Mysterious cosmic signals carry a clue to their origins
On its way to Earth, burst of radio waves ran into dense plasma, strong magnetic fields
![illustration of a magnetar](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/120115_cc_magnetar_free.jpg?fit=860%2C460&ssl=1)
BIG BURST Starquakes on highly magnetic neutron stars known as magnetars (illustrated) are one possible source of extragalactic bursts of radio waves, new research suggests.
L. Calçada/ESO