Latest news with #ASKAPJ1832-0911
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Two University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee researchers part of global team that discovered a new object in space
When students open their science textbooks in the future, there's a chance they'll be reading about a cosmic discovery made by scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Their discovery "may hold the key to unlocking a new kind of star that we don't yet understand," said UWM physics professor David Kaplan. Kaplan and others, including Akash Anumarlapudi, a recent UWM doctoral graduate, were part of a global team that discovered an unknown object emitting both radio waves and X-rays. This is the first time an object in this class has been detected using X-rays, which may help astronomers find and research more of these objects in the future. ASKAP J1832-0911, the unknown space object that the global team of astronomers first spotted in December 2023, is categorized as a long-period transient. LPTs are a new and rare group of cosmic objects discovered in 2022. Ziteng "Andy" Wang, member of the International Center for Radio Astronomy Research and associate lecturer at the Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy in Australia, was another researcher involved in the discovery. After the object was initially spotted in 2023, Kaplan said, Wang spent the next year and a half finding radio telescopes across the world that could point to the area of the sky in which the object was located. Kaplan, who was among nearly 50 researchers directly involved with the project, explained the significance of the discovery. 'It'll still take more study, more observations, more mass to really understand this object and all of its related friends, but it's a lot of fun to think that you are one of the first people to find one of these and to study it and just figure out how weird the universe really is," Kaplan said. Kaplan explained that the techniques used to find LPTs are the same as those used to train advanced computer intelligence models used for security research, TikTok algorithms and more. He said a number of people who are interested in astronomy learn these techniques but go on to make careers in technology at companies like Facebook or Google. 'We're looking to inspire the next generation of everybody who finds interesting questions and wants to figure out how to answer them on their own.' David Kaplan, physics professor "We're not just looking to inspire the next generation of astronomers,' Kaplan said. 'We're looking to inspire the next generation of everybody who finds interesting questions and wants to figure out how to answer them on their own.' The human eye can see only a tiny fraction of the universe, Kaplan said. Without a carefully designed experiment and special telescopic equipment, light forms like ultraviolet X-rays and gamma rays are difficult to identify. 'When you look up at the sky at night, you can be overwhelmed by the number of stars out there,' Kaplan said. 'But unless you look at them in real detail, you might not notice that some of them are actually changing.' The research project sought to look at the universe through "radio eyes" to find out which cosmic objects were changing, Kaplan explained. Kaplan said 90%-95% of the time researchers were watching for the object, it wasn't actually visible. This is because the object rarely "blinks," only pulsing for two minutes every 44 minutes. A human would never be able to observe this kind of object by looking up into the sky just once, Kaplan said. He compared it to a lighthouse that's lit up for only a few minutes every hour. 'You have to get really lucky in order to see this flashing. And then we had to get even luckier — we accidentally discovered it flashing the X-rays as well as radio,' Kaplan said. 'This whole project is really luck, piled on luck, piled on luck.' The global researchers, along with astronomers from ICRAR, made their discovery using a radio telescope in Australia. The telescope is on a desolate million-acre farm so as to avoid man-made noise from cell phones and satellites, Kaplan explained. At first, the team saw nothing when looking at the object through an optical telescope and X-ray telescope. Then, through NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, Wang found that a Chinese research group had coincidentally pointed a telescope in the same area of the sky. The group discovered the same information as Kaplan and Wang, and both teams put out papers documenting their findings. Wang served as an author of the team's paper, which was published May 28 in the science journal Nature. Anumarlapudi and Kaplan, from Milwaukee, analyzed radio telescope data, calculated and contributed to the journal publication. Kaplan also helped lead the research team that discovered the object. The nearly 50 global researchers who made up the research team came primarily from the U.S. and Australia, with others from Italy, Spain, China and Israel. Contact Mia Thurow at mthurow@ This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UWM scientists help discover mysterious space phenomenon
News18
09-06-2025
- Science
- News18
A Strange Signal Is Coming From Space Every 44 Minutes, Scientists Are Baffled
Last Updated: According to Professor Nanda Rea of Spain's Institute of Space Sciences, the discovery hints at the presence of many more such unknown objects hiding across the cosmos A strange celestial object, unlike anything ever observed before, has been discovered by astronomers in Australia. The detection of ASKAP J1832-0911, an object that emits radio and X-ray signals every 44 minutes, is being hailed as a breakthrough that could reshape how scientists understand the universe. The object sends out powerful pulses that last for about two minutes each. These signals were picked up simultaneously by two major observatories: Australia's ASKAP (Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder) radio telescope and NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The rare synchronicity of this observation has made the discovery all the more remarkable. Dr Andy Wang from Curtin University, who was part of the research team, described the find as 'like discovering a needle in a haystack". This object doesn't behave like anything we've ever seen before, he added. ASKAP J1832-0911 appears to belong to a relatively new class of celestial phenomena known as Long-Period Transients, or LPTs. These objects were first identified in 2022 and are known for emitting signals over unusually long intervals. However, this is the first time that any LPT has been observed sending out X-rays along with radio waves. What could it be? Scientists are still unsure. One theory suggests that the object could be a magnetar, a remnant core of a collapsed star with an extremely strong magnetic field. Another hypothesis proposes it may be part of a binary star system involving a highly magnetic white dwarf. But even these explanations do not fully account for its unusual behaviour. According to Professor Nanda Rea of Spain's Institute of Space Sciences, the discovery hints at the presence of many more such unknown objects hiding across the cosmos. 'This is just the beginning," she said, adding that the fact that they caught the signal in both radio and X-ray frequencies at the same time shows that they were on the verge of something bigger. The dual-frequency nature of the signals could help astronomers develop new tools and methods for identifying similar phenomena, potentially uncovering more hidden secrets of the universe. For now, ASKAP J1832-0911 remains an enigma, but one that may open new windows into the unknown chapters of space. First Published: June 09, 2025, 17:06 IST
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Something Deep in Our Galaxy Is Pulsing Every 44 Minutes. No One Knows Why.
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: ASKAP J1832-0911 is a long-period radio transient (LPT) object, which emits radio waves in periods of tens of minutes. But it is also the first LPT known to emit X-rays. This mysterious object could take many forms, including a pulsar, a white dwarf star in a binary with a low-mass star, or a magnetar. The object's properties don't exactly fit with any of those proposed options, however. Deep in the galactic plane of the Milky Way, within a region of stars shrouded in gas and dust, one star is behaving like no other that has ever been observed before. Stars can be as mysterious as they are mesmerizing. When scientists at NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory were making observations with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) X-ray imaging instrument, something bizarre appeared—a previously unidentified source of X-rays. Intense X-ray and radio pulses were coming from this source, which is known as ASKAP J1832-0911. This extreme object is a long-period radio transient, or LPT—an astrophysical object whose brightness keeps changing. Few long-period radio transients, whose radio wave emissions vary over tens of minutes, are known. In fact, the first one was only spotted in 2022. The radio wave intensity of ASKAP J1832-0911 cycled every 44 minutes, and was exceptionally bright in radio at the time of observation. Most excitingly for scientists, LPTs had never before been observed emitting both X-rays and radio waves. Astronomer Ziteng Wang from Curtin University in Australia—who led the team of researchers investigating ASKAP J1832-0911—wanted to find out more. The object was observed six months later with ACIS and the Follow-Up Telescope on board ESA's Einstein Probe. By then, its X-ray luminosity had decreased, and so had its radio emissions. But its existence alone is a breakthrough in itself. 'ASKAP J1832–0911 is currently the only LPT detected with (pulsed) X-ray emission — perhaps unsurprisingly, given its extreme radio brightness and the potential correlation between the radio and X-ray luminosities,' Wang and his team said in a study recently published in Nature. This object is thought to be some sort of star, but exactly what kind of star remains debatable. The researchers believe ASKAP J1832–0911 to be compact and to have strong magnetic fields, which would align with the properties of either a magnetic white dwarf (the corpse of a star that has lost its outer layers of gas) or a pulsar (a rotating neutron star that is highly magnetized). But then, there is the issue of its unprecedented pulses. Its X-ray pulses alone are too variable to line up with the steady flash of a pulsar, and X-ray emissions from white dwarves also tend to be fainter and more stable than those produced by ASKAP J1832–0911. So, if it isn't a pulsar or white dwarf, then what is it? Well, it might be a binary white dwarf system—fast-spinning white dwarfs are sometimes found locked in binary systems with other low-mass stars. The radio emissions from these binaries are usually significantly weaker than those from ASKAP J1832–0911, but Wang suggests that the situation remains possible. If not a binary white dwarf system, however, ASKAP J1832–0911 could be a magnetar. These isolated neutron stars have powerful magnetic fields, and the mystery object's properties (including varied pulses and a radio spectrum that is constantly changing)are in line with those of magnetars that emit strong radio waves. Magnetars also throw 'tantrums' with similar X-ray outbursts. But ASKAP J1832–0911 also differs from the typical presentation of magnetars—its quiescent X-ray luminosity (the opposite of its peak luminosity) doesn't line up with expected magnetar behavior, and its especially low luminosity when its rotation slows down doesn't match either. Older magentars are thought to act more like this, but cannot reach such bright radio extremes as ASKAP J1832–0911. 'It could host an unusual core-dominated magnetic field […] requiring a revision to models of magnetic field evolution in neutron stars,' Wang said. 'If ASKAP J1832–0911 is an old magnetar, explaining the radio emission challenges existent models.' Whatever ASKAP J1832–0911 actually is, classifying it will demand consideration of the strength and frequency of both X-ray and radio emissions. For now, it just winks at us. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Spot Mysterious Object in Our Galaxy Pulsing Every 44 Minutes
Astronomers have spotted something strange and spectacular: a mysterious object that keeps emitting pulses every 44 minutes. In a press release from Australia's Curtin University, which was part of the international team that detected the object just 15,000 light-years away in our Milky Way galaxy, astronomers explained that the find was all the more stunning because the signal is coming in the form of both X-rays and radio waves. The object, which was named ASKAP J1832-0911 after Australia's ASKAP radio telescope that was used to detect it, was discovered emitting two-minute-long pulses that would pause and then repeat 44 minutes later. As the Curtin press release explains, the researchers lucked out when they realized that NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory was observing the same part of the sky and detected the same repeating signal in X-ray form. This dual-natured pulse belongs to a newly-discovered class of space phenomena known as "long-period radio transients," or LPTs for short. Discovered in 2022 by the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research — which also sponsored this latest study — these mystery pulses have unknown origins and occur in fixed intervals of minutes or hours. They're considered by astronomers to be remarkably slow as compared to the signals emitted by pulsars, those rapidly-rotating stars that send out similar bursts every few milliseconds when their poles point in Earth's direction. In the years since they were first discovered, astronomers around the world have only detected some 10 other LPTs — but before now, none have been run through X-ray telescopes as well. According to Ziteng "Andy" Wang, an ICRAR-affiliated Curtin astronomer and the lead author a paper about the finding that was just published in the journal Nature, discovering the dual nature of LPTs in such a coincidental manner "felt like finding a needle in a haystack." "The ASKAP radio telescope has a wide field view of the night sky, while Chandra observes only a fraction of it," Wang explained in the Curtin press release. "So, it was fortunate that Chandra observed the same area of the night sky at the same time." Because LPTs are such a new phenomenon to astronomers, they can't say for sure what causes them. When the first of them were discovered, astronomers posited that they could be coming from magnetars, a type of neutron star with extremely strong magnetic fields that also emit radio pulses at faster intervals, leading to the ICRAR team positing that they may have an "ultra-long-period magnetar" on their hands. While the magnetar theory appears to have been scrapped, the astronomers behind this update in LPT knowledge are hopeful that it will help them figure out what these strange, slow pulses are about. "This object is unlike anything we have seen before," said Wang. More on strange space: Scientists Startled by Discovery of Small Star Swimming Through Outer Layers of Another Larger Star
Time of India
01-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Mysterious space object sends signals to Earth every 44 minutes, scientists baffled
Astronomers in Australia have detected a mysterious cosmic object , named ASKAP J1832-0911 , that sends out bursts of radio and X-ray signals every 44 minutes, an occurrence unlike anything previously observed. The discovery was made using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) and NASA's powerful Chandra X-ray Observatory. The signals last for about two minutes and reappear at consistent intervals, leaving scientists puzzled. This rare behaviour classifies the object as a long-period transient (LPT), a phenomenon not well understood. The discovery raises new questions about the evolution of dead stars and the possibilities of unknown space physics. How does the mysterious object ASKAP behave ASKAP J1832-0911 doesn't behave like any known star or pulsar. While typical pulsars emit rapid pulses lasting milliseconds or seconds, this object produces signals at much longer and consistent intervals. It 'switches on' and 'switches off' every 44 minutes, a rhythmic pattern that puzzles scientists. This behaviour defies existing theories of stellar remnants, which generally operate on much shorter timescales. The precise timing and strength of these signals suggest a mechanism we have yet to fully understand. With no known counterparts in current astrophysical databases, this object may represent a new class of transient phenomena in deep space. Possible explanations of sending signals every 44 minutes Scientists suggest that ASKAP J1832-0911 could be a type of magnetar, a highly magnetic remnant of a dead star, or a binary system involving a white dwarf. However, none of these theories fully explain the signal pattern. The regularity and intensity of the pulses point toward unknown or poorly understood physics, sparking interest in developing new models. The role of cutting-edge observatories The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder and NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory played a key role in this discovery. ASKAP detected the radio pulses, while Chandra confirmed X-ray emissions from the same source. This multi-wavelength approach provided the necessary evidence to classify the object and rule out common causes like interference or background noise. What makes this discovery important This may be the first indication of a new class of celestial bodies. Long-period transients are extremely rare, and this one could reshape how we understand stellar remnants and high-energy cosmic events. It also highlights the importance of continuous sky monitoring to catch such unusual phenomena in action. Next steps in the investigation Astronomers plan to search for similar signals across the sky using the same observatories. Identifying more objects like ASKAP J1832-0911 could confirm whether it is truly unique or part of a hidden population. Future observations may also uncover details about its origin, energy source, and possible implications for space science.
