The Einstein Probe, a space telescope designed to scan the sky for transient X-ray events, has captured something unexpected: a short gamma-ray burst followed by nearly 10 minutes of soft X-ray activity. Short gamma-ray bursts are typically associated with neutron star mergers, but the extended X-ray glow suggests a previously unseen phase in the aftermath of such collisions.
According to the report, the prolonged emission could have been powered by a magnetar—a highly magnetized neutron star formed during the merger. If confirmed, this would indicate that some mergers leave behind a stable remnant rather than collapsing directly into a black hole, a distinction that matters for understanding how heavy elements are produced and how these events evolve.
Previous missions may have missed this phase because they were less sensitive to soft X-rays or did not observe long enough after the initial burst. The Einstein Probe's ability to catch this signal opens a new window onto the late-time behavior of neutron star mergers, though the source notes that further observations are needed to confirm the magnetar interpretation. The finding highlights how new instruments can reveal stages of cosmic events that were always there but hidden from view.