Microwave oven to blame for mystery signal that left astronomers stumped

Australian scientists first detected interference in 1998, which they assumed was from lightning strikes, but earlier this year they finally found the real culprit

The mystery behind radio signals that have baffled scientists at Australia's most famous radio telescope for 17 years has finally been solved.

The signals' source? A microwave oven in the kitchen at the Parkes observatory used by staff members to heat up their lunch.

Related: Dying star could be behind immensely powerful radio bursts 'heard' live

Related: The telescope that beamed the moonwalk now faces a budget blackhole