Deep space radio signal reaches Earth after 8 billion years

by ERIC RALLS

Recently, astronomers made an astonishing discovery — a mysterious and powerful burst of radio waves reached Earth after traveling through space for 8 billion years. Dubbed FRB 20220610A, it is one of the most distant and energetic radio signals ever observed.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs), including this particular one, are extremely intense flashes of radio waves that last only milliseconds, yet their origins remain a source of great intrigue and perplexity. We still don’t know what, or who, sends these energy bursts.

The nature of these signals challenges our understanding of the universe, as they can originate from regions far beyond our Milky Way galaxy, hinting at processes and events that we are only beginning to comprehend.

Dr. Stuart Ryder, an esteemed astronomer at Macquarie University in Australia, is among the dedicated team of scientists working diligently to unravel the mysteries surrounding this cosmic enigma.

Through advanced technologies and collaborative efforts, they aim to decode the origins and implications of these fast radio bursts, potentially unlocking new insights into the fundamental workings of our universe and the forces that shape it.

Understanding fast radio bursts (FRBs)

Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, are intense flashes of radio waves that last for just milliseconds. They were first discovered in 2007, and ever since, they have captured the curiosity and fascination of the scientific community worldwide.

For instance, this recent FRB emitted energy equivalent to what our sun produces over 30 years — and all in less than a blink of an eye.

Researchers speculate that these cosmic events might be linked to magnetars, the highly energetic remnants left behind by exploding stars.

Astronomers deployed the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) to detect the burst and track down its origin.

“We used ASKAP’s radio dishes to skillfully pinpoint where the burst came from,” says Dr. Ryder.

The reveal didn’t end there. The team also located the source galaxy using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, discovering it to be older and more distant than any other FRB source found to date.

‘Weighing’ the universe with FRBs

Believe it or not, these fleeting cosmic fireworks could help us ‘weigh’ the universe. There’s a discrepancy between the amount of normal matter we can detect and what cosmologists theorize should exist. Could the answer be outside our visual spectrum?

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