Radio Signal from 9 Billion Light-Years Away from Earth Captured
Scientists from the Event Horizon Telescope project have captured a radio signal from 9 billion light-years away from Earth!
This impressive feat happened by connecting different radio telescopes around the world in order to create an Earth-sized virtual radio telescope dish.
This signal came from a supermassive black hole, at the center of the luminous quasar 3C 279.
What is a Supermassive Black Hole?
A supermassive black hole is a large space object with such a powerful gravitational pull, that even light cannot escape from it.
At the center of each galaxy, there is usually a supermassive black hole, and this is the case for the quasar 3C 279, at the center of which is the supermassive black hole that the scientists have detected the signal from.
What is a Quasar?
A Quasar is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus, that releases extremely energetic forms of radiation.
What is the Event Horizon Telescope Project?
The Event Horizon Telescope Project (EHT) is a worldwide array of telescopes and observatories aimed at achieving the first ever image of a black hole.
To do this, they need to use a type of technology called Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). This technology allows them to link various telescope observatories around the world and create one, Earth-sized virtual telescope dish — capable of collecting such an impressive amount of data, that they can ‘see’ a black hole.
Significance of the Detection
With the successful collection of the signal from this distance comes a tremendous amount of information that provide us valuable insight on the evolution of the Universe.
It reinforces the current scientific understanding of the relationship between quasars and supermassive black holes which weren’t observable from Earth until now.
The scientists are very optimistic that this experiment will provide many answers to the most mysterious phenomena in the Universe.
Future of the Event Horizon Telescope Project
The project is already making great strides — their future plans include focusing on the supermassive black hole at the center of our own galaxy: Sagittarius A*. Not only that, but they are also aiming to eventually have a global network of radio telescopes that is able to observe the entire sky in real-time — paving the way for even more significant discoveries.
The Event Horizon Telescope Project has given us a glimpse into the incredible possibilities of technology, and will continue to provide important findings as they develop further.
In a groundbreaking astronomical discovery, a mysterious radio signal from the most distant source yet to be detected has been recorded. The source of the signal, a fast radio burst (FRB), was located millions of steps away from the Milky Way, 9 billion light-years away from Earth.
Astronomers around the world are abuzz after detecting an intermittent radio signal named “FRB 180924”, which appears to have originated from the distant end of the observable universe. The signal was detected by the world’s largest steerable radio telescope in Australia, located at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’s (CSIRO) Parkes Observatory in New South Wales.
The intense radio emission from FRB 180924 suggests that a powerful source had produced the signal. Upon analysis, scientists believe that the signal originated from an extremely powerful and distant source, likely a super-energetic parts of the universe such as a star, galaxy, or black hole that are billions of light-years away.
FRBs are one of the most enigmatic phenomena in the universe and its detection has raised questions such as their origin and any implications they may have. Scientists believe that these powerful signals are essential in learning more about the early stages of the universe, as well as probing further into the mysteries of the universe.
Moreover, the findings of this research will be beneficial in understanding the nature and lifespan of these transients, as well as deducing any patterns or clusters in the structures of the distant universe.
This monumental discovery will undoubtedly provide a wealth of new information in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics, and has offered a hint of the abundance of surprises that may be uncovered in regards to the universe.