We are getting radio signals from star duo 5,000-light-years away
What's the story
Astronomers have traced a mysterious radio signal back to a unique cosmic pair: a white dwarf and its companion Sun-like star. The system, dubbed GPM J071507-114153, is located some 5,000 light-years away from Earth. The white dwarf in this newly discovered system spins once every eight minutes, emitting radio pulses.
Celestial anomaly
Discovery could shed light on long-period transients
The GPM J071507-114153 system is part of a group of celestial objects known as long-period transients (LPTs).
These objects are known to emit radio signals that turn on and off over minutes or hours.
The discovery of this system and its radio pulses could provide valuable insights into the nature of LPTs, which have been detected since 2021.
Stellar activity
Radio pulses reveal stellar flares and a stellar prominence
The radio pulses detected by the research team also revealed stellar flares erupting on the companion Sun-like star.
"As a bonus, we also saw the white dwarf moving behind a region with a strong magnetic field, most likely a 'stellar prominence,' " said Natasha Hurley-Walker from Curtin University in Australia.
"It's amazing that by using radio wavelengths we can detect the storms on a star over 5,000 light-years away."
Observational journey
Discovery made during survey with Murchison Widefield Array
The discovery of this unique star system was made during a large survey with the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), which scanned the entire Milky Way visible from Australia.
The MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa confirmed its exact location.
The W.M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaii, later confirmed the findings through visible light follow-up observations.