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Sunday, November 8, 2026 · UTC
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James Webb locates host galaxy for fast radio burst FRB 20240304B

Teams used the MeerKAT radio telescope and James Webb Space Telescope to trace the 2024-detected burst to a star-forming dwarf galaxy.

Rhea Castellanos
Space Awareness Correspondent
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Researchers locate galaxy source of mysterious radio burst
Researchers locate galaxy source of mysterious radio burst AI illustrationhow this picture was made
SYDNEY, Australia, Oct. 10, 2026 - Researchers have traced fast radio burst FRB 20240304B to an actively star-forming dwarf galaxy, using coordinated observations from two major astronomical facilities.[1] The burst was first detected in 2024 by the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa, as part of work conducted by the MeerTRAP project.[2] The detection team was led by Manisha Caleb and Themiya Nanayakkara from the University of Sydney.[3] After the initial radio detection, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope was used to pinpoint the burst's origin and confirm its host galaxy.[4] Impact Insight. Fast radio bursts are flashes of radio waves lasting a few thousandths of a second that come from far beyond our galaxy, and what produces them is still debated. There is no direct planetary-defense link: this is distant astrophysics, included for readers who follow what telescopes are finding.
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What this stands on
  1. Researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope to pinpoint the location of the burst to a dwarf galaxy actively forming stars. · abc.net.auAustralia
  2. The MeerTRAP project used South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope to detect the burst before identifying its host galaxy using observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. · Phys.org
  3. The research team, led by Manisha Caleb and Themiya Nanayakkara from the University of Sydney, used the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa to detect the burst. · keysnews.com
  4. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope was used to identify the host galaxy of the burst after it was detected by the MeerKAT radio telescope. · keysnews.com
The one we could place publishes from Australia. 2 could not be placed by their address. None is an official body: that part stands on reporting, not on the underlying document or transcript.