Fast Radio Burst in Milky Way Galaxy May Solve Space Mystery

Written by Tim Binnall on November 10, 2020. Posted in Current News

The mystery surrounding the enigmatic phenomenon known as ‘fast radio bursts’ (FRBs) may be closer than ever to being solved as astronomers have detected one of the puzzling pulses within our own galaxy and, in turn, determined its origin.

The fleeting yet enormously powerful bursts of radio waves have long intrigued scientists since they first appeared on the proverbial space radar back in 2007 with their source and cause unknown. In the ensuing years, researchers have detected dozens of FRBs, offered all manner of exotic theories for their nature, and found instances wherein these pulses repeat in patterns. And now a newfound burst located in our galactic neighborhood just might solve the mystery for good.

Earlier this year, a pair of projects aimed at detecting these bursts reportedly picked up a pair of pulses coming from a star located approximately 30,000 light years from Earth. The discovery constituted the first FRB to be found within the Milky Way galaxy and, by virtue of previous surveys of space, one which could be traced back to a specific star, dubbed ‘SGR 1935+2154.’ According to researchers, this celestial body is a magnetar, which is a dead neutron star boasting a monstrous magnetic field thousands-of-trillions times more powerful than that of the Earth.

While this turn of events may seem like something of a breakthrough, astronomers caution that the case is not yet closed when it comes to FRBs and that magnetars have merely emerged as perhaps the best suspect for the source of the pulses to date.

To that end, researchers concede that there could be other causes for the phenomenon as the bursts which spawned the study were somewhat different from previously observed pulses.

Additionally, the SGR 1935+2154 is actually one of around 30 magnetars found in our galaxy and, as of yet, the only one to emit an FRB, leaving scientists wondering why that may be the case.

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