"The Explosive Gamma Ray Bursts: First Results from Swift"
On November 20, 2004, NASA launched the Swift satellite to
observe gamma-ray bursts throughout the universe. Gamma-ray
bursts are the most powerful explosions in the cosmos and are thought
to be related to the birth of black holes. They have been
detected since the 1960's but are still not understood in detail.
The Swift mission was developed at Goddard with contributions
from partners at universities, a DOE laboratory, Italy and the
UK. It is an innovative satellite featuring rapid-response
repointing to observe bursts. Early results from the mission
include observations of many spectacular gamma-ray bursts and a giant
flare from a magnetar.