This is a truly unique occurrence that we’re unlikely to witness again in our lifetimes, according to Williams. “Based on our simulations, a gamma-ray burst as intense and as close as this one is expected to occur less than once every 1,000 years,” she added. I had only been working at Swift for a short while at the time we first noticed this explosion, so I wasn’t aware of how extraordinary this was.Following the initial burst’s detection on October 9, 2022, Williams carried out follow-up observations, devoting over 90 minutes of observations per day until the end of November 2022. Yet, the gamma-ray burst’s exceptional brightness made it possible for the researchers to watch it every other day throughout December 2022.