Mysterious Fast Radio Burst Spotted Within Our Galaxy for the First Time, Scientists Trace Bizarre ‘Magnetic Star’ to Help Solve the Astronomical Puzzle
In a thousandth of a second, a powerful burst of radio waves washed over Earth, which lights up radio telescopes in April this year and this phenomenon reportedly occurred within our own galaxy, something which scientists have been able to point out for the first time.
The radio waves, known as fast radio bursts (FRBs) are said to appear once every second in the night sky, flaring for just a few milliseconds at a time. But we have only seen a tiny fraction of these phenomena at play, and all of the bursts have apparently stemmed from outside our galaxy, with some located billions of light-years away. However, a recent powerful burst of radio waves washed over our planet gave new insights to the scientists. In a thousandth of a second, a powerful burst of radio waves washed over Earth, which lights up radio telescopes in April this year and this phenomenon reportedly occurred within our own galaxy, something which scientists have been able to point out for the first time. Thanks to the bizarre ‘magnetic star,’ scientists could trace it to solve the astronomical puzzle.
The group of astronomers spotted the short, and powerful blast of radio waves coming from within our galaxy. Astronomers have tracked down the source of this strange signal, and the results could reveal the long-sought cause of some of the most mysterious cosmic signals ever recorded. In the three studies published in the journal Nature, the international group of scientists identified the blast as FRB and what makes it remarkable is that, it came from within our galaxy, earlier these bursts have always occurred from outside our galaxy. Asteroid 16 Psyche Is a Metal Space Rock and It Costs Way More Than Earth’s Economy! Here’s What You Should Know About the Rocky Object Worth $10,000 Quadrillion.
For years, researchers have wondered for years what could cause these powerful blasts, with some speculations ranging from exploding stars to alien technologies. In the latest studies, scientists found that at least one source is likely an exotic stellar object called a magnetar, a type of young neutron star left over after large star explodes that has an extremely powerful magnetic field. “When I looked at the data for the first time, I froze and was basically paralyzed with excitement,” Christopher Bochenek, a lead author of one of the studies was quoted saying in reports.
FRBs are extremely difficult to study because they are over so quickly. Astrophysicists have struggled to work out what sparks these intense radio blasts. The new signal is the first radio burst pinned down to a specific source, providing a unique opportunity to finally study one of these cosmic flashes in detail.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 05, 2020 01:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).