This visualization follows the original detection to Hubble observations of the July 9, 2005, burst. HETE detected the burst; the satellite's field of view is circled. The group led by Derek Fox of Penn State then imaged the burst's X-ray afterglow with Chandra, shown as a square. The first observed optical afterglow is shown next. (Astrophysicists at the University of Copenhagen using the Danish 1.5-meter telescope at La Silla Observatory in Chile identified the optical afterglow.) Fox's team followed the visible signature using Hubble. To watch the movie, click on the link near the bottom of the page.
NASA / University of Copenhagen; Visualization: Mike McClare / NASA GSFC