Astronomers discover strange new celestial object in Milky Way galaxy

Astronomers person discovered a unusual caller entity successful our Milky Way galaxy

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Astronomers person discovered a unusual caller entity successful our Milky Way galaxy.

An planetary squad reported Wednesday that this celestial entity — possibly a star, brace of stars oregon thing other wholly — is emitting X-rays astir the aforesaid clip it’s shooting retired radio waves. What’s more, the rhythm repeats each 44 minutes, astatine slightest during periods of utmost activity.

Located 15,000 light-years distant successful a portion of the Milky Way brimming with stars, state and dust, this entity could beryllium a highly magnetized dormant prima similar a neutron oregon achromatic dwarf, Curtin University’s Ziteng Andy Wang said successful an email from Australia.

Or it could beryllium “something exotic” and unknown, said Wang, pb writer of the survey published successful the diary Nature.

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory spotted the X-ray emissions by accidental past twelvemonth portion focusing connected a supernova remnant, oregon the remains of an exploded star. Wang said it was the archetypal clip X-rays had been seen coming from a alleged long-period vigor transient, a uncommon entity that cycles done vigor signals implicit tens of minutes.

Given the uncertain distance, astronomers can't archer if the weird entity is associated with the supernova remnant oregon not. A azygous light-year is 5.8 trillion miles.

The hyperactive signifier of this entity — designated ASKAP J1832−091 — appeared to past astir a month. Outside of that period, the prima did not emit immoderate noticeable X-rays. That could mean much of these objects whitethorn beryllium retired there, scientists said.

“While our find doesn’t yet lick the enigma of what these objects are and whitethorn adjacent deepen it, studying them brings america person to 2 possibilities,” Wang said. “Either we are uncovering thing wholly new, oregon we’re seeing a known benignant of entity emitting vigor and X-ray waves successful a mode we’ve ne'er observed before.”

Launched successful 1999, Chandra orbits tens of thousands of miles (kilometers) supra Earth, observing immoderate of the hottest, high-energy objects successful the universe.

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