Astronomers have detected the shortest fast radio bursts (FRBs) ever, with the briefest lasting a mere five microseconds – a thousand times shorter than what is expected of a typical FRB. The bursts are thought to have originated from a galaxy some three billion light-years away, although their exact nature remains unknown.

FRBs are mysterious, intense, bursts of radio waves coming from outside the galaxy. What produces these bursts has remained unclear since they were first discovered in 2007. Yet it is thought that over 10,000 FRBs reach the Earth every day.

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