Radio Flash From Galaxy

Astronomers have detected an intense flash of radio waves coming from what looks like a merger of galaxies dating to about 8 billion years ago - the oldest-known instance of a phenomenon called a fast radio burst that continues to defy explanation.

The next challenge for the researchers, whose findings were reported in scientific journal Nature, is to pinpoint the locations of bursts on the sky.

For nine years, astronomers have been trying to pinpoint the origins of mysterious radio flashes which erupt briefly and violently in the faraway Universe.

Astronomers have detected an intense flash of radio waves coming from what looks like a merger of galaxies dating to about 8 billion years ago - the oldest-known instance of a phenomenon called a fast radio burst that continues to defy explanation.

The next challenge for the researchers, whose findings were reported in scientific journal Nature, is to pinpoint the locations of bursts on the sky.

For nine years, astronomers have been trying to pinpoint the origins of mysterious radio flashes which erupt briefly and violently in the faraway Universe.