Gamma-ray bursts(GRBs) 101

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are short-lived bursts of gamma-ray light, the most energetic form of light. 
Lasting anywhere from a few milliseconds to several minutes, GRBs shine 
hundreds of times brighter than a typical supernova and about a million trillion times as brightas the Sun. 
When a GRB erupts, it is briefly the brightest source of cosmic gamma-ray
 photons in the observable Universe.

Artistic representation of a GRB

GRBs were first detected  accidentally in 1967 with a satellite network called "Vela".These satellite systems were designed to detect covert nuclear weapons tests by USA.

Vela satellite 

These bursts are categorized in to three main categories depending on their duration.

1. Short Gamma Ray bursts
2. Long Gamma Ray bursts
3. Ultra long Gamma Ray bursts

From 1991 to 2000, the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on board the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory detected over 2700 gamma ray bursts. This map shows the locations of all these on the sky. The fact that they are not confined to the plane of our galaxy tells astronomers that GRBs must be extragalactic in nature. The colors differentiate the brightness of the bursts. Credit: NASA

As these incidents are very random, scientists still know very little about the phenomena.If this type of explosion happen near our solar system it's radiation may incinerate our planet.