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Neil Gehrels
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Neil Gehrels

American astrophysicist
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Neil Gehrels was an American astrophysicist known for his work in gamma-ray astronomy. He was the principal investigator for the Swift satellite observatory, launched in 2004. Swift is designed to detect gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which are intense flashes of high-energy radiation from space. The satellite can quickly orient itself to observe these bursts with multiple telescopes, providing precise locations and detailed data. Gehrels's leadership was instrumental in Swift's discovery of over 1,700 GRBs, including some of the most distant ever detected. The mission was renamed Swift in his honor in 2018, following his death in 2017.1

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. Swift
  2. gamma-ray astronomy

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