Britannica AI Icon

Quick Summary

In astronomy, a burster is a celestial object that emits an outburst of radiation, such as X-rays. These events are often observed as intense fluctuations of radiation lasting only a few seconds, with some bursters varying regularly while others turn on and off randomly.12

The prevailing theory suggests that bursters are binary systems where one object, likely a neutron star or black hole, pulls matter from a companion normal star. This matter becomes violently heated, producing X-rays. The burst phenomenon may be caused by interruptions in the matter flow or by the orbital eclipsing of the compact object.2

Gamma-ray bursts are another type of energetic event, characterized by non-repeating flashes of high-energy gamma rays that last only seconds. These powerful events are thought to originate from collapsing hypergiant stars or merging neutron stars and are among the most distant objects in the universe.34

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.