Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are like space’s version of a flash mob- super loud, super brief, and gone before you blink. They happen far away and vanish in milliseconds, making them challenging to study.
But when scientists catch one in the act and pinpoint its location, it’s like opening a cosmic treasure map. They can explore its galaxy, measure its distance, and determine the cause of the burst.
And guess what? An international team of scientists just spotted a record-breaking FRB only 130 million light-years away in Ursa Major. It’s not just close, it’s blindingly bright. So bright, they nicknamed it RBFLOAT: Radio Brightest Flash of All Time.
On March 16, 2025, CHIME picked up an ultrablinding burst of radio waves. It was so intense that scientists wondered if it was just a glitch from Earth, maybe a spike in cellphone signals.
That notion was put to rest as the CHIME Outrigger telescopes zoomed in and tracked the flash to its source: NGC4141, a spiral galaxy in Ursa Major, just 130 million light-years away, practically our galactic neighbor!
It wasn’t a local hiccup. It was a Fast Radio Burst (FRB), one of the closest and brightest ever recorded. Pinpointing the location helps scientists study the galaxy’s environment and uncover what causes these powerful, fleeting signals from deep space.
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Astronomers observed the largest-ever set of mysterious fast radio bursts
Kiyoshi Masui, associate professor of physics and affiliate of MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, said, “Cosmically speaking, this fast radio burst is just in our neighborhood. This means we get this chance to study a pretty normal FRB in exquisite detail.”
For the first time, CHIME and its Outriggers teamed up and nailed a big one, a blazing fast radio burst (FRB). Not only did they spot it, they tracked it to its home galaxy: NGC4141.
They zoomed in even further and found the burst came from the edge of the galaxy, just outside a star-forming zone. This pinpoint accuracy is a game-changer. Now scientists can study the burst’s surroundings and hunt for clues about what causes these mysterious space signals.
MIT physics postdoc Adam Lanman said, “As we’re getting these much more precise looks at FRBs, we’re better able to see the diversity of environments they’re coming from.”
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) remain one of the universe’s most cryptic signals, but scientists are closing in on a prime suspect: magnetars. These hyper-magnetic neutron stars can unleash flares powerful enough to ripple across the cosmos. These stellar beasts are usually born in the heart of star-forming regions, where young stars ignite in clouds of gas and dust. But the latest FRB, pinpointed by the CHIME telescope array, came from just outside such a region, a curious offset that’s raising eyebrows.
Kiyoshi Masui, associate professor of physics and affiliate of MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, said, “These are mostly hints. But the precise localization of this burst is letting us dive into the details of how old an FRB source could be. If it were right in the middle, it would only be thousands of years old — very young for a star. This one, being on the edge, may have had a little more time to bake.”
The findings are fascinating, given the burst’s proximity. Because it is so close and so bright, scientists can probe the environment in and around the burst for clues to what might produce a nonrepeating FRB.
Masui said, “Right now, we’re in the middle of this story of whether repeating and nonrepeating FRBs are different. These observations are putting together bits and pieces of the puzzle.”
MIT Kavli graduate student Shion Andrew said, “There’s evidence to suggest that not all FRB progenitors are the same. We’re on track to localize hundreds of FRBs every year. The hope is that a larger sample of FRBs localized to their host environments can help reveal the full diversity of these populations.”
Journal Reference:
- The CHIME/FRB Collaboration. FRB 20250316A: A Brilliant and Nearby One-off Fast Radio Burst Localized to 13 pc Precision—the Astrophysical Journal Letters. DOI 10.3847/2041-8213/adf62f