Brightest-ever cosmic explosion was ’caused by collapse of a massive star’

An artist’s impression of GRB 221009A showing narrow jets Picture: Aaron M Geller Northwestern/CIERA/IT Research Computing and Data Services/PA

The collapse of a massive star may have caused the brightest cosmic explosion of all time, astronomers have said.

The luminous burst of light, which occurred more than two billion light-years from Earth and lasted mere seconds, was so bright that it was said to have blinded space instruments.