Astronomers have discovered a mysterious object in the Milky Way that emits X-rays and radio waves in a repeating 44-minute cycle during periods of intense activity.

Located 15,000 light-years away in a star-rich region, the object—dubbed ASKAP J1832−091—could be a highly magnetized neutron or white dwarf star, or possibly something entirely new.

Spotted by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory while observing a supernova remnant, this marks the first detection of X-rays from a rare long-period radio transient, KSL.com has reported.

Its hyperactive phase lasted about a month, raising the possibility of more such objects yet to be discovered.

Written by B.C. Begley