“Dark” Gamma-Ray Bursts Shed Light on Star Formation

Thanks to the Swift satellite and several ground based optical telescopes, astronomers are learning more about so-called “dark” gamma-ray bursts, which are bright in gamma- and X-ray emissions but with little or no visible light. These dark bursts are also providing astronomers with insights on finding areas of star formation that are hidden by dust. “Our study provides compelling evidence that a large fraction of star formation in the universe is hidden by dust in galaxies that do not appear otherwise dusty,” said Joshua Bloom, associate professor of astronomy at UC Berkeley and senior author of the study, who presented his findings at the American Astronomical Society meeting in California.
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