Scientists have captured a faint radio signal from the most distant galaxy yet - a signal they believe created a chance to look back 8.8 billion years in time when the universe was 4.9 billion years old.

Arnab Chakraborty, a post-doctoral researcher at McGill University, said the signal was received at a "record-breaking distance."

A news release from McGill university said the signal, which was received by the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope in India, had a wavelength called the 21 cm line.

The researchers credit a naturally occurring phenomenon known as gravitational lensing. When that happens, another galaxy that exists between the radio signal and the telescope bends the signal which magnifies it, enabling the telescope to detect it. Scientist Nirupam Roy at the Indian Institute of Science said this process shows great potential for further study of distant galaxies.