Gigamaser Beacon Detected From 8 Billion Light-Years Away by MeerKAT
Astronomers using the MeerKAT radio telescope detected a bright, narrow 18-centimeter hydroxyl emission line from the distant galaxy system HATLAS J142935.3-002836 at z=1.027 (about 8 billion light-years away). The signal is amplified by a foreground galaxy’s gravitational lensing and the background merger’s dense, energized gas, pushing it toward megamaser/gigamaser levels. The rapid detection in a few hours demonstrates MeerKAT’s capability to find distant hydroxyl emitters in wide surveys.