One of the dishes of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP)
June 10, 2024
Categories: Science

A radio telescope (ASCAP) in Australia has received strange radio signals emitted by the neutron star ASKAP J1935+2148.

This star is located in the plane of the Milky Way, about 15,820 light years away from Earth. The thing is, the signals themselves are unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.

The star goes through periods of strong pulses, periods of weak pulses, and periods of no pulses at all. Why this happens – we don’t know yet, and it gives us an exciting challenge to our models of neutron star evolution, which, let’s be honest, are currently quite far from complete.

In recent years, several strange objects emitting repetitive signals have been detected in the southern sky. While they don’t all behave in the same way, they may be related. The differences between the pulsation modes of ASKAP J1935+2148 are probably related to changes and processes in the magnetosphere. We suggest that this and similar objects belong to a new class of magnetars, possibly as they evolve into pulsars.

ASKAP J1935+2148 is likely part of an ancient population of magnetars with long rotation periods and low X-ray luminosity but magnetised enough to produce coherent radio emission. We will be monitoring this star in the future and will report back as news becomes available.

More from this category:
October 21, 2013

Russia suggested Brazil cooperation in space development, particularly in the field of joint satellite design and development of space program for Brazil partners, Russian Defense…

full story
June 11, 2014

Preliminary tests of 14D24 liquid control thrusters designed for the first stage of Soyuz-2.1v modernized booster were successfully completed, –  JSC  Chemical Automatics Design Bureau…

full story
October 4, 2021

Active preparations continue at the Baikonur Cosmodrome for the Soyuz MS-19 crewed spacecraft launch under the International Space Station program. This morning, on October 1,…

full story
February 13, 2017

Energia Rocket and Space Corporation specialists filled Progress mS-05 cargo vehicle with propellant components and pressurized gas at Baikonur launchsite. According to Roscosmos upon completion…

full story
September 7, 2015

Roscosmos plans to develop touristic programs to Russian spaceports including Baikonur and Vostochny. According to Roscosmos representative there is a special program to be elaborated…

full story
November 12, 2013

At 23.46 UTC on November 11 (03.46 Moscow time, November 12) Proton-M booster with Briz-M upper stage and Raduga-M military satellite was launched by Aerospace…

full story
October 18, 2021

Russian actress Julia Peresild and movie director Klim Shipenko returned from the ISS accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky yesterday, on October 17. At 04.14,…

full story
June 23, 2020

Russia has begun to develop the first moon landing mission scheme Russia has begun to develop a scheme for the first mission of landing cosmonauts…

full story