Earth Gamma Ray Blasters

Synopsis

From NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope captures brief outbursts of high-energy light produced above thunderstorms. These outbursts, known as terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs), last only a few thousandths of a second and emit gamma rays that rank among the highest-energy light naturally occurring on Earth. The enhanced discovery rate of TGFs by the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) reveals that most TGFs also generate a strong burst of radio waves, providing new insights into these mysterious phenomena.