Mysterious cosmic object seen flashing in radio waves and X-rays

A team of international astronomers has discovered a mysterious and perplexing cosmic object in our Milky Way galaxy that challenges our current understanding of how stars behave

The object, named ASKAP J1832-0911, has been observed emitting powerful bursts of both radio waves and X-rays, a phenomenon never seen before in this type of celestial event.

A new kind of cosmic signal

ASKAP J1832-0911 lies approximately 15,000 light-years from Earth and exhibits a peculiar pattern: it pulses every 44 minutes for a duration of two minutes. This regular on-off behaviour has placed it in a rare category of objects known as long-period transients (LPTs).

LPTs are a recent discovery, first identified in 2022, and are characterised by their periodic bursts of radio energy, separated by long intervals. Until now, they had only been detected in radio waves. The detection of X-rays from ASKAP J1832-0911 marks a breakthrough in the study of these mysterious sources.

Using X Rays to find clues

The discovery was made possible through a combination of advanced observatories. The ASKAP radio telescope in Western Australia, operated by Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, picked up the radio signals. Meanwhile, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory was observing the same region of the sky and detected matching X-ray pulses.

This rare coincidence allowed astronomers to link both signals to the same object, revealing a new dimension to these already baffling cosmic events.

The significance of this finding lies not just in the dual-wavelength detection but also in what it could mean for future research. Because X-rays carry much more energy than radio waves, their presence suggests that robust processes are at work. Understanding these emissions may offer new clues into the nature and origin of LPTs.

Astronomers are currently considering several possible explanations. One idea is that ASKAP J1832-0911 might be a magnetar, a type of neutron star characterised by its powerful magnetic fields. Another theory suggests it could be a binary system, where a magnetised white dwarf interacts with a companion star. Both scenarios could produce periodic emissions, but neither fully explains the strange regularity and intensity of both the radio and X-ray pulses.

The rarity of such objects exacerbates the mystery. Since LPTs were first discovered just a few years ago, only ten have been found worldwide. The fact that ASKAP J1832-0911 also emits X-rays hints that there may be more of these dual-signal objects waiting to be found, hiding in the cosmos.

A global effort in discovery

This discovery highlights the power of collaboration in modern astronomy. The joint effort brought together scientists and institutions worldwide, combining radio and X-ray observations in a rare moment of synchronicity. It also emphasises the importance of using multiple types of telescopes to observe the universe in different wavelengths.

As researchers continue to study ASKAP J1832-0911 and search for similar objects, they hope to uncover whether these LPTs represent a new class of stellar remnants or something entirely unexpected. For now, the object remains a compelling cosmic mystery and one that may point to new physics or previously unknown stages in stellar evolution.