May 9, 2013 – SPACE - A star being ripped to shreds in a violent supernova is one of the most powerful explosions in the universe.
The largest supernovae can produce gamma-ray bursts: a tightly concentrated lance of light that streams out into space. Gamma-ray bursts, says NASA,
“are the most luminous and mysterious explosions in the universe.”
The blasts emit surges of gamma rays — the most powerful form of light — as well as X-rays, and they produce afterglows that can be observed at optical and radio energies. Two weeks ago, says NASA,
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/05/scientists-just-recorded-the-brightest-explosion-weve-ever-seen/