Signs of alien life? Radio bursts heard from a faraway galaxy
Postmedia Network
First posted: Thursday, February 25, 2016 11:32 AM EST | Updated: Thursday, February 25, 2016 12:39 PM EST
Mysterious “fast radio bursts” from space that have been speculated to be signs of intelligent life have finally been traced to a faraway galaxy.
Scientists have been trying to pinpoint the source of the strange signals for nine years.
This week they said they’ve traced the pulses back to a galaxy six billion light years from Earth.
In an article in the science journal Nature, the team wrote that a radio burst in April — lasting less than one millisecond, the shortest of them all — helped them locate the source.
The discovery is the “measurement the field has been waiting for,” astronomer Kiyoshi Masui of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, told Nature.
Because the galaxy is old, and creates few new stars, the team believes the signals likely originated from the slow collision of two neutron stars.
Does that mean the signals are not likely the work of extraterrestrial life trying to reach out?
“Nope! Sorry,” Keane told AFP news service.
Signs of alien life? Radio bursts heard from a faraway galaxy | Weird | News | T
Postmedia Network
First posted: Thursday, February 25, 2016 11:32 AM EST | Updated: Thursday, February 25, 2016 12:39 PM EST
Mysterious “fast radio bursts” from space that have been speculated to be signs of intelligent life have finally been traced to a faraway galaxy.
Scientists have been trying to pinpoint the source of the strange signals for nine years.
This week they said they’ve traced the pulses back to a galaxy six billion light years from Earth.
In an article in the science journal Nature, the team wrote that a radio burst in April — lasting less than one millisecond, the shortest of them all — helped them locate the source.
The discovery is the “measurement the field has been waiting for,” astronomer Kiyoshi Masui of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, told Nature.
Because the galaxy is old, and creates few new stars, the team believes the signals likely originated from the slow collision of two neutron stars.
Does that mean the signals are not likely the work of extraterrestrial life trying to reach out?
“Nope! Sorry,” Keane told AFP news service.
Signs of alien life? Radio bursts heard from a faraway galaxy | Weird | News | T
