For more than a decade, scientists have been working to unravel the mysteries of so-called “fast radio bursts” (FRBs), which are sudden and unexplained radio pulses that are mostly observed in distant galaxies.

These bizarre bursts, which last for mere milliseconds and sometimes repeat in odd patterns, have inspired explanations ranging from pyrotechnic interactions between exotic stars to signs of extraterrestrial intelligence.

Now, astronomers have managed to probe a repeating burst at the shortest timescales ever, meaning that a team studied its signature at tiny periods of just 3 to 4 microseconds within those millisecond pulses. This unprecedented analysis revealed a newly observed “microstructure,” or a pattern of variable brightness, revealing that the new technique “can unveil clues into [FRB] emission physics,” according to a study published on Monday in Nature Astronomy.

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