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Flashes in the Scan
Article

Flashes in the Scan

A Homespun Telescope in Western Canada Could Solve the Mystery of Fast Radio Bursts by Detecting Dozens Each Day

Science, 2019


Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Scientific
  • Eye Opening
  • Engaging

Recommendation

The signals last only a few thousandths of a second. But they are strong enough to be detected on Earth, billions of light years away. What kind of object could be emitting them? Astronomers will know which of their four dozen hypotheses are correct, if any, only after collecting lots of data. A new telescope in Canada, CHIME, is starting to provide them with that data. Veteran science journalist Daniel Clery takes the reader with him into the observatory to witness the exciting hunt. The article with inspire anyone fascinated by the nature and origins of the universe.

Take-Aways

  • Extremely short radio pulses arrive at Earth from far beyond the Milky Way galaxy.
  • The sources of “Fast Radio Bursts” (FRBs) must be powerful but small.
  • A new radio telescope in Canada, CHIME, will continually scan the sky. Its designers expect it to detect dozens of FRBs every day.

About the Author

Daniel Clery is deputy news editor at Science magazine. He is the author of A Piece of the Sun: The Quest for Fusion Energy.


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