Science

Astronomers identify record distant fast radio burst using MeerKAT and Webb telescopes

Researchers say the radio flash traveled over 10 billion years from a small, metal-poor galaxy.

Updated Oct 9, 2026 · 14:34 UTC3 reports

The short version

Astronomers detected FRB 20240304B, a fast radio burst believed to be the farthest ever recorded after traveling more than 10 billion years.[The Guardian]
Observations using the MeerKAT array and the James Webb Space Telescope traced the signal to a young, compact, metal-poor galaxy forming stars rapidly.[The Guardian]
Lead author Manisha Caleb reported that the discovery makes a merger origin very unlikely for this event.[Engadget]

The detected fast radio burst, named FRB 20240304B, traveled for more than 10 billion years before reaching Earth.[The Guardian]
Researchers believe the signal is the most distant fast radio burst observed, more than doubling the prior distance record.[The Guardian]
The signal was detected with South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope and traced to its origin galaxy using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.[The Guardian]
Telescope data indicates the host galaxy is young, very small, low in metals, and rapidly forming stars.[The Guardian]
More than 10,000 fast radio bursts have been recorded since 2007.[The Guardian]
Lead author Manisha Caleb stated that the findings suggest it is very unlikely the radio burst was caused by a merger.[Engadget]

Whether the burst represents the definitive maximum distance record remains an assessment rather than a verified limit.[The Guardian]
The precise physical mechanism producing the burst remains unproven, though researchers consider a merger very unlikely.[Engadget]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.