Abstract The observational properties (time histories, energy spectra, and spatial distribution) of cosmic gamma-ray bursts and their multi-wavelength afterglows are reviewed. Although one class of burst (the long bursts) can be attributed to the collapse of massive stars, the origin of another class (the short bursts) is still mysterious. This is only one of several questions which remains to be answered. However, despite our incomplete understanding, it is clear that this phenomenon has finally entered the mainstream of astrophysical research, and has numerous applications to other studies.

Keywords gamma-rays: bursts

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