Astronomers Trace Fast Radio Bursts to Unexpected Origins in Space

New research reveals fast radio bursts from a dead galaxy and a magnetar, challenging existing theories about their origins.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs), millisecond-long flashes of radio waves, have been traced to two vastly different locations in space, according to new studies.
One FRB originated near a highly magnetized neutron star, or magnetar, located 200 million light-years away, within its intense magnetic environment.
Another FRB, named FRB 20240209A, was traced to the outskirts of an ancient, dead galaxy 2 billion light-years away, where no new stars are forming.
The findings challenge prior assumptions that FRBs are typically linked to young, star-forming regions, suggesting they may have diverse origins.
Advanced telescopes like CHIME and Gemini North were instrumental in pinpointing the bursts' origins, offering new insights into the universe's dynamics.