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Space

Weird radio signals spotted in our galaxy could solve a space mystery

By Leah Crane

1 May 2020

CHIME telescope

The CHIME radio telescope in British Columbia, Canada

CHIME

We may finally know where fast radio bursts (FRBs) come from. These mysterious flashes of radio waves from space have now been spotted in our galaxy and appear to be connected to neutron stars called magnetars that have powerful magnetic fields.

FRBs are powerful blasts of radio waves that last just a few milliseconds. Suggested origins range from starquakes to alien spaceships, but since they were first discovered in 2007, astronomers have been unable to figure out exactly what causes them.

Now, two…

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