Burst Alert Telescope

The Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) is a device aboard certain space telescopes, like the Swift satellite, used to detect intense flashes of gamma rays from space, known as gamma-ray bursts. It scans large portions of the sky to quickly identify these sudden events, which often signal the death of massive stars or merging neutron stars. Once a burst is detected, BAT alerts astronomers so they can focus telescopes on the area to study the event in detail. Its rapid detection and localization help scientists understand some of the universe's most energetic and mysterious phenomena.