Scientists have traced mysterious radio signals detected on Earth to a dead star within our Milky Way galaxy.<\/p>\n
The millisecond-long burst of radiation was emitted by a magnestar a type of star with an extremely powerful magnetic field roughly 14,000 light-years away, according to a study.<\/p>\n
Known as fast radio bursts (FRBs), signals such as these have baffled scientists for years and typically originate from far beyond the Milky Way.<\/p>\n
Their origins are unknown. Some think the energetic waves are the result of cosmic explosions, while others have controversially suggested theyre signals sent by aliens.<\/p>\n
Picked up by radio telescopes worldwide in April, the FRB examined in the new study was the first to be detected from inside the Milky Way.<\/p>\n
Astronomers traced it back to a magnetar called SGR 1935+2154, potentially settling the debate on where FRBs come from.<\/p>\n
This is the first ever observational connection between magnetars and fast radio bursts, said astrophysicist Dr. Sandro Mereghetti of the National Institute for Astrophysics in Italy.<\/p>\n
It truly is a major discovery, and helps to bring the origin of these mysterious phenomena into focus.<\/p>\n
FRBs are intense pulses of radio waves that last no longer than the blink of an eye and produce the energy of millions of suns.<\/p>\n
More than 100 FRBs have been discovered to date, but only a handful have repeated, and fewer still in a predictable pattern.<\/p>\n
This makes them notoriously difficult to study, meaning their origins have eluded scientists since the signals were first detected in 2007.<\/p>\n
For the new study, carried out by an international team, researchers analyzed data from the European Space Agencys INTEGRAL satellite.<\/p>\n
They found that the burst from the magnetar SGR was weaker than FRBs detected from outside our galaxy.<\/p>\n
Magnestars are a type of neutron star collapsed remnants of stars that sport powerful magnetic fields.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, their magnetic fields can warp the stars shape and trigger eruptions of huge bursts of radiation in what scientists call a starquake.<\/p>\n
Very few starquakes have been detected by scientists, and fewer still have been caught emitting radio waves.<\/p>\n
Following the detection of the April FRB, a number of scientists suggested it had come from SGR 1935+2154, a theory confirmed by the new study.<\/p>\n
This is a very intriguing result and supports the association between FRBs and magnetars, Mereghetti told ScienceAlert earlier this year.<\/p>\n
Though the evidence now points strongly in favor of magnestars being the source of all FRBs, the study is not conclusive.<\/p>\n
Its possible other stellar phenomena may also lead to the eruption of the mysterious signals.<\/p>\n
That could mean the dying embers of a huge star, black holes, or something never before detected by humans.<\/p>\n
At least one scientist has suggested the signals could be produced by alien spaceships. However, the majority of experts disagree with this theory.<\/p>\n
Whatever their origins, FRBs have the potential to be a new tool that we can use to understand the structure of matter in the universe.<\/p>\n
The radio bursts were first discovered in 2007, so even small steps toward understanding their source mean big excitement for astronomers.<\/p>\n
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Originally posted here:<\/p>\n
Mystery radio signal sent to Earth from closest ever point within Milky Way - New York Post<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Scientists have traced mysterious radio signals detected on Earth to a dead star within our Milky Way galaxy. The millisecond-long burst of radiation was emitted by a magnestar a type of star with an extremely powerful magnetic field roughly 14,000 light-years away, according to a study. Continue reading