Astronomers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other scientific institutions have discovered a strange radio signal from a distant galaxy. According to its classification, it belongs to fast radio bursts (Fast Radio Bursts, FRB) – radio waves of unknown astrophysical origin, usually lasting no more than a few milliseconds.

However, this signal lasts for up to three seconds, which is 1000 times longer than the average FRB. Astronomers have also discovered other bursts within these bursts that repeat with a precise periodicity, similar to a heartbeat, every 0.2 seconds. The new signal, designated FRB 20191221A, is the longest-lived FRB with the most sensitive periodic pattern detected to date.

The source of the signal is in a galaxy several billion light-years from Earth. No one understands what this resource is. However, there aren’t many objects in the universe that emit absolutely periodic signals, so according to scientists, FRB 20191221A could come from a radio pulsar or a magnetar. Both refer to neutron stars.