Abstract
The energy released during a gamma ray burst strains the imagination. With the power of 10 billion billion suns, gamma ray bursts are the most brilliant photon emitters in the universe. By comparison, supernovae emit (at peak) the energy equivalent of 100 billion suns. If such a gamma ray burst occurred closer than millions of light years away and lasted longer than a few minutes - or in some cases, milliseconds - humanity would be wiped out.