Until now, the origin of fast-moving radio waves ricocheting across the sky has eluded astronomers. For the first time, researchers have managed to track the waves back to their source.

Known as FRBs or “fast radio bursts,” , according to a release from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy.

Though they disappear just as fast as they came, , according to Nature.

“This detection has really broken open the gates of a new realm of science and discovery,” said National Radio Astronomy Observatory astronomer Sarah Burke-Spolaor in a statement obtained by Nature.

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Because of their rapid movement, FRBs are difficult to detect and study. However, on Nov. 2, 2012, researchers discovered a burst known as FRB 121102, which has flared up several times since its discovery and is the only FRB known to repeat itself, Nature also reports.

A research team led by Cornell University astronomer Shami Chatterjee used the 1,000-foot wide Arecibo radio telescope to detect multiple bursts from FRB 121102, according to the release. They then used the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array and the European VLBI Network of telescopes to narrow down the location of the burst.

The telescopes detected nine bursts from FRB 121102, which allowed researchers to determine its position in the sky and led them to its hosting galaxy. They discovered that the bursts are coming from a dwarf galaxy emitting faint radiation in both radio and visual wavelengths.

“The host galaxy is puny,” said team member Shriharsh Tendulkar in a statement obtained by Nature. “That's weird.”

With the help of the Gemini North telescope, the astronomers determined that the galaxy is less than one-tenth the size of the Milky Way and has less than one-thousandth the mass, according to Nature.

The fact that the burst lives in a dwarf galaxy may be an important clue in figuring out its physical nature. These types of galaxies contain gas that is relatively pure compared to what’s found in the Milky Way, according to the release.

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" which have the largest numbers of stars and neutron stars," study co-author Shriharsh Tendulkar said in a statement obtained by Space.com. "This dwarf galaxy has fewer stars but is forming stars at a high rate, which may suggest that FRBs are linked to young neutron stars."

Neuron stars are dense objects that form when stars exposed and the remaining material collapses on itself.

"The conditions in this dwarf galaxy are such that it may be possible to form much more massive stars than in the Milky Way, and perhaps the source of the FRB bursts is from the collapsed remnant of such a star," said co-author Jason Hessels in the release.

Astronomers are also entertaining the thought that the FRB bursts are being generated near a massive black hole that is swallowing surrounding gas, according to the release.

Though they’ve found FRB 121102’s starting line, more work is still needed to find the exact cause behind the mysterious bursts.

A new radio telescope dedicated to hunting fast radio bursts is in the works in British Columbia.

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At a Glance

For the first time, astronomers have found the origin of a fast-moving burst of radio waves. These waves occur in the sky around every 10 seconds and emit as much power as 500 million Suns.