Astronomers spot mysterious gamma-ray explosion, unlike any detected before

[babelfish]

[2] The authors favour a scenario in which a white dwarf was shredded by a so-called intermediate-mass black hole. A white dwarf is the small, slowly-cooling core that is left behind after a star like our Sun dies. Intermediate-mass black holes are between 100 and 100 000 times more massive than the Sun. Most known black holes have masses significantly greater or lower than that, and intermediate-mass black holes remain a poorly understood type of object.

[Panzerschrek]

This may be not so powerful gamma ray source as expected, considering that it may radiate in one or two narrow beams, which isn't unusual.

[1970-01-01]

Are we sure the death star is not yet operational?

[pineaux]

Probably aliens. That's my first thought on articles like this.

[hawski]

My first thought was that if there was any carbon based life around there there isn't anymore.

[ksaho]

I am sure Avi Loeb will let the media know.

[b33j0r]

It would be pretty on-point though, if the way we detected aliens is when they destroyed themselves.