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A Dazzling Burst of Radio Waves Ignited Near a Dead Star

Learn how researchers have interpreted the story of one particular fast radio burst that emerged from a neutron star 200 million light-years away.

Jack Knudson
ByJack Knudson
Credit: Artsiom P/Shutterstock

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In a brilliant development, scientists have discerned the origins of a fast radio burst borne from the magnetic surroundings of a dead neutron star.

Its sighting can be traced to a curved glint of light originating from a faraway galaxy. New research from a study in Nature on this luminous phenomenon has issued an updated perspective on fast radio bursts — short-lived explosions of radio waves that release an abundance of energy.

A fast radio burst (FRB), thought to stem from compact astronomical objects like neutron stars (a supergiant star left behind from a supernova) and potentially black holes, produces a scintillation that has continuously caught the eyes of astrophysicists. The gleam of light, although only lasting for a thousandth of a second, is powerful enough to outshine an entire galaxy.

Researchers have been keen on solving the mysteries behind the creation of FRBs since their initial discovery in 2007, ...

  • Jack Knudson

    Jack Knudson

    Jack Knudson is an assistant editor for Discover Magazine who writes articles on space, ancient humans, animals, and sustainability, and manages the Planet Earth column of the print issue.

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