(just one day after the South Asia tsunami tragedy) :

 http://www.mpe-garching.mpg.de/news.html

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/watchtheskies/swift_nsu_0205.html
 

Cosmic Explosion Among the Brightest in Recorded History

 02.18.05
 
Scientists have detected a flash of light from across the Galaxy so powerful that it bounced off the Moon and lit up the Earth's upper atmosphere. The flash was brighter than anything ever detected from beyond our Solar System and lasted over a tenth of a second. NASA and European satellites and many radio telescopes detected the flash and its aftermath on December 27, 2004. Two science teams report about this event at a special press event today at NASA headquarters. A multitude of papers are planned for publication.