Russian Robotic Telescope Becomes the First to See the Light of a Cosmic Catastrophe
The unique MASTER system captured the optical afterglow of a powerful gamma-ray burst.
Astronomers at Lomonosov Moscow State University, using advanced Russian technology, were the first in the world to detect visible light from one of the most powerful cosmic explosions — the gamma-ray burst GRB 251125B. The discovery was made possible by the global network of robotic telescopes known as MASTER, highlighting Russia’s leading position in the study of the Universe.
MASTER-Tunka Was the First
The event was initially detected by NASA’s Fermi satellite. However, it was the MASTER-Tunka telescope, located in the Tunka Valley in Buryatia, that identified the source just 11 minutes later and recorded its optical afterglow. This rapid response was enabled by the network’s full automation and unique architecture, which allows it to react almost instantly to cosmic events.
Decoding the Mechanisms of Grand Cataclysms
The MASTER telescope is a fully robotic system that operates without human intervention. Its key advantage lies in its ability to automatically receive coordinates from space observatories, rapidly point to the specified region of the sky and immediately begin observations. In this case, the system successfully handled the extremely challenging task of searching within a vast error region of about 30 square degrees.
The discovery is a vivid example of how digital transformation and the deployment of advanced technologies in Russia are enabling breakthrough scientific achievements. The Russian MASTER network promptly provided unique data to the global scientific community. The significance of the event was confirmed by independent observatories, including COLIBRI and China’s GECAM telescope.
Gamma-ray bursts are the brightest explosions in the Universe and are associated with the deaths of massive stars. Studying them helps scientists understand stellar evolution, the properties of matter under extreme conditions and the fundamental laws of physics. Data collected in the first minutes after such bursts are especially valuable for unraveling the mechanisms behind these grand cataclysms.
