Repeating gamma-ray bursts are ‘unlike any other’ in 50 years, astronomers say

(CNN) — Astronomers are trying to understand what caused a series of gamma ray bursts, or GRBs — the most powerful explosions in the universe.

These energetic bursts are typically unleashed by the incendiary death of a star, or when it is shredded by a black hole.

The observation of repeating bursts has never occurred before, given that the events that produce them are so catastrophic, said Antonio Martin-Carrillo, an assistant professor in astrophysics at the University College Dublin in Ireland. But in July, several bursts were detected in a single day.

“(It’s) unlike any other seen in 50-years of GRB observations,” Martin-Carrillo said in a statement. He is the co-lead author of a study based on observations of the event published August 29 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters .