In a dark region of space about 14,700 light-years from Earth, a strange object is doing something completely unexpected.
A cosmic entity named ASKAP J1832-0911 is emitting simultaneous bursts of radio waves and X-rays that last for two minutes every 44 minutes.
This is the first time an object of this type—called a long-period transient (LPT)—has been observed emitting X-rays.
A sky map showing the region around ASKAP J1832-0911, located deep within the plane of the Milky Way galaxy, about 14,700 light-years from Earth. Photo: Andy Wang
Currently, there is no clear explanation for what is causing these signals or why they are turning “on” and “off” so regularly, strangely, and persistently.
Experts admit that even the best current theories cannot explain the phenomenon, and it challenges our existing laws of physics.
They believe ASKAP J1832-0911 might represent a completely new kind of object that humanity has never seen before.
This cosmic phenomenon is located deep within the galactic plane, a densely packed region of stars, gas, and dust.
Dr. Andy Wang from Curtin University in Australia said:
“This object is completely different from anything we’ve ever seen.”
His team discovered the phenomenon using the ASKAP radio telescope located on Wajarri Yamaji land in Australia, operated by the country’s national science agency, CSIRO.
They compared the radio wave signals with X-ray bursts observed by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, which happened to be observing the same part of the sky at the time.
Dr. Wang said:
“Finding out that ASKAP J1832-0911 also emits X-rays is like finding a needle in a haystack. ASKAP has a wide field of view, while Chandra only sees a small part of the sky. So it was incredibly lucky that Chandra was looking at the same region at just the right time.”
Light curves showing synchronized bursts in both radio and X-ray wavelengths. This is the first time LPTs have been found to emit X-rays.
LPTs—objects that emit bursts of radio waves at intervals of minutes or hours—were only discovered in 2022. So far, astronomers have detected just 10 such objects globally.
“ASKAP J1832-0911 could be a magnetar—the core of a dead star with an extremely strong magnetic field—or a binary star system where one star is a magnetic white dwarf,” Dr. Wang explained.
According to him, the discovery could hint at an entirely new type of physics or a new model of stellar evolution:
“What makes this phenomenon even more fascinating is that the X-rays also follow the exact same 44-minute cycle. This object doesn’t match any known sources in our galaxy, so we need more observations to figure out exactly what’s happening.”
The discovery also helps narrow down theories about the object’s nature. Since X-rays are much more energetic than radio waves, any explanation must account for both forms of radiation. This provides a vital clue, especially as the true nature of the object remains a cosmic mystery.
So far, ASKAP J1832-0911 is the only known LPT that emits X-rays.
X-ray pulses provide direct evidence of a compact object’s nature, while radio waves indicate the presence of a structured magnetic field, researchers noted.
Professor Nanda Rea, co-author from the Institute of Space Sciences and the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (Spain), said:
“Discovering such an object suggests there may be many more out there.”
“The detection of periodic X-ray radiation opens up entirely new directions for exploring their mysterious nature,” he added.
In 1974, astronomers sent a radio signal containing basic information about humanity and Earth from the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico, hoping to contact extraterrestrial intelligence. This signal—later called the “Arecibo Message”—was directed at star cluster M13, located about 21,000 light-years from Earth.
Scientists have also published the most detailed infrared map of our galaxy to date.
(Source: ESO)
What Is a Neutron Star?
A neutron star is the collapsed core of a dead star.
When a massive star reaches the end of its life, its core collapses, pushing the outer layers into space.
What remains is an incredibly dense object called a neutron star, containing more mass than the Sun but compressed into a space roughly the size of a city.
Typically, a neutron star has about 500,000 times the mass of Earth, yet it is only about 20 kilometers wide.
A handful of neutron star matter could weigh as much as Mount Everest.
They are extremely hot (millions of degrees), emit intense radiation, and possess immensely powerful magnetic fields.
According to Professor Patrick Sutton of Cardiff University, they represent the most extreme environments in the universe.
The core of such dense objects plays a key role in unlocking the origins of heavy elements in the cosmos.
(Source: National Geographic, Daily Mail)
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