Astronomers at MIT pick up mysterious signal

On Jul 20, 2022

DOUG: HEY, ASTRONOMERS AT MIT HAVE DISCOVERED SOMETHING THEY CAN’T QUITE EXPLAIN. ANTOINETTE: OK, IT’S A MYSTERIOUS RADIO SIGNAL PULSING WITH CONSTANT REGULARITY. STAY WITH US. THEY’RE CALLED FAST RADIO BURSTS, OR FRB’S, AND WERE DETECTED USING A RADIO TELESCOPE IN CANADA CALLED CHIME. SCIENTISTS SAY THEY USUALLY ONLY LAST A FEW MILLI-SECONDS. BUT ONE NEW DISCOVERY IS SO POWERFUL, IT LASTED A FULL THREE SECONDS. IT ALSO EMITS RADIO WAVES IN A SERIES OF PEAKS LIKE THE HEARTBEAT. THAT’S RARE. SCIENTISTS THINK IT’S CAUSED BY A NEUTRON STAR WHICH ROTATES AND EMITS RADIO WAVES FROM EITHER END, SIMILAR TO A LIGHTHOUSE. >> PREVIOUSLY, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO SEE THESE NEUTRON STARS EMITTING RADIO WAVES FROM OTHER GALAXIES BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ENERGETIC ENOUGH, THEY ARE NOT LUMINOUS ENOUGH. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WHERE WE MAY HAVE DETECTED A NEUTRON STAR FROM SO FAR AWAY. ANTOINETTE: ASTRONOMERS BELIEVE IT’S COMING FROM A GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY. THIS DISCOVERY COULD BE USED TO HELP MEASURE HOW FAST THE UNIVERSE IS EXPANDIN

Astronomers at MIT have discovered something they can’t quite explain: A mysterious radio signal pulsing with constant regularity. They’re called fast radio bursts, or FRBs, and were detected using a radio telescope in Canada called CHIME. Scientists say they usually only last a few milliseconds. But one new discovery is so powerful, it lasted a full three seconds. It also emitted radio waves in a series of peaks, like a heartbeat, and that’s rare, scientists said. Scientists think the signal is caused by a neutron star, which rotates and emits radio waves from either end, similar to a lighthouse. “Previously, we were not able to see these neutron stars emitting radio waves from other galaxies because they are not energetic enough, they are not luminous enough. This is the first time where we may have detected a neutron star from so far away,” said MIT astronomer Dr. Daniele Michilli. This discovery could be used to help measure how fast the universe is expanding.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. —

Astronomers at MIT have discovered something they can’t quite explain: A mysterious radio signal pulsing with constant regularity.

They’re called fast radio bursts, or FRBs, and were detected using a radio telescope in Canada called CHIME.

Scientists say they usually only last a few milliseconds. But one new discovery is so powerful, it lasted a full three seconds.

It also emitted radio waves in a series of peaks, like a heartbeat, and that’s rare, scientists said.

Scientists think the signal is caused by a neutron star, which rotates and emits radio waves from either end, similar to a lighthouse.

“Previously, we were not able to see these neutron stars emitting radio waves from other galaxies because they are not energetic enough, they are not luminous enough. This is the first time where we may have detected a neutron star from so far away,” said MIT astronomer Dr. Daniele Michilli.

This discovery could be used to help measure how fast the universe is expanding.