Have FRBs Been Solved?

 Fast radio bursts have remained a mystery for a while, with some people even saying ALIENS.

We finally know what causes at least some of these rare phenomenon. FRB 200428 is the first fast radio burst source to be identified in the Milky Way, which means it's close enough to trace back to its source.

Turns out the culprit is a particular kind of dead star called a "magnetar." Magnetars form after the collapse of huge supergiant stars. They're a kind of neutron star which produces an intense magnetic field. FRB 200428 appears to come from the imminent location of SGR 1935+2154.

However, other magnetars have not been shown to create these bursts, so there's clearly another factor at play here. And not every astronomer is convinced it explains all FRBs.

The theory as to how magnetars create FRBs? Because of their field, they create bursts of X-Rays. If there happens to be a cloud of material of certain thickness, those X-rays might be converted to radio waves.

It's not aliens, sorry. (But repeating FRBs caused by magnetars might well be helpful to a star spanning civilization...as navigational beacons).