Astronomers are getting closer and closer to solving a recent mystery about our planet and the universe that it finds itself in. For the second time, scientists have been able to pick a bizarre radio signal. The signals have been named the “fast radio burst.” The latest one repeats itself and, therefore, it’s actually possible to track it back to the source. “Fast Radio Burst” or FRBs signals are not uncommon. In fact, dozens have been detected so far. But there are now two that have a peculiar ring to them. They actually repeat themselves.
The latest signal to have this attribute was picked up for the first time by a Canadian radio telescope as it was starting operations in mid-2018. The signal has been picked yet again. According to astronomers, the two repeating signals are in completely different parts of the sky. They are also more than a billion parsec away from each other. The scientists note that until now, there was only one known repeating FRB. But this discovery could mean that there are more out there. The team that made the discovery is from McGill University.
The findings are set to be published in a paper which will be presented in an astronomer’s conference in Seattle. Scientists say that if they can capture more and more repeated signals, they can start to analyze them and try to solve this mystery once and for all. One of the most important things will, of course, be to determine where the signals are coming from and what the cause is.
The scientists note that the repeaters were observed at a lower frequency compared to other recorded FRBs. This is especially important because it allows the researchers to categorize the signals based on the frequencies. This then ensures that the right theories are applied in order to understand them. A few strange theories though have already been placed on the table. There are a few people in the astronomers’ community that are suggesting that perhaps the signals could be originating from an advanced alien species in our cosmos.
Although this is something that has been dismissed, there are still those who believe that it’s too early to rule out that the signals could actually be coming from an artificial source. According to Harvard University professor Abraham Loeb, it’s possible that the FRBs can be traced back to massive energy beams that according to him could be used to propel large alien spaceships.
Just recently, another interstellar object code-named Oumuamua was seen floating through the Earth’s Milky Way. Although the source of the object is still unknown, Loeb was one of the scientists suggesting that it was probably an alien probe falling off from the galaxy after completing its mission. Despite all these theories, there’s a consensus in the science community that it’s still early to talk about FRBs with any definite certainty. More data is still needed to try to make generalizations about where these signals could be coming from.
