An international team of astronomers has detected a mysterious object, ASKAP J1832-0911, in deep space. It emits two-minute pulses of radio waves and X-rays in a repeating pattern every 44 minutes.
Observed by the ASKAP radio telescope in Australia and NASA's Chandra X-ray observatory, the object's coordinated emissions have stumped researchers. The simultaneous detection of radio waves and X-rays is a valuable clue for future scans of potential long-period transients (LPTs).
Researchers suggest the discovery could indicate a new type of physics or new models of stellar evolution. Proposed explanations include a magnetar or a binary star system with a highly magnetized white dwarf, but these theories remain incomplete.