The mystery of fast radio bursts deepens: they can repeat! (Synopsis) [Starts With A Bang]

“From a little spark may burst a flame.” -Dante Alighieri

Last week, it was reported that the mystery of fast radio bursts were solved, and that they were due to the merger of a neutron star with another collapsed object, well outside of our galaxy. However, not only was that analysis fundamentally flawed, but a new paper out today identifies fast radio bursts that repeat, a dealbreaker for the merger scenario.

Instead, it’s thought that these events come from the evolution of young neutron stars, as the data show an extragalactic but non-transient origin for these bursts. Planned follow-up observations plan on identifying the source locations as well as their true nature, and discerning whether all fast radio bursts have the same origin, or whether there are multiple different classes.

Go get the full story and the entire context of this awesome astronomical phenomenon over on Forbes!