The peculiar short-duration GRB 200826A and its supernova

Understand

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are classified as long and short events.

• Long GRBs (LGRBs) are associated with the end states of very massive stars, while short GRBs (SGRBs) are linked to the merger of compact objects.
• GRB 200826A was a peculiar event, because by definition it was a SGRB, with a rest-frame duration of ~ 0.5 s.
• However, this event was energetic and soft, which is consistent with LGRBs.