Astronomers at MIT have identified the source of a fast radio burst (FRB) 20221022A, a brief but powerful explosion of radio waves.

Using a technique that analyzes the burst’s “scintillation,” the team determined that the FRB originated from the magnetosphere of a neutron star, located just 10,000 kilometers away.

This discovery provides the first evidence that FRBs can be produced in the highly magnetic regions around neutron stars, also known as magnetars, Sci-Tech Daily has reported.

The study offers new insights into how these bursts, which can outshine galaxies, are generated in extreme environments.

Written by B.C. Begley