Astronomy: Scientists Detect Huge Energy Burst

Cosmic Explosion Among the Brightest in Recorded History

A high resolution, wide field image of the area around SGR1806 20 as seen in radio wavelength.
Scientists have detected a flash of light from across the Galaxy so powerful that it bounced off the Moon and lit up the Earth's upper atmosphere. The flash was brighter than anything ever detected from beyond our Solar System and lasted over a tenth of a second. NASA and European satellites and many radio telescopes detected the flash and its aftermath on December 27, 2004." -- from the website. <http://www.nasa.gov/>