ASTRONOMERS have discovered a set of mysterious radio signals that could have been sent to Earth by a distant alien race.
The repeating Fast Radio Burst, only the second ever found, was fired from a spot 1.5billion light years from our planet – and experts are baffled as to what created it.
Fast Radio Bursts (FRB) are intense pulses of radio waves that last no longer than the blink of an eye and come from far beyond our Milky Way galaxy.
No one knows what causes the strange bursts, but theories range from highly magnetised neutron stars and super-massive black holes to signs of an advanced civilisation.
Around 60 have been discovered over the past decade, but just one repeated.
This burst, known as FRB 121102 or “the repeater”, has produced hundreds of rapid pulses, giving astronomers a rare chance to study its makeup and where it came from.
Now, scientists in Canada have stumbled upon a second repeating FRB, alongside 13 newly detected single bursts.
“Until now, there was only one known repeating FRB. Knowing that there is another suggests that there could be more out there,” said team member Professor Ingrid Stairs, an astronomer at the University of British Columbia.
“With more repeaters and more sources available for study, we may be able to understand these cosmic puzzles—where they’re from and what causes them.”
The flashes of radio signal were picked up by an enormous radio telescope known as the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment, or Chime.
What are FRBs, and why are they important?
Here's what you need to know...
- FRBs, or fast radio bursts, are a mysterious space phenomenon
- They’re very quick radio bursts that last just a few milliseconds (or thousandths of seconds)
- They’re detected as huge spikes of energy that change in strength over time
- The first one was discovered back in 2007, found by looking back through space survey data
- Lots of FRBs have been found since then
- There’s also one FRB source that is sending out repeated bursts – and no one is quite sure why
- In fact, scientists have struggled to explain exactly what causes any FRB in the first place
- Theories include rapidly rotating neutron stars, black holes, and even alien life
- FRBs are important simply because they’re so baffling to experts
- Unlocking the secrets of what causes them will give us a much better understanding of what goes on beyond our galaxy
- And if it does turn out that some other life-form is causing these FRBs, it would be a world-changing discovery
Most of the signals showed signs of coming from “powerful astrophysical objects” deep in space, scientists said.
That could mean the dying embers of a huge star, near the centre of a black hole, or something never before detected by humans.
The repeating FRB travelled around 1.5billion light years before reaching Earth.
It bears similarities to FRB 121102, which was detected in 2012, suggesting the pair were created by similar events.
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The source of FRBs are still a mystery and the nature of the object emitting them is still unknown.
They have the potential to be a new tool that we can use to understand the structure of matter in the universe.
The radio bursts were first discovered in 2007, so small even steps toward understanding their source offers big excitement for astronomers.
“We haven’t solved the problem, but it’s several more pieces in the puzzle,” said team member Dr Tom Landecker.
The research was published in the journal Nature.
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News Pictures Could aliens be behind a SECOND mysterious repeating radio signal fired from deep space?
You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!
TEENS
Hayden Panettiere
Size: 8
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 8st
To achieve her kick-ass figure, Hayden – who plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes – follows the ‘quartering’ rule. She eats only a quarter of the food on her plate, then waits 20 minutes before deciding whether she needs to eat again.
Hayden says: “I don’t have a model’s body, but I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m OK with what I have.”
Nicollette says: “I don’t like diets – I see it, I eat it! I believe in eating healthily with lots of protein, vegetables and carbs to give you energy.”
kim cattrall
Size: 10-12
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 9st 4lb
SATC star Kim swears by gym sessions with Russian kettle bells (traditional cast-iron weights) and the South Beach Diet to give her the body she wants. To avoid overeating, Kim has a radical diet trick – squirting lemon juice on her leftovers – so she won’t carry on picking.
Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
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