A mysterious celestial object was found sending signals to Earth earlier this week. What astronomers believe to be a cluster of stars , has been emitting X-rays and radio waves periodically with the cycle repeating every hour. The object’s name ASKAP J1832-0911, was detected by the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) and NASA’S Chandra X-ray observatory, the world’s most powerful X-ray telescope.
Wang, an astronomer in Australia and his team suspect the mysterious object might be a dead star, though its unusual pattern of turning “on” and “off” at long and regular intervals remains unexplained, according to Space.com.
He suggested it could be a magnetar—an ultra-magnetic remnant of a dead star—or possibly a binary system featuring a highly magnetised white dwarf. However, Wang admitted that even these possibilities don’t fully account for the observations.
He noted that the discovery may point to unknown physics or new insights into how stars evolve. The team aims to detect more such objects, known as LPTs, using radio wave data and NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory to deepen their understanding.
What is the ASKAP J1832-0911?
The body is known to be located 15,000 light years away, ASKAP J1832-0911 is especially perplexing is the consistency of the signal, which repeats almost like clockwork. “It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen,” astronomers told the New York Post. Typically, celestial bodies such as pulsars or magnetars emit signals on much shorter cycles, often in seconds, not minutes. The slow, regular pulsing of ASKAP J1832-0911 categorizes it as a potential new class of celestial object—classified as a long-period transient (LPT).
CBS News reports that the team is now using additional telescopes and observational data to track similar LPTs and hopes to uncover clues about the underlying physics driving these anomalies. If more such objects are found, it could reshape current understanding of stellar remnants and their life cycles.
As scientists continue to probe the mysteries of ASKAP J1832-0911, the discovery hints at uncharted realms of astrophysics. Whether it unveils a new class of stellar remnants or unknown cosmic behavior, this enigmatic signal from deep space reminds us just how much we have yet to learn about the universe.
