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Feb. 28, 1997: GRB 970228 Bursts on the Scene

On February 28 1997 the BeppoSAX satellite recorded gamma‑ray burst GRB 970228, an 80‑second flash that was quickly localized. The precise coordinates enabled observatories worldwide to launch coordinated, multi‑wavelength follow‑up campaigns. A month later the Hubble Space Telescope imaged the fading afterglow and separated it from its host galaxy, marking the first confirmed afterglow detection. This breakthrough proved that gamma‑ray bursts originate at cosmological distances, ending a decades‑long debate about their Milky Way origins.