Mankind has been enamored by the mysteries of the universe for hundreds of years, and now, a mysterious and ghostly pulse that emanates every 18 minutes has astronomers puzzled as to the source of the radio signal. The human race has looked towards the stars in wonderment, hoping for a signal from the outer edges of the universe to give us a glimpse as to what is out there. Light travels exceedingly fast in space, but radio waves are less likely to be dulled by the sheer incomprehensible distances between stars and galaxies, making it a perfect form of galactic communication.
Astronomers have detected a radio signal being emitted a mere 4,000 light-years away
Several years ago, astronomers working at a radio telescope in Western Australia detected something that not only puzzled them but also excited the team of scientists. A mere stone’s throw away from Earth, astronomers detected something emitting a bright radio signal that was unlike anything ever seen. In order to further understand the strange and mysterious signal, astronomers pointed their telescopes at another region of space.
They detected another radio signal being emitted 15,000 light-years away. Both signals were in a crowded region of the cosmos and were exceedingly difficult to pinpoint the exact location. After detecting a third signal, astronomers were able to pinpoint the source of the ghostly pulse, a tiny, red dwarf star in a binary orbit with an even tinier white dwarf star.
“The long-period transients are very exciting, and for astronomers to understand what they are, we need an optical image. However, when you look toward them, there are so many stars lying in the way that it’s like 2001: A Space Odyssey. ‘My god, it’s full of stars!” – astrophysicist Natasha Hurley-Walker of the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) in Australia
A type of star that emits these pulses is a type of neutron star called a pulsar. Pulsars naturally emit radio waves as they spin; however, the radio signals normally occur on timescales of seconds to milliseconds.
“Our new discovery lies far off the Galactic Plane, so there are only a handful of stars nearby, and we’re now certain one star system, in particular, is generating the radio waves.” – astrophysicist Natasha Hurley-Walker
A red and white dwarf star is emitting pulses every 18 minutes, puzzling astronomers
Previous data have indicated that the pulses are emanating from a star that has been labeled GLEAM-X J0704-37. The next step to further understanding the strange radio signals being emitted every 18 minutes would be to conduct further observations in both radio and ultraviolet wavelengths. Once the team has done that, there might be an indication as to where the signal is coming from.
The team of astronomers noted that GLEAM-X was emitting radio waves in a highly polarized and extremely organized manner, further puzzling the team. As technology improves and astronomers can look more closely at the origin of the radio signal, the mysteries of the universe may become as clear as the sun.
The exploration of the radio signals coming from space has only just begun
Due to current technology restricting our ability to peer into space and explore the vastness of the cosmos, the exploration of the myriad of radio signals has only scratched the surface of our collective minds. However, mankind has an unwavering ambition to understand the universe, and significant investments in new telescopes both here on Earth and in the nearby space close to us have enabled astronomers to look deeper into the galaxy than ever before. If more radio signals are found in the near future, we might be on the verge of a truly astonishing and groundbreaking discovery.