CHIME radio observatory, engineered by Fast + Epp, detects examples of Fast Radio Bursts

January 8, 2019

No pun intended, the CHIME radio observatory, engineered by Fast + Epp, has been helping astronomers detect Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) – a form of celestial signal that remains something of a cosmic mystery.

CHIME, (Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment), is a telescope that was originally designed to explore the early Universe but has turned out to be ideal for detecting FRBs. First spotted in 2007, little is known about FRBs, and they largely remain an astrophysics mystery. They appear all over the sky in the form of a cosmic flash, and astronomers aren’t sure what causes them.

The CHIME telescope is located in Penticton, British Columbia, and consists of four 100-metre-long, semi-cylindrical antennas that look like a half-pipe for snowboarding. The facility operates 24 hours a day, and scans the entire northern hemisphere every day, giving it a good chance of detecting more FRBs.

Construction of the CHIME telescope wrapped up in 2014.