--- title: "Astronomers Record Signal Coming From Deep Space Every 157 Days" description: "A team of astronomers have discovered a \"fast radio burst\" (FRB) signal, mysterious flashes of millisecond wave energy, that repeats itself every 157 days." date: "2020-06-08" modified: "2020-06-08" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/astronomers-record-signal-coming-space-every-157-days" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "Fast Radio Burst" - "fast radio bursts" - "frb" - "FRBs" --- # Astronomers Record Signal Coming From Deep Space Every 157 Days ![A team of astronomers have discovered a "fast radio burst" (FRB) signal, mysterious flashes of millisecond wave energy, that repeats itself every 157 days]() *\Image: INCRAR\* A team of astronomers have discovered a new "fast radio burst" (FRB) signal, [*Space.com* reports]() — mysterious flashes of millisecond-wave energy, coming from distance space, that repeat every 157 days. The signal, dubbed FRB 121102, flares up for a 90 day period and then goes silent for another 67 days, as detailed in [a paper]() about the discovery published Sunday in the journal *Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society*. Since 2007, astronomers have been trying to figure out the origin of these mysterious pulses. So far, we've discovered [more than 100]() of them. About a month ago, scientists [recorded]() the most powerful FRB known to history. It was so intense, in fact, that it could’ve been detectable from another galaxy, [*ScienceAlert* reported]() at the time. This latest repeater is not the first cyclical FRB observed. Back in January, Cornell University researchers announced they had [identified]() an FRB source about half a billion light years from Earth that pulses on a 16-day cycle. So far, the best explanation we have for these repeating pulses is that they are put out by magnetars, supercharged neutron stars, wobbling around their own axis, movement referred to as "precession." Others suggest the patterns could be caused by a neutron star orbiting a second star as part of a binary system. "This is an exciting result as it is only the second system where we believe we see this modulation in burst activity," Kaustubh Rajwade, lead author and postdoctoral researcher at The University of Manchester, said in [a statement](). According to Rajwade, the discovery "could argue against a precessing neutron star," as the cycle, at 157 days, is far longer than the first repeater of 16 days. But FRBs will remain a mystery. "This exciting discovery highlights how little we know about the origin of FRBs," Duncan Lorimer, associate dean for research at West Virginia University and co-author of the study, said in the statement. "Further observations of a larger number of FRBs will be needed in order to obtain a clearer picture about these periodic sources and elucidate their origin," he added. **READ MORE:** [Mysterious deep-space flashes repeat every 157 days]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on FRBs:** *[POWERFUL RADIO SIGNAL FROM DISTANT GALAXY SEEMS TO HAVE A PATTERN]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()