Game Changer? A radio signal that dates back 8 billion years has recently been detected by astronomers.

Game Changer? A radio signal that dates back 8 billion years has recently been detected by astronomers.

A radio signal with an age of eight billion years, characterized by extraordinarily high energy levels, has been detected by astronomers. According to findings published in the journal Science, this signal, known as "fast radio burst" FRB 20220610A, lasted for just one millisecond but emitted an astonishing amount of energy, equivalent to what the sun typically emits over the course of 30 years.

As per the reports, deciphering the actual characteristics of these bursts can often prove challenging, primarily due to their extremely brief duration.

Nonetheless, there is a prevailing belief that these bursts originate from the merging of galaxies, a process that leads to the formation of new stars. Moreover, these phenomena could serve as a means to gauge the mass of elements within the universe that exist between galaxies, yet remain unaccounted for. Coauthor Ryan Shannon explained, "When we calculate the quantity of ordinary matter in the universe, which includes the atoms composing all of us, we discover that over half of what should exist today remains elusive."

"We speculate that the elusive matter is concealed within the intergalactic voids, possibly existing in an extremely hot and diffuse state that conventional methods cannot detect."

The significant signal was initially identified using the Australian SKA Pathfinder radio telescope, and subsequent investigations were conducted with a telescope located in China. This research established that the fast radio burst in question is the most ancient and farthest one uncovered thus far.

This discovery follows a perplexing find earlier this year when scientists stumbled upon an enigmatic object emitting radio waves every 21 minutes. The truly puzzling aspect is that it has displayed this same behavior for 45 years, and astronomers remain uncertain about its nature.

*REACH OUT OR SIGN UP BELOW AND BE A PART OF THE FAMILY. THANKS*

 

Back to blog