XMM-Newton captured dust rings from gamma-ray burst 221009A

XMM-Newton images recorded 20 dust rings, 19 of which are shown here in arbitrary colours. The image merges observations made two and five days after GRB 221009A erupted. Dark stripes indicate gaps between the detectors. A detailed analysis shows that the widest ring visible here, comparable to the apparent size of a full moon, came from dust clouds located about 1300 light-years away. The innermost ring arose from dust at a distance of 61 000 light-years – on the other side of our galaxy. GRB221009A is only the seventh gamma-ray burst to display X-ray rings, and it triples the number previously seen around one.

Read more about this gamma-ray burst here.