Strange new object discovered in the Milky Way

Redstone Arsenal, Ala (CIVIC MEDIA) – Astronomers have discovered a strange new object in our Milky Way galaxy. The celestial object is emitting X-rays while shooting radio waves at the same time.

Located 15,000 light years away, scientists say this object could be a star, a pair of stars, or something else entirely. Findings were published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory spotted the X-ray emissions by chance last year while focusing on a supernova remnant, or the remains of an exploded star. The hyperactive phase of this object appeared to last about a month.

Launched in 1999, Chandra orbits tens of thousands of miles above Earth, observing some of the hottest, high-energy objects in the universe.

This is the first time X-rays had been seen coming from a so-called long-period radio transient: a rare object that cycles through radio signals over tens of minutes.

Short history of the Chandra Project

In 1976, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, called AXAF at the time, was proposed to NASA by Riccardo Giacconi and Harvey Tananbaum. Preliminary work began in 1977 at Marshall Space Flight Center and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, where the telescope is now operated by NASA.

Chandra may not have a lot of time left

By 2029, funding would fall to just $5 million, after which the mission would shutter for good. Patrick Slane, director of the Chandra X-ray Center, notes that the levels of funding being proposed are not enough for the telescope to continue making observations.

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