Fast Radio Burst Localized to Extremely Distant Galaxy Group
Record-Breaking Fast Radio Burst Localized to Extremely Distant Galaxy Group
A fast radio burst event called FRB 20220610A flashed in what seems like an unlikely place: a collection of at least seven galaxies that existed when the Universe was only 5 billion years old.
The large majority of previous fast radio bursts have been found in isolated galaxies.
FRB 20220610A was first detected on June 10, 2022, by the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope in Western Australia.
ESO’s Very Large Telescope confirmed that the FRB came from a distant place.
The FRB was four times more energetic than closer FRBs.
It required Hubble’s keen sharpness and sensitivity to pinpoint exactly where the FRB came from,” said Dr. Alexa Gordon
Hubble’s crisp images suggest FRB 20220610A originated in an environment where there may be as many as seven galaxies on a possible path to merging, which would also be very significant.
In the near future, FRB experiments will increase their sensitivity, leading to an unprecedented rate in the number of FRBs detected at these distances.
The astronomers presented the findings at AAS243, the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in New Orleans, Louisiana, the United States.