Earth Endures Brightest Gamma-Ray Burst on Record

Earth was hit by GRB 221009A, the brightest gamma-ray burst ever measured, originating from a star about 2 billion light-years away. Detected by satellites including ESA’s Integral, the burst lasted ~800 seconds and disrupted Earth’s ionosphere for hours; CSES recorded strong electric-field variations near the top of the atmosphere. While such events are rare (statistically ~once every 10,000 years), researchers say studying this burst could shed light on high-energy cosmic processes and potential links to past mass extinction events, with follow-up analyses and missions planned.