Unexplained Intergalactic Radio Bursts Confirmed At Arecibo - io9.com [1]

Back in 2011 and 2012, astronomers working at an Australian observatory picked up a series of fleeting but powerful radio signals [2]. These signals have never been detected elsewhere, casting doubts on their origin. But now, new observations from the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico suggest they're for real.

Top image: Impression of a blitzar — a hypothetical object that could be the source of the radio bursts. Image: Sky & Telescope/Gregg Dinderman.

Up until this point, the only observatory to detect these signals has been the Parkes radio telescope in New South Wales, Australia. The dozen-or-so bursts that appeared in 2011-12 likely originated from outside the galaxy. In just a few milliseconds, each of the radio bursts released as much energy as the sun emits in 300,000 years.

Read the full story here... (io9.com) [3]