[X] My Assistant

[Canopus]

Article

The blast, detected by the satellite on Feb. 18, at first seemed like a gamma-ray burst, but it was located in a galaxy that is relatively near the Milky Way for such phenomena, and it lasted far longer than normal.

It's been named GRB 060218, in a galaxy approx 440 million light-years away, in the direction of the constellation Aries (The Ram).

the length of the outburst has scientists puzzled. It lasted more than 33 minutes, while GRBs typically last less than one minute - and most appear for less than one second.

One hint the event might be a supernova - the explosive death of a massive young star - is astronomers ... have imaged its location in optical light and found it is growing brighter - so bright, in fact, that the team thinks even amateur telescopes will be able to spot it beginning next week.

Article gives coordinates.

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http://s15.invisionfree.com/Psychestellic

[SigurRosFan]

GRB 060218 / SN 2006aj (Type Ib/c) looks like a new link of GRBs and SNe.

[SigurRosFan]

http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1683_1.asp - Astronomers Agog Over Stellar Explosion

--- Radio observations by Soderberg and her colleagues demonstrate that only about 1 percent of Type Ib and Ic supernovae are accompanied by GRBs, regardless of where the jets may be aimed.

Astronomers predict that the supernova will brighten to perhaps 16th magnitude around March 5th. This brightness is easily within the grasp of high-quality amateur telescopes equipped with CCD cameras. ---