The brightest radiation flash on record

BBC Sky at Night Magazine

June 2023

Gamma-ray burst declared a 1-in-10,000-year event

- Chris Lintott

A flash of radiation called a gamma-ray burst (GRB) which swept across Earth last year was the brightest on record, astronomers have recently been able to confirm. Seen on 9 October 2022, it's believed such blasts only occur once every 10,000 years.

The event is called GRB 221009A, though it has been nicknamed the BOAT - the brightest of all time. GRBS are thought to be created when a large star's core collapses to form a black hole, which then quickly ingests the gas surrounding it before blasting the material out at near to light speed.

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