Read, Watch or Listen

Astronomers have detected a fast radio burst (FRB), designated FRB 20240304B, originating from an incredibly distant galaxy, approximately 3 billion years after the Big Bang. The signal, detected by South Africa's MeerKAT telescope and pinpointed using the James Webb Space Telescope, traveled over 11 billion years to reach Earth. This discovery doubles the redshift reach of localized FRBs, providing insights into the Universe's early magnetic fields, gas distribution, and star formation during its most active period, known as 'cosmic noon'. The FRB's host galaxy is a relatively young, low-mass, star-forming galaxy, supporting theories that FRBs originate from young magnetars.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.