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| Mysterious radio signals from deep space detected | Mysterious radio signals from deep space detected |
| (5 days later) | |
| Astronomers have revealed details of mysterious signals emanating from a distant galaxy, picked up by a telescope in Canada. | Astronomers have revealed details of mysterious signals emanating from a distant galaxy, picked up by a telescope in Canada. |
| The precise nature and origin of the blasts of radio waves is unknown. | The precise nature and origin of the blasts of radio waves is unknown. |
| Among the 13 fast radio bursts, known as FRBs, was a very unusual repeating signal, coming from the same source about 1.5 billion light years away. | Among the 13 fast radio bursts, known as FRBs, was a very unusual repeating signal, coming from the same source about 1.5 billion light years away. |
| Such an event has only been reported once before, by a different telescope. | Such an event has only been reported once before, by a different telescope. |
| "Knowing that there is another suggests that there could be more out there," said Ingrid Stairs, an astrophysicist from the University of British Columbia (UBC). | "Knowing that there is another suggests that there could be more out there," said Ingrid Stairs, an astrophysicist from the University of British Columbia (UBC). |
| "And with more repeaters and more sources available for study, we may be able to understand these cosmic puzzles - where they're from and what causes them." | "And with more repeaters and more sources available for study, we may be able to understand these cosmic puzzles - where they're from and what causes them." |
| The CHIME observatory, located in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, consists of four 100-metre-long, semi-cylindrical antennas, which scan the entire northern sky each day. | The CHIME observatory, located in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, consists of four 100-metre-long, semi-cylindrical antennas, which scan the entire northern sky each day. |
| The telescope only got up and running last year, detecting 13 of the radio bursts almost immediately, including the repeater. | The telescope only got up and running last year, detecting 13 of the radio bursts almost immediately, including the repeater. |
| The research has now been published in the journal Nature. | The research has now been published in the journal Nature. |
| "We have discovered a second repeater and its properties are very similar to the first repeater," said Shriharsh Tendulkar of McGill University, Canada. | "We have discovered a second repeater and its properties are very similar to the first repeater," said Shriharsh Tendulkar of McGill University, Canada. |
| "This tells us more about the properties of repeaters as a population." | "This tells us more about the properties of repeaters as a population." |
| FRBs are short, bright flashes of radio waves. | |
| More stories you might like: | More stories you might like: |
| Light shed on mystery space radio pulses | Light shed on mystery space radio pulses |
| Mystery cosmic radio bursts pinpointed | Mystery cosmic radio bursts pinpointed |
| So far, scientists have detected about 60 single fast radio bursts and two that repeat. They believe there could be as many as a thousand FRBs in the sky every day. | So far, scientists have detected about 60 single fast radio bursts and two that repeat. They believe there could be as many as a thousand FRBs in the sky every day. |
| There are a number of theories about what could be causing them. | There are a number of theories about what could be causing them. |
| They include a neutron star with a very strong magnetic field that is spinning very rapidly, two neutron stars merging together, and, among a minority of observers, some form of alien spaceship. | They include a neutron star with a very strong magnetic field that is spinning very rapidly, two neutron stars merging together, and, among a minority of observers, some form of alien spaceship. |
| Follow Helen on Twitter. | Follow Helen on Twitter. |