First Fast Radio Burst in the Milky Way
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Text, News From The Universe. November 18, 2020
First Fast Radio Burst in the Milky Way.
Using a suite of telescopes, astronomers have confirmed the first fast radio burst ever observed in our Milky Way Galaxy.
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The fast radio burst was accompanied by a burst of X-ray light - the first time both have been observed together.
Astronomers determined both bursts of light came from a magnetar, the leftover core of an expired star that has extremely strong magnetic fields.
Until now, the origin of fast radio bursts has been a mystery. Now there is good evidence that at least some come from magnetars.
Astronomers think an X-ray burst from magnetar S G R 1 9 3 5 ejected a plume of matter that soared above it, where it emitted the powerful radio pulse.
Among many telescopes across the globe working together to observe the phenomena were NASA-funded missions Gehrels Swift, Fermi, NICER, WIND, and STARE 2.
This news was brought to you in part by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD