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USA Today
29-06-2025
- Science
- USA Today
NASA satellite emits 'spark' decades after going dormant: Astronomers think they know why
Source of the radio waves was tracked to a location that matches that of NASA's defunct Relay 2 spacecraft, which launched in 1964 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. A NASA satellite that had been dead for nearly six decades issued a surprising sign of life. In June 2024, a team of astronomers were perplexed when a radio telescope in Australia scanning the sky over the southern hemisphere came across unusual radio waves. The burst of radiation was very bright, exceedingly quick – and much closer to Earth than the scientists would have thought. After studying the source of the strange cosmic phenomena, the researchers were even more mystified when it appeared to be originating from the same location as a NASA spacecraft that went offline about 58 years ago, according to a press release about the discovery released June 25, 2025. Don't be fooled, though: The defunct spacecraft that operated for about three years in the 1960s isn't kicking back on to resume operations anytime soon. So, what's going on? Here's what to know about the strange signal, and how astronomers tracked it to a defunct NASA satellite. What is NASA Relay 2 spacecraft? Astronomers tracked the source of the radio waves to a location that matches that of NASA's defunct Relay 2 spacecraft, a communications satellite that launched into orbit in 1964 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft operated until June 1967 after both of its onboard transponders failed. So, has the long-dead satellite has suddenly sprung back to life after nearly six decades? Astronomers say that's unlikely. Rather, the waves more likely came from a "spark" of built up electricity, which emitted a pulse as it jumped from one part of the spacecraft to another while passing through charged environment above Earth's atmosphere, according to the researchers. Strange signal originated in Milky Way The team of astronomers discovered the strange signal while hunting for bright, powerful flashes of electromagnetic radiation in the distant universe known as fast radio bursts. Most surprising to the researchers, all of whom are from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, was that the signal spotted June 13, 2024, didn't originate from a far-flung galaxy. Instead, it originated in our own cosmic neighborhood in the Milky Way. While incredibly bright, the event only lasted less than 30 nanoseconds. The astronomers detected it using Australia's national science agency's (CSIRO) ASKAP radio telescope. Clancy James, an astrophysicist at Curtin University in Australia's Perth campus, then led a team that studied the extremely bright source of radio waves to determine its source. While the satellite signal is one possible explanation, the researchers have also theorized that an impact with a tiny particle of space debris, known as a "micrometeoroid," could have caused the anomaly. Such impacts can create short-lived clouds of hot, charged gas that produce bursts of radio waves. Electrostatic discharges could post threats in Earth's orbit The discovery marks the first time that a spark of built-up electricity has been observed to be both so bright and so short in duration. Now that the detection has been made, the finding not only demonstrates how astronomers can help identify the origin of these kinds of signals in the future, but could even help humanity better understand how electrostatic discharges can pose a danger to satellites in Earth's orbit. "Detections like this show how the tools developed to study the distant Universe can help scientists understand the increasingly crowded and critically important space environment close to Earth," the researcher said in a statement. The research has been accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters. A pre-print version of the paper is available on arXiv. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@
Daily Record
04-06-2025
- General
- Daily Record
A strange object is sending radio signals through space and experts don't know why
Astronomers, including one from Edinburgh, have been left perplexed over a new type of cosmic phenomenon Our understanding of space is ever-growing, but what lies beyond earth is so huge that astronomers often face stumbling blocks that prevent them from getting their head round just exactly what is going on beyond our planet. This is what has happened over in Australia, where astronomers, including one from University of Edinburgh, have stumbled across a strange object that is emitting radio waves every two minutes - and they don't know why. The object - a long-period transient (LPT) - is emitting pulses of radio waves and X-rays for two minutes every 44 minutes. LPTs are a relatively new class of astrophysical objects that are known to emit radio waves periodically. This is unusually slow compared to most periodic radio objects. However, this is the first time such objects have been detected in X-rays. There is currently no clear explanation for what is causing the signals, or why they 'switch on' and 'switch off' at such long, regular and unusual intervals. When the LPT is 'on,' it is so bright that the Milky Way gas is blocking out some of the radio light. Explanations could be that the object is a magnetar - the core of a dead star with powerful magnetic fields - or a pair of stars in a binary system where one of the two is a highly magnetised white dwarf. In other words, a low-mass star at the end of its evolution. However, even those theories do not fully explain what is being seen up above. Incredibly, the discovery could even hint at a new type of physics or new models of stellar evolution. Astronomers from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) made the finding, which they hope may provide insights into what is behind other mysterious signals which have been spotted across the sky. The team discovered the object by joining the dots between the radio signals with X-ray pulses detected by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, which just happened to be observing the same part of the sky. Dr Marcin Glowacki from the University of Edinburgh School's Institute for Astronomy was involved in the collaboration. He looked for hydrogen gas located between the LPT and Earth. By detecting this gas within the LPT signal, he was able to place a lower limit on how far away this unusual object is, which was important to rule out a link with other objects in that part of the sky. The investigation continues, but as of yet, there is no clear cut answer to what the curious entity is, and why it's doing what it's doing. Back in Scotland, people should get ready to witness a phenomenon for themselves, as the Milky Way comes into view this month. June means that Milky Way "Core Season" is here, according to NASA. This is the time of year when the Milky Way is visible as a faint band of hazy light arching across the sky all night. Excitingly, the space agency has revealed exactly how and when best to catch a glimpse of it. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Astronomers find startling pulsing object in Milky Way: 'Unlike anything we have seen'
Astronomers recently discovered a never-before-seen celestial phenomenon hiding in our own cosmic backyard. The mystery object, located just a short 15,000 light-years from Earth in our Milky Way galaxy, revealed itself to an international team of scientists when it was observed emitting startling pulses. What made the pulses puzzling to the astronomers was that they came in the form of both radio waves and X-rays. Most intriguing: the cycle occurred like clockwork for two minutes at a time every 44 minutes. The discovery marks the first time that such objects, called long-period transients, have been detected in X-rays, the team said in a press release announcing the findings. 'This object is unlike anything we have seen before,' Ziteng Andy Wang, an astronomer at Curtin University in Australia who led the research, said in a statement. The objects, which emit radio pulses occurring minutes or hours apart, are a relatively recent discovery – with just 10 being identified since 2022, the team said. While astronomers are so far unable to explain the origin of the mystifying signals and why they occur at unusual intervals, the team hopes their findings provide some insights. Milky Way photos: Stunning images of our galaxy making itself visible around the globe The Milky Way is our home galaxy with a disc of stars that spans more than 100,000 light-years. Because it appears as a rotating disc curving out from a dense central region, the Milky Way is known as a spiral galaxy. Our planet itself is located along one of the galaxy's spiral arms, about halfway from the center, according to NASA. The Milky Way sits in a cosmic neighborhood called the Local Group that includes more than 50 other galaxies. Those galaxies can be as small as a dwarf galaxy with up to only a few billion stars, or as large as Andromeda, our nearest large galactic neighbor. The Milky Way got its name because from our perspective on Earth, it appears as a faint band of light stretching across the entire sky. The team discovered the object, known as ASKAP J1832-0911, in the Milky Way by using a radio telescope in Australia. The astronomers, all from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, then correlated the radio signals with X-ray pulses detected by NASA's space telescope, the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The Australian radio telescope has a wide field view of the night sky, while Chandra observes only a fraction of it. For that reason, the astronomers say it was fortunate that Chandra was coincidentally observing the same area of the night sky at the same time. 'Discovering that ASKAP J1832-0911 was emitting X-rays felt like finding a needle in a haystack,' Wang said in a statement. Astronomy: Fast radio burst detected in 'dead' galaxy raises questions about mysterious signals It's possible the celestial object could be the core of a dead star, known as a magnetar. With their extremely strong magnetic fields, these neutron stars – small, dense collapsed cores of supergiant stars – are capable of producing the powerful bursts of energy that have been observed for years. The object could also be a pair of stars in a binary system in which one of them is a highly-magnetized white dwarf star at the end of its evolution, the team said. But Wang cautioned that neither of those theories fully explains what his team observed. "This discovery could indicate a new type of physics or new models of stellar evolution," Wang said in a statement. Fortunately, finding one object using both X-rays and radio waves hints at the existence of many more, according to the researchers. The findings were published Wednesday, May 28, in the journal Nature. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Strange pulsing object spotted in Milky Way: Here's what it could be
USA Today
29-05-2025
- Science
- USA Today
Astronomers find startling pulsing object in Milky Way: 'Unlike anything we have seen'
Astronomers find startling pulsing object in Milky Way: 'Unlike anything we have seen' The mystery object, located just a short 15,000 light-years from Earth in our Milky Way galaxy, revealed itself to an international team of scientists when it was observed emitting pulses. Astronomers recently discovered a never-before-seen celestial phenomenon hiding in our own cosmic backyard. The mystery object, located just a short 15,000 light-years from Earth in our Milky Way galaxy, revealed itself to an international team of scientists when it was observed emitting startling pulses. What made the pulses puzzling to the astronomers was that they came in the form of both radio waves and X-rays. Most intriguing: the cycle occurred like clockwork for two minutes at a time every 44 minutes. The discovery marks the first time that such objects, called long-period transients, have been detected in X-rays, the team said in a press release announcing the findings. 'This object is unlike anything we have seen before,' Ziteng Andy Wang, an astronomer at Curtin University in Australia who led the research, said in a statement. The objects, which emit radio pulses occurring minutes or hours apart, are a relatively recent discovery – with just 10 being identified since 2022, the team said. While astronomers are so far unable to explain the origin of the mystifying signals and why they occur at unusual intervals, the team hopes their findings provide some insights. Milky Way photos: Stunning images of our galaxy making itself visible around the globe What is the Milky Way galaxy? The Milky Way is our home galaxy with a disc of stars that spans more than 100,000 light-years. Because it appears as a rotating disc curving out from a dense central region, the Milky Way is known as a spiral galaxy. Our planet itself is located along one of the galaxy's spiral arms, about halfway from the center, according to NASA. The Milky Way sits in a cosmic neighborhood called the Local Group that includes more than 50 other galaxies. Those galaxies can be as small as a dwarf galaxy with up to only a few billion stars, or as large as Andromeda, our nearest large galactic neighbor. The Milky Way got its name because from our perspective on Earth, it appears as a faint band of light stretching across the entire sky. How did astronomers detect strange pulses in Milky Way? The team discovered the object, known as ASKAP J1832-0911, in the Milky Way by using a radio telescope in Australia. The astronomers, all from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, then correlated the radio signals with X-ray pulses detected by NASA's space telescope, the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The Australian radio telescope has a wide field view of the night sky, while Chandra observes only a fraction of it. For that reason, the astronomers say it was fortunate that Chandra was coincidentally observing the same area of the night sky at the same time. 'Discovering that ASKAP J1832-0911 was emitting X-rays felt like finding a needle in a haystack,' Wang said in a statement. Astronomy: Fast radio burst detected in 'dead' galaxy raises questions about mysterious signals What could the pulsing be? It's possible the celestial object could be the core of a dead star, known as a magnetar. With their extremely strong magnetic fields, these neutron stars – small, dense collapsed cores of supergiant stars – are capable of producing the powerful bursts of energy that have been observed for years. The object could also be a pair of stars in a binary system in which one of them is a highly-magnetized white dwarf star at the end of its evolution, the team said. But Wang cautioned that neither of those theories fully explains what his team observed. "This discovery could indicate a new type of physics or new models of stellar evolution," Wang said in a statement. Fortunately, finding one object using both X-rays and radio waves hints at the existence of many more, according to the researchers. The findings were published Wednesday, May 28, in the journal Nature. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@
Gizmodo
28-05-2025
- General
- Gizmodo
Mysterious Space Object Is Pumping Out a Pair of Signals That Shouldn't Go Together
Astronomers have discovered a strange new object that behaves unlike any observed before. The hope is that the source will provide some much-needed insight into the origin of mysterious cosmic signals that have puzzled experts for the last several years. A team of researchers led by astronomers from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) in Australia found the object—known as ASKAP J1832-0911—using the ASKAP radio telescope, which picked up pulses of radio waves emanating from it. This suggests that it belongs to a mysterious, recently discovered class of objects called long-period transients (LPTs), which emit radio pulses over unusually long and regular intervals—typically minutes or hours apart. Since LPT signals were first detected by ICRAR astronomers in 2022, only 10 of these objects have been documented, according to a statement from the organization. Astronomers are still trying to figure out exactly what LPTs are and why they exhibit such odd behavior. In March, there appeared to be a new break in the case when a study linked LPT pulses to a binary star system composed of a white dwarf and a red dwarf, but J1832-0911 has turned out to be especially peculiar. While the ASKAP radio telescope was observing it, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory just so happened to be looking at the same piece of sky. This revealed that the object, located in the Milky Way some 15,000 light-years from Earth, was also sending out pulses of X-rays. Detecting X-ray emissions from ASKAP J1832-0911 'felt like finding a needle in a haystack,' lead author Ziteng (Andy) Wang, an astronomer at the Curtin University arm of ICRAR, said in the statement. 'The ASKAP radio telescope has a wide field view of the night sky, while Chandra observes only a fraction of it. So, it was fortunate that Chandra observed the same area of the night sky at the same time.' This is the first time that X-ray emissions have been observed from an LPT. J1832-0911 emits radio waves and X-rays simultaneously for a period of two minutes over intervals of 44 minutes, exhibiting properties that are 'unique amongst known galactic objects and require a new explanation,' the authors state in their paper, published today in the journal Nature. Uncovering the true nature of J1832-0911 will require further research, but Wang and his colleagues have some initial ideas about what it might be. 'ASKAP [J1832-0911] could be a magnetar (the core of a dead star with powerful magnetic fields),' he said. Simultaneous pulses of radio waves and X-rays have been observed from magnetars before. Alternatively, 'it could be a pair of stars in a binary system where one of the two is a highly magnetised white dwarf (a low-mass star at the end of its evolution),' Wang added. In this scenario—which has also been previously documented—the interaction between a rapidly spinning, magnetized white dwarf and its companion causes the system to emit pulses that span the electromagnetic spectrum—from X-rays to radio waves. But according to Wang and his colleagues, neither of these possibilities can fully explain what they observed from J1832-0911. Thus, this discovery could indicate that some new physics is taking place, or that astronomers need to tweak existing models of stellar evolution. Now, the search for more of these bizarre objects is on. 'Finding one such object hints at the existence of many more,' co-author Nanda Rea, an astrophysicist at the Institute of Space Science (ICE-CSIC) and the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) in Spain, said in the statement. The discovery of J1832-0911's transient X-ray emissions 'opens up fresh insights' into the mysterious nature of LPTs, she said.
