An international team of scientists, based in the US, the UK and the Netherlands, has determined that a gamma-ray burst (GRB) detected a year ago was caused by a rare event, known as a kilonova. A GRB is an immensely powerful explosion which can range in duration from a few milliseconds to several hours. By far the majority – at least 90% -- of GRBs are caused by supernovae, during which the core of a massive star collapses (into a neutron star or even a black hole) while triggering a massive explosion of its outer layers. A kilonova, however, is created by the collision of two neutron stars or of a neutron star with a black hole. Kilonovae may account for up to 10% of GRBs.
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