Astronomers led by the University of Pretoria have discovered the most distant and powerful natural radio laser ever observed. Detected by the MeerKAT radio telescope in the Northern Cape, the signal originated from a galaxy more than eight billion light-years away, traveling across space since the universe was less than half its current age.
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The object is classified as a hydroxyl megamaser – a massive burst of radio energy triggered by the collision of two gas-rich galaxies. During these violent mergers, oxygen and hydrogen molecules are compressed, causing them to emit intense radio waves. This specific signal was so luminous that researchers have dubbed it a “gigamaser,” indicating it is at least 10 times brighter than standard megamasers.
Capturing a signal from 5.8 billion years after the Big Bang required a rare combination of cutting-edge technology and cosmic luck:
- MeerKAT’s Sensitivity: The array of 64 dishes in the Karoo is uniquely designed to detect extremely faint radio whispers from the early universe.
- Gravitational Lensing: A separate galaxy, positioned perfectly between Earth and the distant source, acted as a natural magnifying glass. Its mass bent and intensified the radio waves as they passed, a phenomenon known as gravitational lensing, which boosted the signal before it reached South African soil.
“We’re seeing the radio equivalent of a laser halfway across the universe,” says Thato Manamela, lead author and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pretoria.
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Finding these objects at extreme distances allows scientists to map the history of galactic evolution. Hydroxyl megamasers are signatures of the most intense events in space; they drive rapid star formation and provide the “fuel” that feeds supermassive black holes.
To process the discovery, the team developed custom software pipelines capable of managing terabytes of raw data. This computational feat serves as a critical proof-of-concept for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the next-generation global telescope project co-hosted by South Africa and Australia.
As MeerKAT continues its systematic survey of the skies, astronomers expect to uncover even more of these “gigamasers,” further cementing South Africa’s role as a global leader in radio astronomy.
