On January 10th 2018, researchers from the American Astronomical Society published a paper in the journal Nature describing what they believe is the cause of a fast radio burst transmission emanating from extra galactic space. Fast radio bursts are short duration surges of radio waves that have intrigued scientists since 2007. The signal in question has been named FBR 121102 and was first discovered in 2012.
Scientists have observed that FBR's happen as a fraction of a millisecond, single play, one time occurrence. What makes the discovery of FBR 121102 unique is that it is the first FBR that is known to repeat. They have also observed that FBR 121202's wave pattern is twisted. This could mean that this FBR may be passing through some highly magnetically charged source before it arrives here on Earth.
In August 2017, the researchers noticed that the repeating signal had become hyperactive. At that point in time they began using the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico and Green Bank telescope in West Virginia to take a better look at FBR 121102. At first they thought the FBR's signal pattern might be twisted because the radio waves are passing though a neutron star. But after receiving 16 bursts in a 10 hour period, that were so extremely distorted by a powerful magnetic field, they concluded that they had to have passed through a black hole.
While the researchers search for an answer that will solve the mystery, the possibility of alien contact has been ruled out.
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