ISLAMABAD: Astronomers have detected a celestial object unlike any previously observed—a star 15,000 light-years away pulsing in both radio waves and X-rays every 44 minutes, defying current astrophysical classifications.
The discovery, published in Nature, challenges existing theories about stellar behavior and could redefine our understanding of cosmic phenomena.
A Cosmic Anomaly
Located in the Scutum constellation, the star belongs to the rare “long-period radio transients” class—objects emitting sporadic, bright radio bursts over minutes to hours, unlike millisecond-pulsing neutron stars.
But this one stands alone: it’s the only such object also emitting X-rays. “What these are and how they generate such signals remains a mystery,” said lead researcher Ziteng Wang of Curtin University.
Unsolved Stellar Puzzle
Initial hypotheses suggest it could be a magnetar (a highly magnetic neutron star) or a white dwarf orbiting a companion. Yet neither fully explains its dual emissions.
The star’s radio brightness surged dramatically in early 2024, coinciding with X-ray pulses detected by NASA’s Chandra telescope—a serendipitous observation during another mission. “Fewer than 30 objects have ever shown such extreme radio brightness,” Wang noted.
This enigmatic object underscores the dynamic, unpredictable nature of the universe, offering astronomers a thrilling new puzzle to solve.
