Nov. 20, 2004 — Astronomers have a powerful new tool to pinpoint the short-lived, but massively powerful, bursts of gamma rays believed to be tied to the creation of black holes.

Although several telescopes have flown before, not much is known about gamma ray bursts except that they are the most energetic phenomena in the universe, second only to the Big Bang explosion itself.

A single burst puts out in a fraction of a second more energy than our sun will emit in its lifetime.

"Gamma ray bursts have ranked among the biggest mysteries in astronomy," said Neil Gehrels, a NASA astronomer and the principal investigator for a new gamma ray-hunting telescope called Swift, which launched on Saturday from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

First detected in the 1960s by satellites monitoring for nuclear tests, gamma ray bursts were the focus of the NASA's Compton Gamma Ray observatory, a sister telescope to the Hubble observatory.

Scientists using Compton's instruments discovered that gamma ray explosions were coming almost daily and occurred at random locations throughout the sky.

Follow-on studies determined that most gamma ray busts were far away, in galaxies that had formed shortly after the creation of the universe.

No one knows what causes the bursts. The prevailing theory is that they are caused by the collapse of massive dying stars, which then transform into neutron stars or black holes, releasing massive amounts of gamma radiation in the process.

The event likely produces twin, narrow jets of radiation in opposite directions. If one of jets points toward Earth, it appears as a gamma ray burst.

Once operational, Swift is intended to become the scientific community's first-alert of a gamma ray burst. The explosions occur quickly — some are over in milliseconds — and by pinpointing their location as soon after they manifest as possible, astronomers will be able to train a variety of instruments on the bursts' afterglow.

Swift has three telescopes, the largest of which will be used to patrol the sky, one-sixth a chunk at a time.

When it detects a burst, Swift's two other telescopes — one sensitive to X-ray light, the other in the ultraviolet and optical range — will pivot into position for more focused study.

Swift also relays a message within seconds to a worldwide network of gamma ray hunters identifying the location of the burst. More than 40 space- and ground-based observatories are expected to make use of Swift's instant messages, as will hundreds of amateur astronomers worldwide.

Swift researchers hope to capture one or two gamma ray bursts a week. The mission has been funded for two years, though the telescope itself is expected to last at least eight years.