Astrophysicists have detected a burst of cosmic radio waves within our solar system for the first time and identified its source, according to research published Wednesday that sheds new light on one of the mysteries of the Universe.

The origin of powerful fast radio bursts (FRBs) — intense flashes of radio emission that only last a few milliseconds — have puzzled scientists since they were first detected a little over a decade ago.

They are typically extragalactic, meaning they originate outside our galaxy, but on April 28 this year, multiple telescopes detected a bright FRB from the same area within our Milky Way.