--- title: "Scientists Puzzled by Mysterious Radio Wave Source Inside Our Galaxy" description: "Using the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder, astronomers have discovered a mysterious radio signal coming from close to the center of the galaxy." date: "2021-09-07" modified: "2021-09-07" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientists-puzzled-mysterious-radio-wave-source-galaxy" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "radio signals" - "radio telescope" - "square kilometer array" - "the digest" --- # Scientists Puzzled by Mysterious Radio Wave Source Inside Our Galaxy ![Using the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder, astronomers have discovered a mysterious radio signal coming from close to the center of the galaxy.]() *\Image: Wang, et al.\* ## Radio Orchestra Using the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), an extremely sensitive radio radio telescope, a team of astronomers have discovered a mysterious radio signal emanating not far from the center of our own Milky Way galaxy, [*ScienceAlert* reports](). "We have presented the discovery and characterization of ASKAP J173608.2-321635: a highly-polarized, variable radio source located near the Galactic Center and with no clear multi-wavelength counterpart," reads [a preprint paper]() about the research, which was accepted for publication in *The Astrophysical Journal*. There's a chance that the signal could be coming from a known type of cosmic object, as *ScienceAlert* points out, but the signal's highly unusual radio wave signatures are puzzling the scientists, making it near impossible to account for — yet another indication that our knowledge of our own galaxy remains tantalizingly incomplete. ## Elusive Signals The signal was also exceedingly hard to spot. It showed up 13 times in ASKAP observations between April 2019 and August 2020, but subsequent attempts to confirm the its existence using telescopes across the world came up short. But then, it started showing up again in Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and South African MeerKAT radio telescope observations earlier this year, according to the researchers. Even more perplexing, the elusive signal also did not show up in X-ray or near-infrared observations, suggesting that its source is unlikely to be a flaring star or a close binary system. It's also unlikely to be a pulsar, a dying star that lights up the galaxy like a lighthouse with highly magnetized emissions, scientists say. In other words, the researchers are scratching their heads. None of their explanations can fully explain it, leading to them to suggest "that ASKAP J173608.2-321635 may represent part of a new class of objects being discovered through radio imaging surveys" in their paper. But there may be other signals like it, the researchers argue. With more samples, we could finally find a plausible explanation for the radio source. **READ MORE:** [Something Mysterious Near The Galactic Center Is Flashing Radio Signals]() \[*ScienceAlert*\] **More on radio signals:** *[Scientists Found Hundreds of New Mysterious Signals From Deep Space]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()