Mystery radio signal from space that’s on 157-day cycle just woke up right on schedule

n y post ^ | 08/25/2020 | Harry Petitt, the Sun

[BenLurkin]

The so-called Fast Radio Burst repeats every 157 days with the power of millions of suns and its latest barrage arrived right on time last week.

Known as FRB 121102, scientists hope that studying the strange blinkering signal could unlock the secret to what FRBs are and where they come from.

Fast Radio Bursts are intense pulses of radio waves that last no longer than the blink of an eye and come from far beyond our Milky Way galaxy.

Their origins are unknown. .

The group’s findings, to The Astronomer’s Telegram, suggest the burst is currently in its active phase and repeats every 156 days – not 157.

According to their paper, FRB 121102’s active phase is due to end between 31 August and 9 September 2020.

If telescopes continue to pick up bursts beyond these dates, then either its predictable pattern does not exist or has somehow evolved, they said.

Scientists urged other teams to continue taking readings of FRB 121102 in the hopes of better-understanding it.

Based on the new readings (as well as older ones) the leading theory is that the bursts are emitted by a type of neutron star called a magnetar.

[PIF]

Navigation beacon sort of like a light house

[GulfMan]

My God, it's full of stars ...

[edwinland]

157 days is exactly the length of a school year.

Maybe alien children don’t get weekends or holidays.

Then when the year is finally over, they cheer with the power of a million suns.

[CodeToad]

You jerk! lol

[cork]

No anchovies on the pizza

[John Milner]

“blinkering?” Why not “blinking?”

[Buckeye McFrog]

It’s a countdown!!!!

"And thanks for your LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG Distance Dedication..."

[BenLurkin]

Senior citizen Magnetar. Forgot its turn indicator is on.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks BenLurkin. Whew, Doctor Evil won't have to be given the bad news.

· join · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post new topic · subscribe ·

Google news searches: exoplanet · exosolar · extrasolar ·

[SunkenCiv]

---

· String Theory Ping List ·

---

---

· Join · Bookmark · Topics · Google ·
· View or Post in 'blog · post a topic · subscribe ·

---

[SunkenCiv]

I don't like this at all, but hey...

Turilli / Lione Rhapsody | Fast Radio Burst

[DouglasKC]

lol...the Final Countdown is NOT what I had in mind but it works...what I really had in mind was this:

That signal....it's a countdown.

[Bullish]

This just in... They deciphered it. As expected, it’s just a ‘My Pillow’ commercial.

[minnesota_bound]

CQ CQ.... this is Quark. Have I got a deal for you!

[GOPJ]

“The Sparrow (1996) is the first novel by author Mary Doria Russell. It won the Arthur C. Clarke Award, James Tiptree, Jr. Award, Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis and the British Science Fiction Association Award. It was followed by a sequel, Children of God, in 1998. The title refers to Gospel of Matthew 10:29–31, which relates that not even a sparrow falls to the earth without God’s knowledge thereof. “

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/post?id=3877542%2C11

Thanks - sounds interesting - that’s a boatload of awards...

[Political Junkie Too]

-PJ

[Paul R.]

Haha - yes, the DS-9 episode “Little Green Men” is utterly hilarious. I didn’t care that much for most of the Ferengi-centered episodes, but, that one was a hoot!

[dragnet2]

All you have to do on Free Republic to bring out those who’ve stopped developing and maturing by age 10, is to post a science related thread. It’s amazing.

[BenLurkin]

You say that as though it’s a bad thing....

[dragnet2]

Not so much bad, as it is fascinating.☺