Astronomers detect radio signal traveling 10 billion years

An international research team has detected the most distant Fast Radio Burst (FRB) in astronomical history. The signal, designated FRB 20240304B, traveled for more than 10 billion years before being captured on Earth.

Initial detection was made by the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa's Northern Cape province. To pinpoint the origin, astronomers utilized NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Infrared analysis revealed that the burst originated from a small, young galaxy characterized by rapid star formation and a low concentration of heavy elements compared to the Milky Way.

The signal's redshift of 2.148 places the event approximately three billion years after the Big Bang. While the exact physical cause of such bursts remains a subject of scientific debate, they are believed to release as much energy in milliseconds as the Sun does in months or years. This discovery provides significant insight into the early universe and the evolution of galaxies.