If you’ve been following Gizmodo’s astrophysics coverage, you’ve probably noticed a pattern: Scientists study a cosmic phenomenon and start to get a handle on it—then something shows up that completely upends their understanding. The latest example? It’s explosive. Literally.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most powerful explosions in the universe . Generally, GRBs last from milliseconds to several minutes. Scientists believe they emerge when massive stars explode in supernovas or get ripped apart by black holes. But GRB 250702B, the newly observed signal, is “unlike any other seen in 50-years of GRB observations,” said Antonio Martin-Carillo, co-lead author of a study describing the discovery published recently in The Astrophysical Journal Letters , in a statement .

GRB 250702B la

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