In October 2022, an international team of researchers observed the brightest gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever recorded, GRB 221009A. Researchers speculated that within the newly discovered supernova there could be evidence of heavy elements, such as platinum and gold.
The extensive search, however, did not find the signature that accompanies said elements. It is a key piece of information as we continue to understand where where these heavy elements come from. Future observations with Webb will determine whether BOAT's 'normal' cousins produce these elements. The origin ofheavy elements in the universe remains one of the biggest open questions in astronomy. The event produced some of the highest energy photons ever recorded by satellites designed to detect gamma rays. "This was an event that Earth sees only once every 10,000 years," said Northwestern University's Peter Blanchard, who led the study. "We are lucky to live in a time when we have the technology to detect these explosions occurring throughout the universe," he said.