While many people accept that space is silent, this assumption is incorrect. NASA has provided sonifications that allow us to experience the sounds of celestial events, including a remarkable sound captured in 2025 that lasted an astonishing seven hours. This event, termed GRB 250702B, was identified by five high-energy telescopes, originating from a galaxy several billion light-years away.
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are colossal explosions in the cosmos, typically thought to result from a star’s collapse. These phenomena have been documented by U.S. satellites since the 1960s, but the lengthy duration of GRB 250702B is particularly noteworthy, prompting scientists to propose potential causes for the event. Eliza Neights, a researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, suggested in an interview with BBC’s Sky at Night Magazine that this unusual GRB may have stemmed from a helium merger.
A helium merger occurs when a helium star in orbit around a black hole expands to such an extent that the black hole begins to absorb it. This rapid process generates a sustained jet, which in turn leads to a prolonged gamma-ray burst. Given its length and the conditions that contributed to it, GRB 250702B is a remarkable case within a well-studied astronomical phenomenon.
What makes GRB 250702B so special
Clearly, GRB 250702B stands out as an extraordinary gamma-ray burst. The seven-hour-long phenomenon is remarkable, particularly considering that most GRBs last only a few minutes, with the longest previous event spanning around four hours. Eliza Neights pointed out that GRB 250702B was also unusual in its structure, as it produced three distinct bursts seemingly emanating from the same sky location.
As previously mentioned, Neights theorizes that the cause of GRB 250702B could be linked to a helium merger, which is itself an uncommon and fascinating occurrence. Typically, gamma-ray bursts occur when two neutron stars spiral into each other or when massive stars collapse into black holes, creating jets. Even when helium mergers do take place, they are rarely captured due to their faint signals, as most telescopes are tuned to detect brighter, shorter bursts.
The study of space often requires conducting research from Earth since even brief exposure to space can impact an astronaut’s biology. However, it seems the vast expanse of the universe is eager to communicate with us, sending powerful signals like GRB 250702B to intrigue astronomers.
