Baffling Astronomers: Every Two Hours, a Dead Star Sends Mysterious Signals

A decade-long puzzle in the cosmos has finally been solved. Astronomers have traced strange, repeating radio pulses to a unique binary star system. These signals, detected every two hours, come from a white dwarf and a red dwarf orbiting closely together. Their magnetic interactions create energetic bursts, resembling those linked to neutron stars in the past.

Initially spotted in 2015, these regular radio signals originated from a region near the Big Dipper, catching scientists’ attention. An international team, including researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Sydney, used multiple telescopes to identify the source. They found not one, but two stars—1,600 light-years away—locked in a tight embrace. The white dwarf is the remnant of a deceased star, while the red dwarf is a cooler and dimmer companion. These two churn around each other so closely that their magnetic fields collide, emitting radio signals every 125.5 minutes.

“In the past, we’ve only connected these periodic signals to neutron stars,” said Charles Kilpatrick, an astrophysicist at Northwestern University. “Now we see that even less massive stars like white dwarfs can create similar radio emissions under certain conditions.”

The journey to uncovering this cosmic mystery began by revisiting archival data from the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), one of the largest radio telescope networks. Researchers combed through older observations, uncovering signals that had been recorded since 2015. While these signals resembled fast radio bursts, they persisted for longer periods—ranging from seconds to even minutes.

To further verify their findings, scientists conducted follow-up observations using telescopes in Arizona and Texas. Instead of discovering a single celestial entity, they detected a pair of stars dancing around a shared center of gravity. This rapid motion confirmed that the red dwarf was being tugged by its invisible, yet substantial, companion.

What’s fascinating is the magnetic interplay between the two stars. As they orbit, their magnetic fields twist and reconnect, sending out bursts of radio waves. The white dwarf, being faint, is tricky to spot directly. Yet, by observing the red dwarf’s movement over time, scientists deduced the mass of its hidden partner, confirming it aligns with the expected mass of a white dwarf. This revelation points toward the possibility that similar systems might be behind other unexplained radio phenomena across the universe.

This discovery opens new pathways in astronomy. Astronomers plan to conduct ultraviolet observations of this intriguing system, known as ILTJ1101, aiming to reveal the white dwarf’s temperature and explore its history. As they study more similar systems, researchers hope to unlock the secrets of white dwarf binaries and understand their role in the universe’s long-standing mysteries.

The excitement in the scientific community is palpable. A recent survey found that over 70% of astronomers are eager to explore the implications of this finding. As we delve deeper into the cosmos, who knows what other cosmic enigmas await our discovery?



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