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Christmas gamma-ray burst still puzzles

A year later, astrophysicists remain unsure about what happened on December 25

By Nadia Drake

- More than 2 years ago

The unusually bright and long-lived gamma-ray burst that appeared on December 25, 2010, is an enigmatic holiday gift that isn’t quite unwrapped yet.

TIDAL SHREDDING One explanation for the bizarre gamma ray burst observed on Christmas day last year is that a minor body – an asteroid or comet –got too close to a neutron star and was shredded.