Astronomers uncover 25 new repeating fast radio bursts, doubling cosmic probe sources.
Astronomers have discovered 25 new repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs), doubling the known number and bringing the total to 50. The blasts, which are so powerful they can outshine the entire galaxy from which they emerge, are mysterious in origin. The discovery of more repeating FRBs could lead to the discovery of what causes these bursts and suggests that many more FRBs could eventually repeat than previously thought. The team used a new set of statistical tools to analyze every repeating FRB ever seen, including ones that aren't immediately obvious.