Astronomers pinpoint source of mysterious radio burst signal

BUUURP

Scientists have presented new evidence that a magnetar within the Milky Way was the source of a strange fast radio burst recorded in April.

Astronomers Pinpoint Source of Mysterious Radio Burst Signal

It released an incredible amount of energy in just milliseconds — and we still don't know why.

"It truly is a major discovery, and helps to bring the origin of these mysterious phenomena into focus."

A dead star gave off something scientists have never seen before

Shine So Bright

In late April, the international team observed a massively bright outburst of X-rays and radio waves. They traced it back to a magnetar in the Milky Way.

A Dead Star Gave Off Something Scientists Have Never Seen Before

Well, that was surprising.

"This exciting discovery highlights how little we know about the origin of [fast radio bursts]."

Astronomers record signal coming from deep space every 157 days

Galactic Dance Party

A team of astronomers have discovered a "fast radio burst" (FRB) signal, mysterious flashes of millisecond wave energy, that repeats itself every 157 days.

Astronomers Record Signal Coming From Deep Space Every 157 Days

Scientists can't explain these mysterious signals from space — but they're trying.

The call is coming from inside the galaxy.

Scientists detect powerful radio burst coming from our own galaxy

Hard Science

For the first time, astronomers just detected a fast radio burst (FRB), mysterious millisecond-wave bursts of radio waves, within our own galaxy.

Scientists Detect Powerful Radio Burst Coming From Our Own Galaxy

"Something like this has never been seen before."

This discovery has scientists in a frenzy trying to pinpoint origin and ascertain a root cause.

Astronomers detect a storm of deep-space radio bursts

Off World

The originating galaxy of the fast radio burst called (FRB 121102) came back into view, and astronomers are excited to understand this strange phenomenon.

Astronomers Detect a Storm of Deep-Space Radio Bursts

“The likelihood of ET being involved in this source is low, but the source is nevertheless very mysterious..."

For the first time, researchers have pinpointed one source of fast radio bursts (FRBs), very brief flashes of energy from space that can generate as much energy as 500 million suns.
Because FRBs are only found emanating from places billions of light-years away, understanding them could provide valuable insight into the distant history of our universe.

Powerful Radio Signals Are Coming From a Galaxy Three Billion Light-Years Away

These signals can generate as much energy as 500 million suns.

Gamma rays might have accompanied an FRB eruption, marking the first time high-energy photons have been associated with these blasts of radio energy.
If the gamma rays did come from the same place as the radio waves, then the underlying source could be roughly 1 billion times as energetic as originally thought.

Mysterious Radio Signals May Be 1 Billion Times More Energetic Than We Thought

The detection of gamma rays accompanying these radio waves is a first.

A brilliant burst of energy, brighter than any before, was detected by astronomers and may have led to its site of origin.
The cause of this fascinating phenomenon is unknown, but this latest iteration may lead us to greater understanding of the structure of our universe. 

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