The galaxy identified as the brightest, and thus the most probable location of this explosion, is situated approximately 8.3 million light-years away from Earth.
In perhaps the biggest plot twist: the GRB - the second brightness of all time - lasted half a minute, i.e. a second "long" burst accompanied by r-process production. Likely a neutron star merger, but one which challenges our ideas about how long the central engine should "jet".A team of astronomers led by Andrew Levan from Radboud University in the Netherlands investigated GRB 230307A, which is sourced to the merging of neutron stars.
The GRB lasted only for 34 seconds and was detected by many telescopes at the same time, allowing researchers to pinpoint its origin. The first Webb observation occurred 29 days after the GRB discovery, and then again at 61 days. During these observations, the JWST detected a transition from a blue hue to a red hue, which serves as a distinctive indication of a kilonova explosion.
And r-processes occur only in extreme and violent settings, such as those seen surrounding neutron star mergers.
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