or the Hulk.

[Dan J 277]

If something like that happened to a star much closer to earth, we would all be dead.

A nearby gamma-ray burst could possibly cause mass extinctions on Earth.^[1] The short duration of a gamma-ray burst would limit the immediate damage to life. However, a nearby burst might alter atmospheric chemistry by reducing the ozone layer and generating acidic nitrogen oxides ultimately causing severe damage to the biosphere. Since GRBs in metal-rich galaxies like the Milky Way are rare, mass extinctions due to GRBs may only happen once per billion years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_ray_burst

[Scott & Lai 12]

I like this stuff:

Link

You're a little late, that happened 12 billion years ago, and ha, in a universe that is only 10 billion years old. But they explain that the universe wasn't here 10 billion years ago, therefore the laws of physics as we know them, didn't exist either, so mass could travel faster than the speed of light.

I need an aspirin.

Current estimates are that the Universe is between 13.61 and 13.85 billion years old.