
Mysterious Neutron Star Emits Unprecedented Signals, Baffling Astronomers
Astronomers are grappling with a perplexing signal emanating from a distant neutron star, ASKAP J193505.1+214841.0 (ASKAP J1935+2148), located about 15,820 light-years from Earth in the Milky Way's plane. The enigmatic star emits a series of pulses ranging from strong to weak, interspersed with periods of silence that challenge existing models of neutron star behavior.
An Unprecedented Signal
The peculiar signals from ASKAP J1935+2148 were first detected serendipitously during observations for another project. Follow-up studies using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) and the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa revealed a regular 53.8-minute pulsation period. However, the nature of these pulses deviates significantly from known neutron star patterns.
Neut...