Fast radio bursts (FRBs)—those fleeting, super-bright flashes of radio waves from deep space—have puzzled scientists since their discovery in 2007. These bursts pack a punch, releasing as much energy in milliseconds as the Sun does in an entire day. Now, new research has traced two FRBs to wildly different locations, offering fresh clues about their origins.

One burst, detected in 2022, came from a galaxy about 200 million light-years away. The signal’s unique “twinkling” pattern suggested it originated near a highly magnetized neutron star, or magnetar. These dense stellar remnants are known for their extreme magnetic fields, which can rip atoms apart. The burst likely emerged from the star’s magnetosphere, a swirling, magnetic environment just 6,213 miles from its surface.

“It’s like measuring the width of a DNA strand on the Moon,” said one researcher, emphasizing the precision required to pinpoint the burst’s origin. This discovery marks the first time astronomers have confirmed that FRBs can form in the immediate vicinity of a neutron star.

In contrast, another burst detected in 2024 came from the outskirts of an ancient, star-starved galaxy 2 billion light-years away. This galaxy, over 11 billion years old, is one of the most massive ever linked to an FRB. Surprisingly, the burst originated far from the galaxy’s center, in a region with almost no stars. This challenges the idea that FRBs typically form in star-forming regions.

“This FRB is the furthest from its host galaxy’s center we’ve ever seen,” said one researcher. “It raises questions about how such energetic events can occur in such barren areas.”

These findings suggest that FRBs may have multiple origins. While many are linked to magnetars, others might form in dense star clusters or through the collision of neutron stars. Upgrades to detection technology, like the CHIME radio telescope, are helping scientists uncover more bursts and trace their sources with greater accuracy.

“Every discovery opens a new window into the universe’s dynamics,” said one expert. As researchers continue to unravel the mysteries of FRBs, one thing is clear: the cosmos still has plenty of surprises in store.