天文學家發現有史以來記錄到最明亮的神秘太空訊號
Astronomers discover the brightest mysterious space signal ever recorded
2025年3月16日,天文學家被有史以來觀測到最明亮的快速電波爆發(FRB)所震撼。
On March 16, 2025, astronomers were stunned by the detection of the brightest Fast Radio Burst (FRB) ever recorded.
這道能量脈衝被命名為FRB 20250316A,綽號「RBFLOAT」(史上最亮電波閃光),它源自距離1.3億光年外、位於大熊座的螺旋星系NGC 4141。
Named FRB 20250316A, and nicknamed "RBFLOAT" (Radio Brightest Flash Of All Time), this pulse of energy originated from the spiral galaxy NGC 4141, located 130 million light-years away in the Ursa Major constellation.
這次觀測的成功歸功於新型的CHIME外掛陣列(Outrigger array),這讓研究人員能極其精確地定位爆發地點。
The success of this observation is credited to the new CHIME Outrigger array, which allowed researchers to pinpoint the location with extreme precision.
此外,韋伯太空望遠鏡在該處發現了一個微弱的紅外線源,可能將這次爆發與紅巨星聯繫起來。
Furthermore, the James Webb Space Telescope identified a faint infrared source at the site, potentially linking the burst to a red giant star.
儘管快速電波爆發的起源依然神祕,科學家普遍假設它們是由磁星(ㄇㄚˇㄒㄧㄥ)所產生的。
While the origins of FRBs remain mysterious, scientists generally hypothesize they are created by magnetars.
與著名的2022年伽馬射線爆發或近期發現的遙遠巨型微波激射器(megamaser)不同,這次事件提供了一個前所未有且標準,卻又強大的天文物理學謎團的視角。
Unlike the famous 2022 gamma-ray burst or recent distant gigamaser discoveries, this event offers an unprecedented look at a standard yet powerful astrophysical mystery.
