The team narrowed down the source to FRB 121102, an object in a dwarf galaxy (it's less than a hundredth the mass of the Milky Way) over 3 billion light years away. In theory, bursts are more likely to come from large galaxies, where the sheer number of stars increases the chances of neutron stars sending out beams of electromagnetic radiation. Clearly, that isn't always the case. But what's causing it?

The galaxy is relatively young and forming stars quickly, so it's possible that the bursts are linked to young neutron stars. Alternately, the bursts could be the product of gamma ray bursts or hypernovae (very large supernovae) that tend to occur in dwarf galaxies. Whatever the cause, the successful discovery is important. If researchers can repeat their achievement, they'll have a better chance of identifying the nature of these bursts. That, in turn, could explain more about the lifecycles of galaxies and the nature of the universe.