Afterglows from the largest explosions in the universe

The distinction of “largest explosions in the universe” has been bestowed on cosmic gamma-ray bursts. Their afterglows are brighter than supernovae and therefore are called hypernovae. Photometry and spectroscopy of these afterglows have provided major breakthroughs in our understanding of this mysterious phenomenon.

宇宙伽马射线暴（gamma-ray bursts）被冠以"宇宙中规模最大的爆炸"这一殊荣。其产生的余辉亮度远超超新星（supernovae），因此这类天体被称为极超新星（hypernovae）。对这些余辉开展的光度测量与光谱分析，为我们理解这一神秘天体现象带来了重大突破。