Webb Telescope Detects Galaxy Origin Of The Farthest Fast Radio Burst We've Seen To Date
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified the origin of a distant fast radio burst in a small, star-forming galaxy that existed 3 billion years after the Big Bang. The findings challenge existing theories that suggest these bursts only originate from the merger of neutron stars in older galaxies.
Why it matters
This discovery provides critical data for understanding the mysterious origins of fast radio bursts, which are among the most energetic phenomena in the universe.
And the data it provided sheds light on the origins of fast radio bursts.
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, T. Nanayakkara (USYD). Image Processing: J. DePasquale (STScI) Add Engadget on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover Back in 2024, scientists detected the farthest fast radio burst we've ever seen to date, thanks to observations by the MeerKAT ground telescope array. Fast radio bursts are ultra-fast radio waves from deep space, which last a fraction of a second but release as much as energy as what the sun emits in three days. They were first discovered in 2007, and not much is known about them. Now, astronomers have used the James Webb telescope to pinpoint the origin of the burst detected in 2024, and it could shed light on the phenomenon's origins.
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