Astronomers detect radio ‘heartbeat’ billions of light-years from Earth

Chime radio telescope (Chime/MIT News)

Astronomers have detected a strange and persistent radio signal from a far-off galaxy that appears to be flashing in a pattern similar to a heartbeat.

It has been classified as a fast radio burst (FRB) – an intensely strong burst of radio waves of unknown astrophysical origin that typically lasts for a few milliseconds at most.