Get the latest Science News and Discoveries

A Mysterious Signal Reached Us From When The Universe Was Just 3 Billion Years Old. Its Home Galaxy Surprised Astronomers.


Sometimes we receive strange, ghostly radio signals from outer space, which astronomers have yet to conclusively explain.  Partially because they disappear almost as soon as they arrive.  The ephemera known as fast radio bursts (FRBs) are among the Universe's most mysterious occurrences, even more eerie than the supposed little green aliens with a penchant for physical probes.  If they were related, that would neatly solve two major mysteries.  But FRBs are bursts of radio waves from the distant cosmos, generally lasting for tiny fractions of a second (i.e., fast).  Their transience, and the fact that they randomly appear across the sky, have made it difficult to pin down their origins for nearly two decades since their discovery in 2007.

None

Get the Android app

Or read this on Science Alert

Read more on:

Photo of Universe

Universe

Photo of mysterious signal

mysterious signal

Photo of home galaxy

home galaxy

Related news:

News photo

Wandering Black Holes May Hold Clues to the Evolution of the Universe

News photo

Scientists find a surprising clue to why the universe’s expansion doesn’t add up

News photo

Scientists recreate the universe's first moments and find something they didn't expect