Gamma-ray burst may reveal some of oldest dust in the universe

Remote flash may have uncovered supernova-generated dust from just 1 billion years after the Big Bang

WASHINGTON — Astronomers may have detected smoke signals generated by a group of supernovas that blew up when the universe was less than 1.2 billion years old. If correct, the researchers have detected what would be one of the earliest known signs of supernova-produced dust in the universe, and the earliest dust detected thanks to a gamma-ray burst.