#messier 81

[quiltofstars]

Bode's Galaxy (M81, lower right) and the Cigar Galaxy (M82, upper left) // JLastro

#astronomy #astrophotography #galaxy #spiral galaxy #irregular galaxy #star-forming galaxy #interacting galaxies #bode's galaxy #cigar galaxy #messier #messier 81 #M81 #messier 82 #M82 #NGC 3031 #NGC 3034 #ursa major

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

#Bode's galaxy #Messier 81 #galaxy #space #astronomy #astrophotography #religion is a mental illness

[in-the-night-sky]

Messier 81 & Messier 82

#universe #space #galaxy #مجرة #messier 81 #messier 82

[chibinotan]

Glowing Supernova

#spiral galaxy #Messier 81 #M 81 #supernova #SN 1993J #galaxy #star #Ursa Major

[amayasnep]

One of my absolute favourite deep sky objects: Messier 81 & 82

Messier 81 and 82 are a dynamic pair of galaxies in the constellation Ursa Major. Gravitationally bound to one another, they dance amidst gaseous filaments of neutral hydrogen stripped from each other from past close encounters.

Messier 81, also known as Bode’s Galaxy, is a bright spiral galaxy proudly twirling its arms around its pale amber nucleus. It’s the largest in its group.

Messier 82, the smaller of the pair, has absorbed so much interstellar gas that it’s led to a profusion of star-forming activity within its galactic nucleus. This activity has given rise to a strong galactic wind that spews knotty filaments of neutral hydrogen and nitrogen from its centre, partially obscuring the brilliance of its nucleus. Its distorted shape is a direct result of a close encounter with its partner Messier 81.

I would be remiss not to mention that there’s a third member of this galactic dance: the small elliptical galaxy NGC 3077. Nothing more than a faint smudge a bit above M81, NGC 3077 is just as connected by those fine gaseous filaments and the allure of each other’s gravity.

The Messier 81 group is among the brightest galactic groups in the night sky and are a favourite among amateur astronomers. If you’re ever in the northern hemisphere and have a friend with a good-sized telescope, peering through the eyepiece at this duo is a sight to behold. It’s a favourite of mine whenever I bring out my telescope on a dark winter night.

#astronomy #galaxies #deep sky objects #Messier 81 #Messier 82 #NGC 3077 #Ursa Major

[world-beauty]

Messier 81

Credits: Paolo DeSalvatore

#nature #space #astrophotography

[cosmonautroger]

Messier 81

[johnlyngfr]

Bode’s Galaxy (centre) is catalogued as Messier-81. In the bottom-left is the irregularly-shaped “Cigar Galaxy”, catalogued as Messier-82.

Bode’s Galaxy is about 12 million light years distance, which is close, on a cosmic scale. It is a bright object, and a favourite target for researchers and amateurs. In 2022, “fast radio bursts” were detected. These are rare radio sources that, as yet, cannot be explained.

The Cigar Galaxy is small compared to our Milky Way galaxy, but it is much more luminous. It is classified as a “Starburst Galaxy” because it is an extremely active area of star formation. Adding to the mystery of this strange galaxy was the recent discovery of a unique radio source that might be from a “micro-quasar”, but cannot be fully explained.

At the right of this image is the third member of the “M81 Group”, the small disrupted elliptical galaxy NGC 3077.

I photographed the Messier-81 group of galaxies from my garden in Strasbourg France on two cold evening in January 2024.

70 images x 180 seconds each.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_81

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_82

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_3077

#astrophotography #astrophotographie #astrophotographiefrance #astronomiefrance #messierobjects #messier81 #messier82 #astronomy #astronomie

[exasperated-viewer-on-air]

Deana Lawson - Messier 81, Return of the Dove, 2018

pigment print

55 × 70 in / 139.7 × 177.8 cm

#Deana Lawson #art #contemporary art #print

[disco-elysium-via-polls]

"I am conducting a personal investigation into the world I find myself in."

JOYCE MESSIER - "How *truly* curious -- a sort of philosopher-detective!"

My theory is that this inquiry into the nature of reality will ultimately converge with our murder investigation. They are really one and the same."

"Actually... that's not why I need you to give me the low-down."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Are they now?" The lieutenant cocks one eyebrow.

JOYCE MESSIER - "A deep synthesis," she nods. "I'll assist you however I can then. Go ahead. Ask."

+5XP

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Easy: Success] - All right. We're in. I know these *all* look good, but begin with the first, okay.

"Where are we?"

"What times are these?"

[Espirit de Corps - Legendary 14] What is... (Think of something close to you.)

"What are *you*?"

"What is this?" (Spread your hands.)

[Conceptualization - Impossible 20] What is... Reach for something fundamental.

"That's all for now." (Conclude for now.)

JOYCE MESSIER - "We're in Martinaise, baby."

"*Baby*?"

"Mhm. And what is *Martinaise*?"

JOYCE MESSIER - "A casual term of endearment popular among the 50+ crowd. It's a disco holdover, pay it no heed."

"I'm a disco holdover myself."

"Mhm. And what is *Martinaise*?"

JOYCE MESSIER - "Ha!" She smiles. "Aren't we all?"

"Mhm. And what is *Martinaise*?"

JOYCE MESSIER - "Martinaise is a district of Revachol." She looks around, her green raincoat flapping in the wind. "A very small district tucked away near the Industrial Harbour. North of the 8/81 and Jamrock."

"You would be excused for not knowing about it. Unimportant, they say. Forgotten even -- shelled to smithereens during the Revolution." She shrugs. "It has its charms, just not this time of year."

"Tell me more about Martinaise."

"You mentioned a sea. What sea is this?"

"Okay, that's Martinaise. What's *Revachol*?" (Continue.)

"Tell me about another, perhaps even *more* fundamental aspect of reality."

JOYCE MESSIER - "I'm not a good ambassador. I've only been here once before, as a teenager. Not a lot has changed..." She closes her eyes. "There are ruins, a terminal, fishing boats, reeds. Boys with boxy shoulders."

EMPATHY [Challenging: Success] - A brief spike of longing in her upright body. The dots under her eyelids shake.

JOYCE MESSIER - She opens them: "As I told you: Martinaise used to be a province, a workers' resort before the city swallowed it and the artillery did its part. Now the reeds are the real star of the show here. The further down the coast, the wilder it gets."

2. "You were here as a teenager?"

JOYCE MESSIER - "Yes, I was *slumming* it with some girlfriends of mine. We had boats and..." She smiles. "Don't hold it against me -- the boys certainly did not."

3. "You mentioned a sea. What sea is this?"

JOYCE MESSIER - "It's not really a sea. It's the Bay of Revachol. And the bay feeds into the ocean."

"Are we near the ocean?"

JOYCE MESSIER - "Yes. We are on an island in an ocean. The world's largest body of water -- the Insulindic."

INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Success] - Vast, lukewarm and unknowable. Flowing in and out of sight.

4. "What's the name of this island?"

JOYCE MESSIER - Caillou, as you already know." She looks to the waters. "Imagine a pebble, a smoothed over pebble amidst a great blue sea. Mis-shapen, cracked. The cracks are the River Esperance. We're in the delta of this river, on the sixth branch -- the Martinaise distributary."

EMPATHY [Medium: Success] - It is clear this *pebble* is of enormous value to her...

5. "Okay, that's Martinaise. What's *Revachol*?" (Continue.)

JOYCE MESSIER - "Revachol -- Revachol is what you call a *city*."

"What kind of city is Revachol?"

JOYCE MESSIER - "The *Great* kind."

INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Success] - As if it's self-explanatory, beyond patriotism. A fact.

"What makes Revachol great?"

JOYCE MESSIER - "History, detective. They built this city to *resolve* History -- our part in it at least, our centuries."

"Okay. *Who* built this city?"

*When* was Revachol built?"

"And why will it *resolve* history?" (Continue.)

JOYCE MESSIER - "The nations of the Occident. Or migrant workers from Semenine and Iilmaraa, depending on your creed."

2. *When* was Revachol built?"

JOYCE MESSIER - "In the Dolorian century, 380 years ago."

3. "And why will it *resolve* history?" (Continue.)

JOYCE MESSIER - "They say it's where the *terrible* questions of our time will be answered -- the tensions are highest, the faultlines deepest."

"By that I mean conflicts. Ideological conflicts. The stuff of men."

"Why here?"

JOYCE MESSIER - "We are standing on a fertile, self-sufficient island able to sustain up to 200 million people; in the middle of the Insulindic ocean -- the world's connective tissue..." She smiles. "It's where the money is."

"So, we're in an unimportant part of an important place?"

"So, we're pretty much at the centre of the world?"

"So, we're on the periphery? Basically nobodies?"

JOYCE MESSIER - "I think it's fair to say so. Martinaise is about..." She points across the water, where the skyscrapers rise...

"Twenty-two kilometres from the centre of the world. That soldering iron is the Bank of the World building. The bottom floors are INSURCOM -- *Coalition Government* Insulindian Mission Command."

+5XP

Look to the sea...

JOYCE MESSIER - Silence. She lowers her hand.

INLAND EMPIRE [Trivial: Success] - The water, the light... It's as though you're seeing it for the *first* time.

SHIVERS [Easy: Success] - There is no recognition. Only the immensity of the sea, and the cold radiating from it.

"Where *are* we?"

"I don't know any of this..."

Say nothing. Observe the large body of water. Swelling. Cold...

JOYCE MESSIER - "We are where we are. I have no truer answer to give, unfortunately." She watches you closely as you scan the horizon.

Thought Gained: Jamais Vu (Derealization)

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - This is one thought you *need* to complete. Where are you?

JOYCE MESSIER - "Was there something else you wanted to know? I remember something about a low-down..."

KIM KITSURAGI - "This has been informative, thank you ma'am. I'm sure my memory-impaired partner has *many* more questions to ask..." He turns to you. "...about even more fundamental aspects of reality..."

"Might I suggest *not* asking them all right now? Ma'am Messier will be here later too. And tomorrow. Isn't that true, ma'am?"

JOYCE MESSIER - "Absolutely -- my commitment here is long term."

"You're right, lieutenant. I'll continue later."

"But I want to know everything now."

"But won't I be *lazy* if I don't do it all now?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "That is understandable -- but *perhaps* it's better not to eat all your candy at once?"

Task Updated: Get a Reality Lowdown

JOYCE MESSIER - "Indeed. I am always at your service."

#disco elysium #kim kitsuragi #joyce messier

[makaria-is-dead]

Marauders feat. Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits

Yeah, no this album, this fucking album is everything. I grew up listening to it, and in the last year I started hearing something completely different in it.

Yes, I started writing a fic about it. And yes, I didn’t finished it and don’t plan to do so. But still, this blowed my mind too hard to keep it for my self. 

Important: I know this album was conceived for exposing a very real war, with very real struggles and very real wounds, and I don’t want to take away any of their meaning. But still, I reckon this album has far less praise and ratings among the newest generations (my generation). So, I guess this is a way like another to draw attention to it. Also, I know this album was published in 1985, a few years after the events I’m gonna talk about. But, he, I don’t care. Let me dream.

So, yes, this is my very veeery long rant.

1. So Far Away: firstly, when I was reading ATYD I thought this song could apply perfectly to Remus’ and Grant’s relationship during his fifth year, y’know, with those phone calls and all. Now though I’ve read a few other fics and I don’t want to rely solely on ATYD, but on  my very few and confused head-canons and also on Cadence of Part Time Poets, ‘cause c’mon they’re soon to be rockstars there (they could meet Dire Straits, for God’s sake!). So this song could be Sirius’ thoughts during the summers he’s kept away from his friends; it could be also James to Lily during the summer; it could be Remus to Tomny and Tonya (spectacular OC’s from coptp).

3. Walk of Life: this song is about James’ STRUTTING and no one can convince me otherwise. I won’t change my mind. Just like, can’t you picture him dancing all of his absolute cockiness out in the common room to this song, maybe after a winning Quidditch match, making eyes to Lily with absolutely no sense of shame? Like, it’s him. Also, also, just look at the lyrics:

“He got the action, he got the motion Oh yeah, the boy can play Dedication, devotion Turning all the night time into the day”

Like, this is his courtship to Lily, his completely bold, bound-to-fail-but-not-really courtship.

“And after all the violence and double talk There's just a song in all the trouble and the strife You do the walk, yeah, you do the walk of life Hmm, they do the walk of life.”

And this to me alludes to the climate of fear that was perceived inside Hogwarts before the war, with all the wanna-be Deatheaters and their crap, especially if you consider Snape’s behavior towards James.

4. Your Latest Trick:

“I don't know how it happened It was faster than the eye could flick But all I can do is hand it to you And your latest trick”

This songs carries all the melancholic, heart-broken, meek Remus' energy after ‘81. I mostly imagine him in the first 90s, when the wounds were starting to heal but still nothing was ever gonna be the same. And then after Sirius’ return, eheh, then things get even messier. 

I always imagined that Remus had resigned himself since they were kids to accept what Sirius brought into his life. Sirius is pure fire, he’s dynamic energy, he’s a miracle and a calamity, and Remus loves him so deeply, regardless of all the hurt. So, he can only sit and watch how his life will be turned around by Sirius once again.

“Well now my door was standing open Security were laid back and lax But it was only my heart that got broken You must have had a pass key made out of wax”

I think you get that. But now, I love this song for them in PoA and later on, especially because of this last verse. I think it really embodies the moment in which they both realize that, even if they are reunited, nothing is going to be the same. They are not the same anymore.

“And we're standing outside of this wonderland Looking so bereaved and so bereft Like a bowery bum when he finally understands The bottle's empty and there's nothing left”

[takes a pause to cry]

5. Why Worry?: this song could easily be a lullaby for baby Harry that Lily or James would sing. It has its ALL. I like to imagine, if this album was released before ‘81, they would sing it to him, but then they would start to sing it to each other before bed during the worse days. Imagine James singing this to Lily after Marlene’s death......

I also LOVE the Gryffindor theme we can pick from it:

“But baby, just when this world seems mean and cold Our love comes shining red and gold And all the rest is by the way”

P.S. if you’re looking for extra tears, imagine Lily and James singing this to Harry in his dreams after they’re gone. Yeah. How do we love hurting each other in this fandom...

6. Ride across the river: you know, my strange obsession with the combo Brothers in Arms/Marauders started with this song. Just... let me explain.

“I'm a soldier of freedom in the army of the men We are the chosen, we're the partisan, alright Well the cause it is noble and the cause it is just We are ready to pay with our lives if we must”

This is James and Sirius. They were so eager to prove themselves, they believed in the cause blindly.

“Oh, nothing gonna stop them As the day follows the night Right becomes wrong, the left becomes the right And they sing as they march With their flags unfurled Today in the mountains, tomorrow the world”

This is both Regulus and Peter. They are surrounded by people who believe firmly in what they are fight for. But those boys are not like that. They are scared, they are insure, they feel pressured, they feel alone. They don’t chant, they don’t ban their flags. They remain still while the walls are closing on them, and at the end they snap: one embraces fear, the other raises his head.

6. The Man’s Too Strong: I can see this being a back-and-forth between Sirius and Peter. 

“I am just an aging drummer boy And in the wars I used to play And I've called a tune To many a torture session Now they say I am a war criminal And I'm fading away Father, please hear my confession”

Sooo Sirius in Azkaban.

“I have legalized robbery Called it belief I have a-run with the money I have hid like a thief Re-written history With my armies and my crooks Invented memories I did burn all the books

And I can still hear his laughter And I can still hear his song The man's too big The man's too strong”

How can’t this be Peter? HOW? His fear for “a man who’s too strong”, but also that little taste of revenge. “Invented memories”? “I can still hear his laughter” (Sirius’)? C’mon, people, this fits too well.

“Well I've tried to be meek I have tried to be mild But I spat like a woman And I sulked like a child I have lived behind walls That have made me alone Striven for peace Which I never have known”

For heaven’s sake, this is so Sirius.

7. One World: okay, okay, hear me out. This song can sound pretty generic, but imagine it as Remus’ thoughts after the prank. Yeah, now you get it.

“Can't find the reasons for your actions Or I don't much like the reasoning you use Somehow your motives are impure Somehow I can't find the cure Can't get no antidote for blues”

8. Brothers in Arms: and here we are. This may be the best song ever written on the face of the Earth. I cannot express with words how much I love it. But now, it’s also perfect for our aims. I may be a bit biased, or just crazy, but I assure you, every single word in this lyric screams Marauders to me. It’s about war, it’s about loss, it’s about brotherhood (emotional but also genetical, if you consider Regulus and Sirius). 

Even better, consider this as Sirius’ farewell to Regulus:

“There's so many different worlds So many different suns And we have just one world But we live in different ones”

This is their whole relationship. They grew up looking at other, better functional and non-abusive families, while they were stuck together in their hell. But they were also so different, so far apart; they had completely different experiences and outcomes. And also:

“Let me bid you farewell Every man has to die But it's written in the starlight And every line in your palm We're fools to make war On our brothers in arms”

Well, I did it. I made myself cry. Good job.

#i'm never gonna recover #bury me with white roses #atyd marauders #dire straits #brothers in arms #marauders #remus lupin #james potter #regulus black #sirius black #peter pettigrew #lily evans #marauders era #wolfstar #wolfstar headcanon #jily #marauders fandom #young marauders

[quiltofstars]

Bode's Galaxy, M81 // Andre van Zegveld

This galaxy is home to over 250 billion stars, and has numerous star-forming regions along its spiral arms. It is quite a beauty to look at through even amateur astronomers' telescopes!

Also seen in this image is a satellite galaxy of M81, Holmberg IX (lower right). A whole 20% of its stars formed in the last 200 million years, making it one of the youngest nearby galaxies known!

#astronomy #astrophotography #messier marathon #galaxy #spiral galaxy #star-forming galaxy #Bode's Galaxy #Holmberg IX #dwarf galaxy #irregular galaxy #messier #messier 81 #M81 #NGC 3031 #ursa major

[ellieswr1d]

This is an amazing infrared photo of the M81 galaxy (along with other photos,) or the galaxy Messier 81!

Messier 81 is about 13.31 billion years old, and is located in the northern constellation of Ursa Major. (Which includes the Big Dipper.) With a diameter of 90,000 light years, and a radius of 45,000 billion light years, astronomers were inclined to research this galaxy extensively. This galaxy is located over 12 million light years away.

The Spitzer Space telescope was launched in August of 2003, these photos of the M81 galaxy were some of the first to be publicly released! On the occasion of Spitzer's 16th anniversary this new image revisits this iconic object with extended observations and improved processing.

#nasa photos #nasa hubble telescope #nasa picture of the day #nasa webb telescope #nasa #space photos #space exploration #space science #space #james webb telescope #james webb space telescope #telescope #spiral galaxy #cartwheel galaxy #galaxy #tarantula nebula #nebulae #helix nebula #nebulas

[starmagicked]

as promised, a detailed description of rilha's outfits / hairstyles through the expansions. : ) because i'm insane.

clicking on the images below will take you to an imgur link with all the gposes in full !! ( or if you wanna see 'em without reading, they're here )

cw spoilers for all expansions.

A REALM REBORN.

coming from kugane, rilha is very used to wearing clothing that shows some skin due to the heat. though the temperate is moderate in gridania, her attire has an open midriff. if not for her mother being an esteemed white mage, the conjurer's guild would have made her dress more appropriate long ago. ( not to say they haven't tried in the past, that is. )

her hair is a decent length with messy bangs. while on the journey to gridania, she had cut it short, mostly out of rebellion. over the next coming years, it goes past her shoulders.

HEAVENSWARD.

seeking shelter in coerthas brings rilha to change her outfit. the cold is harsh in ishgard, and during her time on the backlines of the dragonsong war, she learns to adapt to the winds and snow. despite this, she still finds a way to show her thighs a bit with some absolute territory. the leggings and shorts she wears are fleece lined to combat the wind that hits the absolute territory.

while in the war, her hair gets longer and messier. she has little time to take care of her hair when aiding in the war effort, but hydaelyn does she try. her hair reaches her lower back at this point.

STORMBLOOD.

as much as rilha came to find shelter in ishgard, she is relieved when her duties begin to take her elsewhere. her attire shifts to be more free flowing, taking a chance on adorning pink for a change instead of monochromes. the flowy outfit keeps her safe from the dry heat of ala mhigo and the humidity of the far east.

aiding in one war effort quickly leads her to the next. before arriving in ala mhigo, rilha cuts her hair shorter than she had previously. not just as a way to have it out of the way when healing and carrying out duties, but also as a way to take ownership of herself.

this expansion forces her to confront her past, and come to accept who she is. she embraces her feminine side more, but also works on taking control of who she is and what she wants.

SHADOWBRINGERS.

upon settling into the crystarium, rilha returns to her revealing outfits, whilst still trying to accommodate for all the climates present in norvrandt. the skin she shows is tasteful, the tail ends of her gown covering what needs to be covered. her confidence shines through in her attire, and it's that confidence that helps aid her in infiltrating eulmore.

though she lives in norvrandt for four years, she keeps her hair length at her shoulders, not letting the length go past her chest. it is the most upkeep she gives her hair since starting her journey, partially because tracking the time to cut her hair grounds her. it helps her keep note of how long it's been since she arrived to the first. it isn't until she reunites with the warrior of light that she allows her hair to grow once more.

ENDWALKER.

levels 80 - 81.

rilha's attire is more fitting for a mage, with some edge to it. she adorns a bright lily in her hair, with tasteful skin being shown throughout her fit. it's a very adaptive fit, to compensate for the climates of various regions she explores in this arc.

her hair has grown longer since being in the first, enough to be able to tie it up. feeling the long hair, she opts to pull it up when working as a healer. her messy bangs stay prominent.

levels 82 - 84.

while in garlemald, her heavensward attire makes a return due to the harsh cold. her hair stays consistent, tied up to make working easier for her. her bright lily is gone for this arc, due to the cold winds.

levels 85 - 87.

being stationed in radz-at-han for the final days, her attire changes to accommodate for the blistering humid heat. having been given clothes from the locals, she matches a top with some older thigh boots she's possessed and some shorts. on the back of her head is a white bow, an attempt at keeping her free flowing hair in check.

due to the chaos of this time period, she forgoes tying her hair up every day, instead letting it flow freely. her bangs slightly part, due to her continuously running her hand through them to get them out of her face whilst trying to help those in need.

levels 88 - 90.

as the warrior of light returns from elpis, rilha goes back to her previous attire to continue the quest of stopping the final days. her bright lily makes a return in her hair.

this time, she opts to let her hair flow freely once more, her hair gaining some volume and fluff from the intense travel across the universe.

#♡. 「白花」tied and severed / headcanons. #♡. 「白花」its your golden hour / mirror. #♡. 「白花」i'll play my part / scion. #OH MAN I FINALLY FINISHED THIS #dont ask why enw has like 4 outfits #just ... SO much happens #so many new areas #it felt wrong to ignore the drastic climate changes

[neptunes-sol-angel]

Hii I hope that you’re doing great. 🥰 I wanted to join the game of yours. The service I am most drawn to is the Messier 81. And I hope to see more readings because I love them sm 💛 have a great day!

Hey lovely, you were supposed to put this in either the replies of the post or in a reblog, but don't worry I still got ya down as a contestant

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New paper explores four nearby fast radio burst sources

Fleeting blasts of energy from space, known as fast radio bursts (FRBs), are a cosmic enigma. A Canadian-led international team of researchers has published new findings suggesting that supernovae are the predominant contributors to forming sources that eventually produce FRBs.

"Fast radio bursts are one of astronomy's greatest mysteries," said lead author Mohit Bhardwaj, a member of the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment Fast Radio Burst (CHIME/FRB) collaboration and a McWilliams Postdoctoral Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University. "These extremely powerful radio blasts can travel cosmological distances and emit more energy than the sun does in a thousand years, despite lasting only a few thousandths of a second. Even more intriguing is that, though they hit the Earth roughly every minute from all over the sky, their origin is still unknown."

The researchers, led by scientists from Canada and including teams in the U.S., Mexico, Chile, and Australia, examined 18 nearby FRB hosts, all of which were spiral or late-type galaxies. The prevalence of late-type galaxies suggests that FRB sources predominantly occur in relatively young galaxies, with the sources possibly produced by supernovae that involve the core collapse of a massive star.

"This work identifies an intriguing trend that suggests most local FRBs likely come from core-collapse supernovae," said Bridget Andersen, a co-author on the paper and current Ph.D. student at McGill University working under the supervision of Professor Victoria Kaspi. "In future studies, it will be particularly interesting to see if this trend persists with a larger number of localized host galaxies."

The work holds particular significance because, a year ago, following the detection of an FRB source in a globular cluster of the Messier 81 galaxy—housing an extremely old stellar population—there was speculation that such sources might dominate the FRB population.

Bhardwaj said that the team's findings disfavor such a scenario and instead support the hypothesis that the majority of FRB sources originate from the demise of massive stars, often resulting in the formation of either black holes or neutron stars.

"Looking ahead, as we amass larger samples of more precisely observed FRBs, we can further scrutinize these distinctions for both nearby and distant FRBs," he said. "By conducting more in-depth analyses, we hope to refine our understanding of the diverse origins of FRBs and potentially unveil the underlying mechanisms that drive these cosmic phenomena, shedding light on the intricacies of the universe's radio signal bursts."

The CHIME/FRB team recently doubled the catalog of known repeating FRBs and has continued to make progress in the field. The collaboration's most recent paper, which is available on the arXiv preprint server and will be published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, is significant because it pinpoints the host galaxies of the new nearby FRBs, which are promising candidates for identifying the proposed prompt or afterglow counterparts beyond radio wavelengths.

Understanding the origins of FRBs is a pivotal challenge in contemporary astronomy, and so far, extragalactic FRBs have exclusively manifested as radio phenomena. By identifying their sources, cosmologists can gain new insights into the extreme astrophysical environments that give rise to these signals, and the physical mechanisms responsible for them.

"The ability to pinpoint the galaxy from which the FRB originated was key to this study. But with CHIME, we can only identify the host galaxies of the closest FRBs," said co-author Daniele Michilli, now a postdoctoral scholar at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. "We are building new CHIME "Outrigger" telescopes in Canada and the U.S. to enable precise sky localizations for all FRBs detected by CHIME. This will revolutionize the field and enable us to test the ideas put forth here."

One prevailing hypothesis connecting these intense bursts of radio waves to astrophysical processes involves neutron stars, Bhardwaj said. He added that the prominence of this hypothesis increased in 2020 when CHIME/FRB observed FRB-like bursts from a known highly magnetized neutron star (SGR 1935+2154) in our own galaxy, leading to the identification of magnetars—young, highly magnetized neutron stars—as a likely source.

"Regardless of their origin, these short bursts hold great promise for cosmological studies," Bhardwaj said. "For each FRB, we can estimate the amount of ionized matter the FRB signal traveled through on the way to Earth. This unequivocally positions FRBs as a very promising probe for studying the distribution of ionized gas in the cosmic web."

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