{ "id": 40214, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/swift-animations/", "page_type": "Gallery", "title": "Swift: Animations", "description": "No description available.", "release_date": "2014-11-13T00:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2025-11-21T00:00:00-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 504372, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020100/a020155/flak0100_searchweb.png", "filename": "flak0100_searchweb.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Swift leaves the darkness, camera zooms in to catch the spacecraft crossing Earth.", "width": 180, "height": 320, "pixels": 57600 }, "media_groups": [ { "id": 370844, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/swift-animations/#media_group_370844", "widget": "Tile gallery", "title": "Animations", "caption": "", "description": "", "items": [ { "id": 502614, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 14786, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14786/", "page_type": "Animation", "title": "Swift Spacecraft Animations: 2025", "description": "NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, shown in this artist’s concept, orbits Earth as it studies the ever-changing universe. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab || SWIFT_S1_v2_4k_60fps_proRes.00005_print.jpg (1024x576) [148.3 KB] || SWIFT_S1_v2_4k_60fps_proRes.00005_searchweb.png (320x180) [64.4 KB] || SWIFT_S1_v2_4k_60fps_proRes.00005_thm.png [4.4 KB] || Swift_S1_v2_4k60.mp4 (3840x2160) [25.6 MB] || SWIFT_S1_v2_4k_60fps_proRes.mov (3840x2160) [4.2 GB] || Swift_S1_v2_4k60.hwshow [423 bytes] || ", "release_date": "2025-02-20T00:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2025-02-20T13:41:54-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 1152601, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014700/a014786/SWIFT_S1_v2_4k_60fps_proRes.00005_print.jpg", "filename": "SWIFT_S1_v2_4k_60fps_proRes.00005_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, shown in this artist’s concept, orbits Earth as it studies the ever-changing universe. \rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab\r", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 407021, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 13926, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13926/", "page_type": "Animation", "title": "Swift Spacecraft Animation", "description": "NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, shown in this illustration, launched into Earth orbit in November 2004. The satellite investigates gamma-ray bursts, the most energetic explosions in the universe. Swift observes the sky in visible, ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma-ray light. Its name reflects its ability to rapidly follow up on interesting objects in the sky. Swift also studies supernova explosions, star-shredding black holes in other galaxies, comets, stellar remnants called neutron stars, and other cosmic phenomena. In 2018, NASA renamed Swift in honor of the late Neil Gehrels, who helped develop the mission and served as its principal investigator for 13 years.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Smith (KBRwyle) || swift_spacecraft_update_still.jpg (1920x1080) [769.2 KB] || swift_spacecraft_update_still_print.jpg (1024x576) [328.5 KB] || swift_spacecraft_update_still_searchweb.png (320x180) [94.8 KB] || swift_spacecraft_update_still_web.png (320x180) [94.8 KB] || swift_spacecraft_update_still_thm.png (80x40) [6.5 KB] || swift_spacecraft_update_HQ.mp4 (1920x1080) [47.7 MB] || swift_spacecraft_update_LQ.mp4 (1920x1080) [24.7 MB] || swift_spacecraft_update_HQ.webm (1920x1080) [2.2 MB] || swift_spacecraft_update_prores.mov (1920x1080) [255.2 MB] || 13926_swift_spacecraft_update_HQ.hwshow [72 bytes] || ", "release_date": "2021-09-08T15:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2021-09-08T15:37:07-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 377107, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013900/a013926/swift_spacecraft_update_still.jpg", "filename": "swift_spacecraft_update_still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, shown in this illustration, launched into Earth orbit in November 2004. The satellite investigates gamma-ray bursts, the most energetic explosions in the universe. Swift observes the sky in visible, ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma-ray light. Its name reflects its ability to rapidly follow up on interesting objects in the sky. Swift also studies supernova explosions, star-shredding black holes in other galaxies, comets, stellar remnants called neutron stars, and other cosmic phenomena. In 2018, NASA renamed Swift in honor of the late Neil Gehrels, who helped develop the mission and served as its principal investigator for 13 years.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Smith (KBRwyle)", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } }, { "id": 407022, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 20155, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20155/", "page_type": "Animation", "title": "Swift Spacecraft Animations", "description": "Swift searches for Gamma Ray Bursts and stellar explosions || ", "release_date": "2008-07-21T12:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:55:17.147352-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 504374, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020100/a020155/flak010000002_print.jpg", "filename": "flak010000002_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Swift leaves the darkness, camera zooms in to catch the spacecraft crossing Earth.", "width": 1024, "height": 768, "pixels": 786432 } } }, { "id": 407023, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 10867, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10867/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Swift HD Beauty Shot", "description": "Animation of the Swift spacecraft. || ", "release_date": "2011-11-09T12:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:53:29.095223-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 481368, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010800/a010867/swif0266_print.jpg", "filename": "swif0266_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Beauty pass animation showing the spacecraft moving into sunlight and past the Earth to end facing out into space.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 407024, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 10319, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10319/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Swift - Print Still Images - Wallpaper", "description": "From the animation series - a few high resolution JPEG images || print1 || SwiftPrint1.jpg (1440x972) [1.6 MB] || SwiftPrint1_web.png (320x216) [381.5 KB] || SwiftPrint1_thm.png (80x40) [32.8 KB] || SwiftPrint1_searchweb.png (320x180) [128.5 KB] || print2 || SwiftPrint2.jpg (1440x972) [1.3 MB] || SwiftPrint2_web.png (320x216) [327.0 KB] || print3 || SwiftPrint3.jpg (1440x972) [1.8 MB] || SwiftPrint3_web.png (320x216) [381.8 KB] || ", "release_date": "2008-07-24T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:55:14.940674-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 504024, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010300/a010319/SwiftPrint1.jpg", "filename": "SwiftPrint1.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "print1", "width": 1440, "height": 972, "pixels": 1399680 } } }, { "id": 407025, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 20228, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20228/", "page_type": "Animation", "title": "Massive Black Hole Shreds Passing Star (Animation Only)", "description": "A star approaching too close to a massive black hole is torn apart by tidal forces, as shown in this artist's rendering. Filaments containing much of the star's mass fall toward the black hole. Eventually these gaseous filaments merge into a smooth, hot disc glowing brightly in X-rays. As the disk forms, it's central region heats up tremendously, which drives a flow of material, called a wind, away from the disk.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/CI LabWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.For complete transcript, click here. || BlackHoleAnimation.1675_print.jpg (1024x576) [119.5 KB] || BlackHoleAnimation.1675_searchweb.png (320x180) [88.0 KB] || BlackHoleAnimation.1675_thm.png (80x40) [5.9 KB] || 20228_Swift_Tidal_ProRes_1920x1080_5994.webm (1920x1080) [4.8 MB] || 1920x1080_16x9_60p (1920x1080) [256.0 KB] || 20228_Swift_Tidal_ProRes_1920x1080_5994.mov (1920x1080) [1.4 GB] || 20228_Swift_Tidal_H264_1920x1080_5994.mov (1920x1080) [813.8 MB] || ", "release_date": "2016-04-06T11:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:48:44.322285-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 439588, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020200/a020228/BlackHoleAnimation.1675_print.jpg", "filename": "BlackHoleAnimation.1675_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A star approaching too close to a massive black hole is torn apart by tidal forces, as shown in this artist's rendering. Filaments containing much of the star's mass fall toward the black hole. Eventually these gaseous filaments merge into a smooth, hot disc glowing brightly in X-rays. As the disk forms, it's central region heats up tremendously, which drives a flow of material, called a wind, away from the disk.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/CI LabWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 407026, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 10807, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10807/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "NASA's Swift Satellite Spots Black Hole Devouring A Star", "description": "In late March 2011, NASA's Swift satellite alerted astronomers to intense and unusual high-energy flares from a new source in the constellation Draco. They soon realized that the source, which is now known as Swift J1644+57, was the result of a truly extraordinary event — the awakening of a distant galaxy's dormant black hole as it shredded and consumed a star. The galaxy is so far away that the radiation from the blast has traveled 3.9 billion years before reaching Earth. Most galaxies, including our own, possess a central supersized black hole weighing millions of times the sun's mass. According to the new studies, the black hole in the galaxy hosting Swift J1644+57 may be twice the mass of the four-million-solar-mass black hole lurking at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy. As a star falls toward a black hole, it is ripped apart by intense tides. The gas is corralled into a disk that swirls around the black hole and becomes rapidly heated to temperatures of millions of degrees. The innermost gas in the disk spirals toward the black hole, where rapid motion and magnetism creates dual, oppositely directed \"funnels\" through which some particles may escape. Particle jets driving matter at velocities greater than 80-90 percent the speed of light form along the black hole's spin axis. In the case of Swift J1644+57, one of these jets happened to point straight at Earth.Theoretical studies of tidally disrupted stars suggested that they would appear as flares at optical and ultraviolet energies. The brightness and energy of a black hole's jet is greatly enhanced when viewed head-on. The phenomenon, called relativistic beaming, explains why Swift J1644+57 was seen at X-ray energies and appeared so strikingly luminous. When first detected on March 28, the flares were initially assumed to signal a gamma-ray burst, one of the nearly daily short blasts of high-energy radiation often associated with the death of a massive star and the birth of a black hole in the distant universe. But as the emission continued to brighten and flare, astronomers realized that the most plausible explanation was the tidal disruption of a sun-like star seen as beamed emission. || ", "release_date": "2011-08-24T13:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:53:40.776982-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 484419, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010800/a010807/BlackHoleAnimation_00730.jpg", "filename": "BlackHoleAnimation_00730.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "On March 28, 2011, NASA's Swift detected intense X-ray flares thought to be caused by a black hole devouring a star. In one model, illustrated here, a sun-like star on an eccentric orbit plunges too close to its galaxy's central black hole. About half of the star's mass feeds an accretion disk around the black hole, which in turn powers a particle jet that beams radiation toward Earth. Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/CI Lab", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } }, { "id": 407027, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 11110, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11110/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "X-ray Nova Flaring Black Hole animation", "description": "An X-ray nova is a short-lived X-ray source that appears suddenly, reaches its emission peak in a few days and then fades out over a period of months. The outburst arises when a torrent of stored gas suddenly rushes toward one of the most compact objects known, either a neutron star or a black hole. || ", "release_date": "2012-10-05T14:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:52:43.076403-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 471762, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011100/a011110/BlackHole_01170.jpg", "filename": "BlackHole_01170.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Artist's interpretation of Swift J1745-26, a newly discovered black hole with a flaring accretion disk.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } }, { "id": 407028, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 11026, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11026/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "HD 189733b Exoplanet Animation", "description": "The exoplanet HD 189733b lies so near its star that it completes an orbit every 2.2 days. In late 2011, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope found that the planet's upper atmosphere was streaming away at speeds exceeding 300,000 mph. Just before the Hubble observation, NASA's Swift detected the star blasting out a strong X-ray flare, one powerful enough to blow away part of the planet's atmosphere. || ", "release_date": "2012-06-28T09:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-11-02T10:08:01.628282-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 474881, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011000/a011026/Exo_Animation_Still.jpg", "filename": "Exo_Animation_Still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Artist's interpretation of what the exoplanet, flare, and atmosphere loss might have looked like.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } }, { "id": 407029, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 10759, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10759/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "(596) Scheila Asteroid Collision Animation", "description": "Late last year, astronomers noticed that an asteroid named Scheila had brightened unexpectedly and was sporting a short-lived tail. Now, data from NASA's Swift satellite and Hubble Space Telescope show that these changes likely occurred after Scheila was struck by a much smaller asteroid. || ", "release_date": "2011-04-28T09:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:53:49.803938-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 486528, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010700/a010759/SCheilaAnim0345.jpg", "filename": "SCheilaAnim0345.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Animation of (596) Scheila collision and dust plumes. Includes some sound effects.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } }, { "id": 407030, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 10253, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10253/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Scientists Watch Baby Black Hole Get to Work Fast", "description": "Scientists using NASA's Swift satellite say they have found newborn black holes, just seconds old, in a confused state of existence, sloppily gorging on material falling into them while somehow propelling other material away at great speeds. These black holes are born in massive star explosions. An initial blast obliterates the star. Yet the chaotic black hole activity appears to re-energize the explosion again and again over the course of several minutes. This is a dramatically different view of star death, one that entails multiple explosive outbursts and not just a single bang, as previously thought.When a massive star runs out of fuel, it no longer has the energy to support its mass. The core collapses and forms a black hole. Shockwaves bounce out and obliterate the outer shells of the star. Previously scientists thought that a single explosion is followed by a graceful afterglow of the dying embers. Now, according to Swift observations, it appears that a newborn black hole in the core somehow re-energizes the explosion again and again, creating multiple bursts all within a few minutes. || ", "release_date": "2008-09-26T01:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:55:04.182076-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 501752, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010200/a010253/Supernova_Birth_of_a_Black_Hole_320x24000377_print.jpg", "filename": "Supernova_Birth_of_a_Black_Hole_320x24000377_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation depicts what happens to the most massive stars when they die.", "width": 1024, "height": 768, "pixels": 786432 } } }, { "id": 407031, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 10698, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10698/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "NASA's Swift Finds 'Missing' Active Galaxies", "description": "Most large galaxies contain a giant central black hole. In an active galaxy, matter falling toward the supermassive black hole powers high-energy emissions so intense that two classes of active galaxies, quasars and blazars, rank as the most luminous objects in the universe. Thick clouds of dust and gas near the central black hole screens out ultraviolet, optical and low-energy (or soft) X-ray light. Although there are many different types of active galaxy, astronomers explain the different observed properties based on how the galaxy angles into our line of sight. We view the brightest ones nearly face on, but as the angle increases, the surrounding ring of gas and dust absorbs increasing amounts of the black hole's emissions. || ", "release_date": "2011-01-20T09:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:53:55.051582-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 488776, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010600/a010698/AGN_edge_1280x720.jpg", "filename": "AGN_edge_1280x720.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "View of AGN with center occluded by edge", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } }, { "id": 407032, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 10369, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10369/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Naked-Eye Gamma-ray Burst Model for GRB 080319B", "description": "Gamma-ray bursts that are longer than two seconds are caused by the detonation of a rapidly rotating massive star at the end of its life on the main sequence. Jets of particles and gamma radiation are emitted in opposite directions from the stellar core as the star collapses. In this model, a narrow beam of gamma rays is emitted, followed by a wider beam of gamma rays. The narrow beam for GRB 080319B was aimed almost precisely at the Earth, which made it the brightest gamma-ray burst observed to date by NASA's Swift satellite. || ", "release_date": "2009-01-15T00:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:54:58.841383-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 500363, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010300/a010369/twoComponentJetStream_1280x720.00577_print.jpg", "filename": "twoComponentJetStream_1280x720.00577_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "As the star explodes, the narrow beam (white) of gamma rays is emitted first, followed by the wider beam (purple).", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 407033, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 10507, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10507/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Gamma-Rays from High-Mass X-Ray Binaries", "description": "In its first year, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope discovered GeV (billions of electron volts) intensity variations revealing orbital motion in high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs). These are systems where a compact companion, such as a neutron star or a black hole, rapidly orbits a hot, young, massive star. The first examples include LSI +61 303, which sports a 26-day orbital period, and LS 5039 (3.9 days). This animation shows such a system. When the compact object lies far from its host star, TeV (trillions of electron volts) gamma-rays (white) are seen by ground-based gamma-ray observatories. But, as the object plunges closer to the star, the TeV emission is quenched and GeV emission turns on. Interactions by accelerated particles from the compact source with gas encircling the star — or in some systems, the star's light itself — is thought to be responsible for this change. || ", "release_date": "2009-10-28T01:45:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:54:30.663323-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 495510, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010500/a010507/NS0001.00002_print.jpg", "filename": "NS0001.00002_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Animation showing the star's orbit.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 407034, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 10543, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10543/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Neutron Star Merge", "description": "Binary systems containing neutron stars are born when the cores of two orbiting stars collapse in supernova explosions. Neutron stars pack the mass of our sun into the size of a city. They are so dense and packed so tightly that the boundaries atoms nuclei disappear. In such systems, Einstein's theory of general relativity predicts that neutron stars emit gravitational radiation, ripples of space-time. This causes the orbits to shrink and gradually brings the neutron stars closer together. Shown here is such a system after about 1 billion years, when two equal-mass neutron whirl around each other at 60,000 times a minute. The stars merge in a few milliseconds, sending out a burst of gravitational waves and a brief, intense gamma-ray burst. || ", "release_date": "2010-01-26T00:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:54:23.191409-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 494494, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010500/a010543/Merge_Horizontal.00038_print.jpg", "filename": "Merge_Horizontal.00038_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation shows the merger of two neutron stars from a horizontal perspective. Theory predicts that these kinds of collisions would not produce a long afterglow because there isn't much \"fuel\" — dust and gas — from the objects and in the region to sustain an afterglow", "width": 1024, "height": 691, "pixels": 707584 } } }, { "id": 407035, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 20077, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20077/", "page_type": "Animation", "title": "Cosmic Explosion Second Only to the Sun in Brightness", "description": "The gamma ray flare produced by neutron star SGR 1806-20, traveled 50,000 light years before impacting Earth. The burst was so powerful, that it disrupted Earth's ionosphere. Scientists know of only two other giant flares in the past 35 years, and this December 27, 2005 event was one hundred times more powerful than either of those || ", "release_date": "2006-08-18T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:55:51.151910-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 510356, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020000/a020077/flashfinal00152_print.jpg", "filename": "flashfinal00152_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation illustrates Neutron star SGR 1806-20 which produced a gamma ray flare that disrupted Earth's ionosphere.", "width": 1024, "height": 768, "pixels": 786432 } } }, { "id": 407036, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 10808, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10808/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "The Dual Personality of the 'Christmas Burst'", "description": "The Christmas burst, also known as GRB 101225A, was discovered in the constellation Andromeda by Swift's Burst Alert Telescope at 1:38 p.m. EST on Dec. 25, 2010. Two very different scenarios successfully reproduce features of this peculiar cosmic explosion. It was either caused by novel type of supernova located billions of light-years away or an unusual collision much closer to home, within our own galaxy. Common to both scenarios is the presence of a neutron star, the crushed core that forms when a star many times the sun's mass explodes. According to one science team, the burst occurred in an exotic binary system where a neutron star orbited a normal star that had just entered its red giant phase. The outer atmosphere of the giant expanded so much that it engulfed the neutron star, which resulted in both the ejection of the giant's atmosphere and rapid tightening of the neutron star's orbit. Once the two stars became wrapped in a common envelope of gas, the neutron star may have merged with the giant's core after just five orbits, or about 18 months. The end result of the merger was the birth of a black hole and the production of oppositely directed jets of particles moving at nearly the speed of light, which made the gamma rays, followed by a weak supernova. Based on this interpretation, the event took place about 5.5 billion light-years away, and the team has detected what may be a faint galaxy at the right location.Another team supports an alternative model that involves the tidal disruption of a large comet-like object and the ensuing crash of debris onto a neutron star located only about 10,000 light-years away. Gamma-ray emission occurred when debris fell onto the neutron star. Clumps of cometary material likely made a few orbits, with different clumps following different paths before settling into a disk around the neutron star. X-ray variations detected by Swift's X-Ray Telescope that lasted several hours may have resulted from late-arriving clumps that struck the neutron star as the disk formed. The NASA release is here. || ", "release_date": "2011-11-30T13:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:53:26.117792-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 484467, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010800/a010808/GRB_SN_Large_Still_1.jpg", "filename": "GRB_SN_Large_Still_1.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "These animations illustrate two wildly different explanations for GRB 101225A, better known as the \"Christmas burst.\" First, a solitary neutron star in our own galaxy shreds and accretes an approaching comet-like body. In the second, a neutron star is engulfed by, spirals into and merges with an evolved giant star in a distant galaxy.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 2560, "height": 1440, "pixels": 3686400 } } }, { "id": 407037, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 13805, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13805/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Swift Links Neutrino to Star-destroying Black Hole", "description": "Watch how a monster black hole ripping apart a star may have launched a ghost particle toward Earth. Astronomers have long predicted that tidal disruption events could produce high-energy neutrinos, nearly massless particles from outside our galaxy traveling close to the speed of light. One recent event, named AT2019dsg, provides the first proof this prediction is true but has challenged scientists’ assumptions of where and when these elusive particles might form during these destructive outbursts. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: \"Diagnostic Report\" from Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available. || AT2019dsg_prores_still.jpg (1920x1080) [299.2 KB] || AT2019dsg_prores_still_print.jpg (1024x576) [119.5 KB] || AT2019dsg_prores_still_searchweb.png (180x320) [42.6 KB] || AT2019dsg_prores_still_web.png (320x180) [42.6 KB] || AT2019dsg_prores_still_thm.png (80x40) [4.1 KB] || AT2019dsg_HQ.mp4 (1920x1080) [347.5 MB] || AT2019dsg_LQ.mp4 (1920x1080) [191.3 MB] || AT2019dsg_prores.mov (1920x1080) [1.7 GB] || AT2019dsg_LQ.webm (1920x1080) [21.5 MB] || AT2019dsg_LQ.en_US.srt [3.7 KB] || AT2019dsg_LQ.en_US.vtt [3.7 KB] || ", "release_date": "2021-02-22T11:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:44:20.051753-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 380031, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013800/a013805/AT2019dsg_prores_still.jpg", "filename": "AT2019dsg_prores_still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Watch how a monster black hole ripping apart a star may have launched a ghost particle toward Earth. Astronomers have long predicted that tidal disruption events could produce high-energy neutrinos, nearly massless particles from outside our galaxy traveling close to the speed of light. One recent event, named AT2019dsg, provides the first proof this prediction is true but has challenged scientists’ assumptions of where and when these elusive particles might form during these destructive outbursts. \rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: \"Diagnostic Report\" from Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } }, { "id": 407038, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 13798, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13798/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Swift, TESS Catch Eruptions from an Active Galaxy", "description": "Watch as a monster black hole partially consumes an orbiting giant star. In this illustration, the gas pulled from the star collides with the black hole’s debris disk and causes a flare. Astronomers have named this repeating event ASASSN-14ko. The flares are the most predictable and frequent yet seen from an active galaxy. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: \"Ruminations\" from Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available. || periodic_AGN_still.jpg (1920x1080) [512.8 KB] || periodic_AGN_still_print.jpg (1024x576) [229.4 KB] || periodic_AGN_still_searchweb.png (320x180) [77.1 KB] || periodic_AGN_still_web.png (320x180) [77.1 KB] || periodic_AGN_still_thm.png (80x40) [6.3 KB] || periodic_AGN_HQ.mp4 (1920x1080) [230.6 MB] || periodic_AGN_LQ.mp4 (1920x1080) [123.5 MB] || periodic_AGN_prores.mov (1920x1080) [1.3 GB] || periodic_AGN_LQ.webm (1920x1080) [13.2 MB] || periodic_AGN_prores.mov.en_US.srt [1.6 KB] || periodic_AGN_prores.mov.en_US.vtt [1.6 KB] || ", "release_date": "2021-01-12T12:15:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:44:23.828293-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 380377, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013700/a013798/periodic_AGN_still.jpg", "filename": "periodic_AGN_still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Watch as a monster black hole partially consumes an orbiting giant star. In this illustration, the gas pulled from the star collides with the black hole’s debris disk and causes a flare. Astronomers have named this repeating event ASASSN-14ko. The flares are the most predictable and frequent yet seen from an active galaxy. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: \"Ruminations\" from Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } }, { "id": 407039, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 13751, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13751/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "NASA Missions Team Up to Study Unique Magnetar Outburst", "description": "On April 28, space- and ground-based observatories detected powerful, simultaneous X-ray and radio bursts from a source in our galaxy. Watch to see how this unique event helps solve the longstanding puzzle of fast radio bursts observed in other galaxies.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: \"Jupiter's Eye\" from Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || Magnetar_FRB_Still.jpg (1920x1080) [535.5 KB] || Magnetar_FRB_Still_searchweb.png (320x180) [65.5 KB] || Magnetar_FRB_Still_thm.png (80x40) [4.8 KB] || 13751_Magnetar_FRB_Best_1080.webm (1920x1080) [25.7 MB] || 13751_Magnetar_FRB_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [237.4 MB] || 13751_Magnetar_FRB_Best_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [741.8 MB] || Fast_Radio_Burst_SRT_Captions.en_US.srt [4.5 KB] || Fast_Radio_Burst_SRT_Captions.en_US.vtt [4.5 KB] || 13751_Magnetar_FRB_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov (1920x1080) [3.2 GB] || ", "release_date": "2020-11-04T11:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2020-11-04T14:43:03-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 381635, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013700/a013751/Magnetar_FRB_Still.jpg", "filename": "Magnetar_FRB_Still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "On April 28, space- and ground-based observatories detected powerful, simultaneous X-ray and radio bursts from a source in our galaxy. Watch to see how this unique event helps solve the longstanding puzzle of fast radio bursts observed in other galaxies.Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: \"Jupiter's Eye\" from Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } }, { "id": 407040, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 13237, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13237/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "TESS Catches Its First Star-destroying Black Hole", "description": "When a star strays too close to a black hole, intense tides break it apart into a stream of gas. The tail of the stream escapes the system, while the rest of it swings back around, surrounding the black hole with a disk of debris. This video includes images of a tidal disruption event called ASASSN-19bt taken by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and Swift missions, as well as an animation showing how the event unfolded. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: \"Games Show Sphere 03\" from Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || TESS_TDE_Still_print.jpg (1024x576) [87.3 KB] || TESS_TDE_Still.jpg (3840x2160) [629.6 KB] || TESS_TDE_Still_searchweb.png (320x180) [68.3 KB] || TESS_TDE_Still_thm.png (80x40) [5.3 KB] || 13237_TESS_TDE_ProRes_1920x1080.mov (1920x1080) [1.6 GB] || 13237_TESS_TDE_1080_Best.mp4 (1920x1080) [380.2 MB] || 13237_TESS_TDE_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [125.6 MB] || 13237_TESS_TDE_1080_Best.webm (1920x1080) [12.6 MB] || 13237_TESS_TDE_SRT_Captions.en_US.srt [2.2 KB] || 13237_TESS_TDE_SRT_Captions.en_US.vtt [2.2 KB] || ", "release_date": "2019-09-26T11:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:45:37.411479-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 394872, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013200/a013237/TESS_TDE_Still_print.jpg", "filename": "TESS_TDE_Still_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "When a star strays too close to a black hole, intense tides break it apart into a stream of gas. The tail of the stream escapes the system, while the rest of it swings back around, surrounding the black hole with a disk of debris. This video includes images of a tidal disruption event called ASASSN-19bt taken by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and Swift missions, as well as an animation showing how the event unfolded. \r\rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center\rMusic: \"Games Show Sphere 03\" from Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } }, { "id": 407041, "type": "details_page", "extra_data": null, "instance": { "id": 12855, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12855/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Mysterious ‘Cow’ Blast Studied with NASA Telescopes", "description": "Watch what scientists think happens when a black hole tears apart a hot, dense white dwarf star. A team working with observations from NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory suggest this process explains a mysterious outburst known as AT2018cow. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: \"Curious Events\" from Killer TracksWatch this video on the JPL YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || AT2018COW_Labeled_Still_3_print.jpg (1024x576) [66.0 KB] || AT2018COW_Labeled_Still_3.jpg (3840x2160) [494.0 KB] || AT2018COW_Labeled_Still_3_searchweb.png (320x180) [56.8 KB] || AT2018COW_Labeled_Still_3_thm.png (80x40) [5.5 KB] || AT2018COW_Labeled_Music_Intro_3_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [116.5 MB] || AT2018COW_Labeled_Music_Intro_3_1080p.mov (1920x1080) [161.2 MB] || AT2018COW_Labeled_Music_Intro_3_1080.webm (1920x1080) [13.2 MB] || AT2018COW_Labeled_Music_Intro_3_ProRes_3840x2160.mov (3840x2160) [4.7 GB] || AT2018COW_Labeled_Music_Intro_3_4k.mp4 (3840x2160) [436.5 MB] || AT2018COW_Labeled_Music_Intro_3_4K.mov (3840x2160) [241.6 MB] || AT2018COW_SRT_Captions.en_US.srt [1.2 KB] || AT2018COW_SRT_Captions.en_US.vtt [1.3 KB] || ", "release_date": "2019-01-10T13:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:46:09.584975-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 397979, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a012800/a012855/AT2018COW_Labeled_Still_3_print.jpg", "filename": "AT2018COW_Labeled_Still_3_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Watch what scientists think happens when a black hole tears apart a hot, dense white dwarf star. A team working with observations from NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory suggest this process explains a mysterious outburst known as AT2018cow. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: \"Curious Events\" from Killer TracksWatch this video on the JPL YouTube channel.Complete transcript available.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } } ], "extra_data": {} } ] }