ARXIV scientific document was recently published at Cornell University, describing a radio burst, which continued only 30 nanoseconds. It may not sound too exciting, except that the signal was thought to be coming from another galaxy. But then it turned out to be only satellite. But then it turned out that the satellite had been dead for decades and couldn’t really produce such a show. So now it’s a zombie satellite story that sends impossible messages beyond the grave into space. Are you more interested?
In June 2024, the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (Askap) radio telescope discovered what was considered a quick radio burst (FRB). It makes sense, since that’s exactly what he was trying to find the telescope. Since the reporting from Space.com, Frbs remains something a mystery even 20 years after their discovery, which, of course, just makes scientists want to study them more. So the discovery of one was quite great … while the team that looked at the find realized that FRB made no sense.
On the one hand, the signal was too short- FRB usually withstand micro- or milliseconds, not just nanoseconds. Yes, these time frames are incredibly small, but they are orders of order. The image of the radio telescope was also very blurred, which, like a normal camera, shows that the source is actually very, very close, and not in a distant galaxy, where other FRB signals are. What on Earth (or outside) did you go on? Well, the answer turned out to be very boring, just before it became incredibly strange.
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Finding the source of the signal
Antennas of the Australian Square Pahtfinder Telecope Massif
After scientists made the exact position of the origin of the signal, they realized that it was actually so close to the ground that it could be a satellite, a new scientist. They were forwarded with some orbits and safe enough, one popped up. And the hell, then just a satellite then. No big deal – hey, wait, is this satellite dead? Yes, not just dead, but long ago dead. NASA’s Relay 2 was actually one of the first satellites to be fired in 1964 at the dawn of the Space Age. Together with their sister Relay 1, these were experimental communication satellites designed to map Van Allen’s radiation belt, according to our friends at Gizmodo. Then in June 1967 (everything in this story happened in June, strange), the transponders failed and that was the end of it.
Except, now it is not. Obviously the long -term experimental satellite for communication decided to become very experimental with its communications, as it suddenly sent a radio. If you are wondering how a dead companion can do this, you are not alone because no one knows for sure. In fact, board equipment is not even able to transmit 30 nanosecond impulse. Rising from the grave to send impossible messages? What is it, Space Ouja?
How do I send a signal beyond death in space
Satellite dishes aimed at the Milky Way – BJDLZX/Getty Images
In its scientific document, the team theorizes one of the two possible explanations, as exposed Space.com. First, the electrostatic discharge (ESD) may have accumulated, causing a short spark that caused radio cracking. Consider rubbing your hand on a carpet, then touching something metal. In space, the “carpet” would be ionized gas or plasma, so if the relay 2 went through some of this, it could be ignited. This has actually been observed before, but again, in a much longer time ranges of 30 nenoseconds, which can be reported against this theory. If this turns out to be true, it actually has some practical value. ESDS is known to cause damage to satellites, but they are difficult to detect. It is possible that these scientists have stumbled in a way of finding them, which facilitates the diagnosis of a defective satellite.
The second theory, as if all this could not improve, is that the zombie -satellite was actually struck by a teenage little micrometeorite traveling at 44,000 miles / h. This small hypothetical person would be only a few micrograms, but if he struck a relay 2, he would create a downfall of a loaded plasma.
Both are still just theories and really no one knows for sure. If you think that cosmic necrmants should surely be involved, I would not doubt. All this simply shows that space is a huge, strange place, and even our bright minds still only scratch the surface of everything we need to tell us.
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