Astronomers trace brightest fast radio burst to nearby galaxy

Technology Aug 22, 2025

Astronomers have traced the brightest fast radio burst (FRB) ever seen—called RBFLOAT—to a galaxy surprisingly close by.
Detected on March 16, 2025, this split-second flash packed as much energy in a few milliseconds as our Sun produces in four days.

Burst pinpointed to nearby spiral galaxy

Using CHIME, scientists narrowed down the burst's origin to a tiny patch at the edge of spiral galaxy NGC 4141, about 130 million light-years away.
Follow-up with the James Webb Space Telescope spotted a faint infrared glow nearby, likely from a red giant star.

Burst helps astronomers learn about FRBs

RBFLOAT is not just bright—it's helping astronomers learn how these mysterious bursts happen.
The teamwork between CHIME and JWST means we're getting closer to understanding what causes these wild signals from deep space.