Teams of astronomers have been searching for the origin of strange radio signals for almost a decade now.
Known as FRBs (fast radio bursts) these tiny fragments of energy have been picked up by radio telescopes. They contain as much energy as the sun pumps out in 10,000 years and are able to travel huge distances – but their origin remains a mystery.
So far, over 20 bursts have been detected. Last year, astronomers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) published research that pinned down one set of FRBs from a galaxy six billion light years away .
But that isn’t always the case as single-dish radio telescopes can receive signals from all over the place – including from here on Earth. In fact, one case in the late 90s believed it was receiving an alien transmission when the energy was actually coming from a nearby microwave oven.
But new research accepted for publication in an upcoming edition of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, seems to reaffirm the extraterrestrial nature of three new sets of FSBs. It can’t be said for certain that they are coming from aliens, what’s for sure is that they aren’t from this planet.
They were discovered using the Molonglo telescope in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The telescope collects both a huge amount of data (over 1,000 TB a day) and is configured so as not to receive anything from within our atmosphere.
After combing through reams of data, a team of researchers found the three new sets of FSBs that matched up with previous signals.
“Figuring out where the bursts come from is the key to understanding what makes them. Only one burst has been linked to a specific galaxy,” said lead researcher Manisha Caleb.
Source:mirror
Collected by RG
