Afterglow alerts astronomers to gamma-ray burst

Energetic explosion’s remnant detected by California telescope

Gamma ray burst

STARBURST  These images from the Samuel Oschin telescope show the sudden appearance of a bright flash (middle frame, in crosshairs) that gradually faded (right). All three photos were taken within several hours on Feb. 26, 2014.

Courtesy of Brad Cenko

BALTIMORE — An incredibly energetic explosion in the cosmos has been discovered via its not-so-energetic afterglow.