Anybody out there? Mysterious, repeating radio bursts from space baffle scientists
Repeating bursts of mysterious radio waves from a galaxy far, far away have been detected by scientists who believe they come from an “extremely powerful object”.
Researchers at New York’s Cornell University, who published the paper in Nature on Wednesday, believe the origin of these fast radio bursts (FRBs), which last only milliseconds, cannot be an explosion in space as they are repeating.
"Whatever produces the FRB can’t be destroyed by the burst, because otherwise, what would produce the next pulse?" said Shami Chatterjee, a senior researcher at Cornell, who has also described their findings as having "broken this enigmatic phenomenon wide open".
'Biosignature' study could help astronomers detect alien life on other planets https://t.co/p5RK4wEC7bpic.twitter.com/LaLbe4M8Vl
— RT (@RT_com) March 3, 2016
Knowing that there are such FRBs raises further questions still, not only about the exact source of them, but also what is driving them. The study found that “whatever battery drives FRBs, it can recharge in minutes”.
Some people think these fast radio bursts could be aliens trying to contact us. If so, chances are good they're saying, "Yankee go home."
— argillic (@argillic) March 3, 2016
FRB fast radio bursts? even elliptical galaxies billions of light years away are warning us about Trump
— Seamus O'flaugherty (@seamussaid) February 25, 2016
As these FRBs are being detected from very far away, they are "intrinsically very bright", which Cornell astronomy professor Ira Wasserman believes narrows down the source.
"Only a few astrophysical sources can produce bursts like this, and we think they are most likely neutron stars in other galaxies," Cordes theorizes, although the exact source will now have to be pinpointed.
READ MORE: Out of this world: 12 of the best space pics & videos from astronaut Scott Kelly
Only 17 FRBs have ever been discovered, the first in 2007. As they were isolated events, they were thought to be caused by cataclysmic incidents which destroyed the source, such as an exploding star or evaporating black hole.
Those who believe 'the truth is out there', or who are just a bit out there themselves, think the signals came from aliens.
According to the comments sections of the press releases for the recent paper, FRBs are from aliens... -J. Hessels
— Abigail Stevens (@abigailStev) March 3, 2016
It's official ALIENS EXIST
— Pseudo straight (@HomoMoe_9) March 3, 2016
FRBs: Mystery repeating radio signals discovered emanating from unknown cosmic source https://t.co/D6SQg5pv4I