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Located at approximately 4.3 km above sea level, MACE has observed this energetic burst, which is located 8 billion light-years away.
Gamma-ray bursts are the brightest explosions in the universe. (Representative Image)
Indian scientists have detected a powerful gamma-ray flare from a distant galaxy that predates the formation of Earth. The discovery was made using India’s Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) telescope, which was inaugurated in Hanle, Ladakh, on October 4.
Situated at an altitude of approximately 4.3 km above sea level, MACE captured this high-energy burst from a source located 8 billion light-years away. This means the flare originated long before Earth came into existence. Scientists explained that the detected light has been travelling through space for billions of years, dating back to a time when the universe was less than half its current age.
Gamma-ray bursts are the most intense explosions in the universe, typically occurring when massive stars collapse or when black holes merge. For context, scientists estimate that Earth was formed around 4.5 billion years ago, making this flare significantly older than our planet.
On January 26, Mumbai’s Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) spotted a powerful burst of gamma rays from a quasar called OP 313 (also known as B2 1308+326). This burst is located 8 billion light-years away, which is said to have happened about 3.5 billion years before Earth even existed.
A light-year is a unit of distance that measures how far light travels in one year. Light moves at a speed of 300,000 kilometres per second, which means it takes about eight minutes to reach Earth from the Sun.
It implies that when we see the sun, we are seeing it eight minutes later rather than as it is at the moment. The distance between the Sun and Earth is approximately 150 million kilometres.
Unlike any other telescope, MACE is designed for high astronomy and focuses on cosmic events like supernovae, black holes, and dark matter.
The Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment Telescope, or MACE, was built with 356 mirror panels, a diameter of 21 meters, and a weight of 180 tons. It is the highest telescope in the world and the largest in Asia. It is equipped with a 1200-kilogram high-resolution imaging camera.
- Location :
Delhi, India, India
