One day, on a planet far, far away

Scientists track intense radio signals from space to their origin - and are shocked by what they find

For years, researchers have been looking to explain fast radio bursts, or FRBs, which are very short and very powerful blasts energy coming from deep in space. Possible explanations have included everything from black holes to alien technology.

Now, scientists have tracked one of those blasts back to its home galaxy. But that galaxy is very old and dead, as well as being strangely shaped.

Previously, researchers have only found FRBs coming from much younger galaxies. As such, it breaks our existing understanding of where they might be coming from.

“This new FRB shows us that just when you think you understand an astrophysical phenomenon, the universe turns around and surprises us,” said Northwestern’s Wen-fai Fong, a senior author on two studies reporting the new findings. “This ‘dialogue’ with the universe is what makes our field of time-domain astronomy so incredibly thrilling.”


One day we may make contact with intelligent life-forms on a planet far, far away, a planet where a form of journalism has evolved which does not bung words like "shocked" into the headline of a story about scientists being pleasantly surprised by a discovery.

Meanwhile, here on Earth, dangerous doom winds are on the way. Could be caused by our central heating boilers, but Ed Miliband would know.

Dangerous winds to hit UK this week as Met Office names storm

Storm Eowyn has been named by the Met Office ahead of strong winds across the UK on Friday and into Saturday.