Home
Science
Science News
NASA Detects Strange Gamma Ray Burst That Defies 50 Years of Expectations

NASA Detects Strange Gamma-Ray Burst That Defies 50 Years of Expectations

GRB 250702B erupted multiple times in July 2025, unlike any gamma-ray burst seen before, hinting at a new cosmic explosion class.

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 11 September 2025 00:46 IST

NASA Detects Strange Gamma-Ray Burst That Defies 50 Years of Expectations

Photo Credit: ESO/A. Levan, A. Martin-Carrillo et al

Detected by NASA’s Fermi telescope in July 2025

Highlights

GRB 250702B erupted several times over two days
Fermi and Einstein Probe confirmed the strange bursts
Astronomers suggest a possible new class of GRBs

Astronomers have discovered a bizarre gamma-ray burst labelled GRB 250702B that challenges expectations. Detected by NASA's Fermi telescope in July 2025, it erupted multiple times over roughly a day; records from China's Einstein Probe then revealed it had also flared a day earlier. Normally, GRBs are fleeting, one-off blasts from collapsing stars or black-hole disruptions. This newly observed burst defies that, prompting scientists to say it is “unlike any other seen in 50 years of GRB observations”. This unexpected behaviour has surprised astronomers worldwide.

Discovery and Observations

According to the study, Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) usually signal a single, short-lived explosion from a collapsing star or a star being torn apart by a black hole. GRB 250702B broke the mould. In July 2025, NASA's Fermi telescope recorded three bursts from this source over a few hours, and Einstein Probe data revealed an outburst the day before. Space.com notes that this GRB “exploded several times in one day”.

ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory in Chile pinpointed the source in another galaxy, a result confirmed by Hubble. At a distance of billions of light-years, the burst was extraordinarily powerful.

Universe’s First Stars May Have Been Smaller Than Astronomers Once Believed

Possible Causes

Researchers are now scrambling to explain the strange event. Typically, a collapsing star's explosion emits a brief flash, not a day-long sequence. A star torn apart by a black hole could extend the burst, but the scenario fails to match all observations.

So far no model neatly explains GRB 250702B, suggesting it may represent a new class of these events. Indeed, astronomers stress GRBs “never repeat” in normal circumstances. To resolve the puzzle, the team is using the James Webb Space Telescope and other observatories to search for any afterglow or remnant. Follow-up data may reveal the mechanism behind this unprecedented explosion.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.