What happens during a gamma ray burst?
The speed of light is never exceeded during a gamma ray burst, but the jets of plasma and the charged particles generated in the explosion keep moving at nearly the speed of light. Supernovae and Hyper-novae that cause gamma ray bursts are the source of many of the cosmic rays that constantly hit the upper atmosphere from all directions. After the burst is over, the newly formed black hole either swallows the rest of the star from the inside out or the outer envelope is ejected into space leaving the black hole behind. In every case a gamma ray burst is detected, after the initial flash is over, it is seen in the parent galaxy as another extra-galactic supernova.
