For years, scientists have been puzzled by mysterious radio signals reaching Earth. Every two hours, a pulse arrives from deep space.
The origin of these signals was unknown, sparking excitement and speculation. Now, new research sheds light on the mystery, revealing an unexpected source.
The Mystery of Space Signals Solved
A team of astronomers from the University of Sydney has identified the source of these signals.
The pulses come from a binary star system called ILT J110160.52+552119.62, according to WP.
This system contains a white dwarf and a red dwarf orbiting each other at an incredibly close distance.
Their magnetic fields constantly interact, creating bursts of energy detected by telescopes on Earth.
The study, published in Nature Astronomy, explains how scientists made the discovery.
Using the Multiple Mirror Telescope in Arizona and the McDonald Observatory in Texas, they pinpointed the exact location of the pulses.
The signals come from two small but powerful celestial bodies. One is a white dwarf, a dense remnant of a dead star. The other is a red dwarf, a smaller, cooler star that still burns.
What Makes These Signals Unique?
Neutron stars, particularly magnetars, are known to send out radio pulses. Some scientists initially thought this could be another case of a rotating neutron star flashing light toward Earth at regular intervals.
However, this new discovery proves that some long-period radio signals actually come from binary star systems.
Charles Kilpatrick, an astrophysicist from Northwestern University, hopes this will lead to more discoveries.
He believes astronomers could now search for other signals from binary systems, possibly involving neutron stars or magnetars.
A Decade-Long Search
The signals were first detected in 2015 by Australian scientist Iris de Ruiter. Her team used the LOFAR radio telescope network to track them.
LOFAR continuously gathers data on deep-space signals, allowing astronomers to analyze patterns over time.
These particular pulses stand out. They resemble fast radio bursts, which are usually linked to magnetars. However, there are key differences.
The signals from this binary system repeat every 125.5 minutes. They also last much longer—around a minute—while magnetar bursts typically last just fractions of a second.
An Extraordinary Cosmic Dance
The two stars in this system are locked in an incredibly tight orbit. They complete one full revolution around each other in just two hours.
Scientists confirmed this by observing the red dwarf’s movement. It shifts back and forth in a way that suggests it is bound to an unseen partner—the white dwarf.
This discovery is an exciting step forward in understanding the strange and powerful forces at play in space. It also raises new questions.
Could there be more binary systems emitting similar signals? What other cosmic secrets are waiting to be uncovered? Scientists will keep searching for answers, one signal at a time.
