It could be a new celestial object but astronomers are still unsure.
We get signal
A team of astronomers discovered a strange radio signal from the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. They have no idea what it could be.
Scientists who first discovered the signal had some theories, but eventually ruled them out. The radio waves were unlike anything they'd seen before, according research published in The Astrophysical Journal Tuesday. CNN reports that the signal, which they called ASKAP J173608.2-321635 was mysteriously lost, returned, strengthened and then faded at random. This has left researchers puzzled as they try to find an explanation.
Tara Murphy, a researcher at the Sydney Institute for Astronomy, stated in a press release that this object was unusual in that it began out invisible, then became brighter, faded away, and then returned. This was a remarkable behavior.
Hide and Seek
Researchers from the University of Sydney initially detected the radio waves with the Australian Square Kilometer Pathfinder (ASKAP), a radio telescope. At this point, they resembled signals that were being released by pulsars. After a few weeks, the signal stopped and didn't restart for several weeks.
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Murphy said that although the signal was returned, Murphy noted that Murphy observed a dramatically different behavior. The source vanished in one day, despite it having been present for several weeks in previous ASKAP observations.
Mysteries that remain unsolved
CNN reports that scientists are still unsure of what they were looking at. However, upcoming observatories could help them to find out.
Ziteng Wang, a University of Sydney PhD candidate, said that the strangest characteristic of this signal was its high polarization. This means that the light oscillates only in one direction but rotates with time.
These strange phenomena led scientists to believe that they had detected a mysterious celestial object at the center our galaxy. They won't know until they have a better understanding of this mysterious signal.
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READ MORE: Scientists are stumped by strange radio waves from the center of the Milky Way [CNN]
Continue reading: Scientists Confused by Mysterious Radio-Wave Source in Our Galaxy
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