The Cataclysmic Death of Stars
For astronomers, there's usually no rush to study something before it vanishes. "The universe
usually evolves as slowly as watching paint dry," says one. But these days, hundreds of
astronomers keep cell phones and beepers close by so they can rush to work like doctors on call.
They're waiting for word from a spacecraft called Swift.
Swift, launched in 2004, scans the skies for gamma rays. When it detects a burst, it swivels its
telescopes toward the source to get a good fix and detect the afterglow--the lingering point of
light that marks the spot where a burst originated. It also sends an alert to earthbound
astronomers, who can take a closer look with bigger telescopes.
Early on February 18, 2006, Swift recorded an outpouring of gamma rays from somewhere
toward the constellation Aries. Within three minutes, the satellite had determined the position of
the burst and broadcast an alert. Two days later, astronomers at a telescope in Arizona reported
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