Christmas Day Burst A comet-like body gets torn apart by a neutron star in an illustration of what might have caused an unusual gamma-ray burst spotted by NASA’s Swift satellite last December 25. It’s thought so-called long gamma-ray bursts happen when massive stars collapse and explode as supernovae. But last year’s flash, dubbed the Christmas Day burst, was unlike any other gamma-ray burst yet seen, prompting researchers to consider alternate explanations. Illustration Courtesy: A. Simonnet, NASA/EPO/SSU

Christmas Day Burst

A comet-like body gets torn apart by a neutron star in an illustration of what might have caused an unusual gamma-ray burst spotted by NASA’s Swift satellite last December 25.

It’s thought so-called long gamma-ray bursts happen when massive stars collapse and explode as supernovae. But last year’s flash, dubbed the Christmas Day burst, was unlike any other gamma-ray burst yet seen, prompting researchers to consider alternate explanations.

Illustration Courtesy: A. Simonnet, NASA/EPO/SSU