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Astronomers discover strange new celestial object in our Milky Way galaxy

This image provided by NASA shows X-rays from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory (represented in blue) that have been combined with infrared data from NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope (cyan, light blue, teal and orange), and radio from MeerKat (red). An inset shows a more detailed view of the immediate area around this unusual object in X-ray and radio light. (NASA/Chandra/Spitzer/MeerKat via AP)
This image provided by NASA shows X-rays from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory (represented in blue) that have been combined with infrared data from NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope (cyan, light blue, teal and orange), and radio from MeerKat (red). An inset shows a more detailed view of the immediate area around this unusual object in X-ray and radio light. (NASA/Chandra/Spitzer/MeerKat via AP)

By Marcia Dunn 2 min read

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronomers have discovered a strange new object in our Milky Way galaxy.

An international team reported Wednesday that this celestial object — perhaps a star, pair of stars or something else entirely — is emitting X-rays around the same time it’s shooting out radio waves. What’s more, the cycle repeats every 44 minutes, at least during periods of extreme activity.

Located 15,000 light-years away in a region of the Milky Way brimming with stars, gas and dust, this object could be a highly magnetized dead star like a neutron or white dwarf, Curtin University’s Ziteng Andy Wang said in an email from Australia.

Or it could be “something exotic” and unknown, said Wang, lead author of the study published in the journal Nature.

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory spotted the X-ray emissions by chance last year while focusing on a supernova remnant, or the remains of an exploded star. Wang said it was the first time X-rays had been seen coming from a so-called long-period radio transient, a rare object that cycles through radio signals over tens of minutes.