Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP) – Astronomers have identified a peculiar new object in the Milky Way Galaxy.
An international team reported on Wednesday that this celestial entity—likely a star or a binary star system—emits X-rays and simultaneously radiates radio waves. Moreover, this cycle occurs every 44 minutes, at least during times of intense activity.
Situated 15,000 light-years away in the region of the Milky Way, this object, surrounded by stars, gas, and dust, could potentially be highly magnetized remnants of stars, such as neutron stars or white dwarfs, stated Jiten Andy Wang from Curtin University in an email from Australia.
Alternatively, it might be an unknown “exotic object,” Wang, the lead author of the paper published in the journal Nature, suggested.
Nasa’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory serendipitously found the X-ray emissions last year while focusing on supernova remnants—two the remnants of a star’s explosion. Wang noted that this marks the first time X-rays have been detected from what are termed long-period radio transients.
Due to the uncertainty regarding its distance, astronomers are unable to determine if these unusual objects are linked to supernova remnants. One light-year equals approximately 5.8 trillion miles.
The intense phase of this object—designated Askap J1832-091—appeared to last around a month. Outside this timeframe, it emits negligible X-rays, suggesting that many such objects could exist, according to scientists.
“Our findings have not yet unraveled the mystery behind these objects and could even complicate it further, but investigating them brings us closer to two possibilities,” Wang stated. “We might be uncovering something entirely new, or witnessing known objects emitting radio and X-ray waves in unprecedented ways.”
Launched in 1999, Chandra orbits tens of thousands of miles (kilometers) above Earth, observing some of the hottest, high-energy phenomena in the universe.
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Source: apnews.com