Who issues it and what does it mean?

Scientists from the University of Sydney, University of Manchester and University of Oxford They detected an unusual signal from what could be a neutron star with very different characteristics than usual.

According to experts, it would rotate at a much slower rate than any of the more than 3,000 stars of this type that emit electromagnetic radiation.

“Neutron stars are stellar remnants that have reached the end of their evolutionary journey through space and time,” explained a ‘National Geographic’ article about these objects.

In simple terms, they are the remains that remain after the explosion or collapse of a star. Usually, they could spin up to 43,000 times per minute or It takes only a fraction of a second to rotate completely on its axis.

However, This new star would emit radio signals at a slow interval of 54 minutes. The results of the findings were published in the scientific journal ‘Nature Astronomy’ on June 5.

The signals would have traveled approximately 16,000 light years.

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What did the scientists find?

“In the study of neutron stars that emit radio signals we are used to extremes, but this discovery of a compact star that rotates so slowly and still emits radio waves was unexpected. It is demonstrating that expanding the limits of our space of search with this new generation of radio telescopes will reveal surprises that will challenge our understanding.”said Ben Strapper, an astrophysicist at the University of Manchester, for the institution’s media.

According to the research results, These signals traveled approximately 16,000 light years. towards Earth. The characteristics indicated that it was most likely a neutron star, but They do not rule out the possibility that it is an isolated white dwarf with a strong magnetic field.

“This discovery was based on the combination of the complementary capabilities of the ASKAP and MeerKAT telescopes, as well as the ability to search for these objects on time scales of minutes while studying how their emission changes from one second to the next. These synergies allow us shed new light on how these compact objects evolve,” said Dr. Kaustubh Rajwade of the University of Oxford.

For now, scientists they will continue investigating on this object to discover the mysteries behind the long, slow emissions it has emitted.