{"id":3826,"date":"2026-06-06T04:02:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T04:02:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/en\/?page_id=3826"},"modified":"2026-06-06T04:02:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T04:02:11","slug":"uma-estrela-vampira-no-espaco-o-segredo-dos-sinais-de-radio-repetidos","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/en\/?page_id=3826","title":{"rendered":"A vampire star in space: the secret of repeating radio signals"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An illustration of a white dwarf star pulling matter off of its companion. Such a process could explain mysterious bursts of radio energy that have been puzzling astronomers. (Image credit: Carl Knox (OzGrav\/Swinburne) and Dr. Joshua Preston Pritchard (CSIRO))<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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Credibility<\/a>: 9<\/font>8<\/font>9<\/font>
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\r\n\tAstronomers have finally deciphered one of the universe’s most intriguing mysteries: strangely repeating radio signals from deep space<\/strong><\/p>

These signals, called long-period transients, were traced to a binary star system where one star acts like a “vampire,” slowly sucking matter from its companion.<\/p>

\r\nThis discovery, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, may be the key to understanding an entire class of cosmic emissions that have intrigued scientists for years.\r\n<\/p>

\r\nIt all began with observations from the ASKAP telescope in Australia, which detected strong radio pulses coming from a specific direction in the sky.<\/p>

\r\nUnlike the famous “fast radio bursts,” which last only milliseconds, these signals repeat every few hours or minutes, with each burst lasting a few seconds.<\/p>

\r\nFor a long time, no one could explain their origin.<\/p>

\r\nSome thought of slowly rotating pulsars or other exotic phenomena, but the theories didn’t quite fit.<\/p>

\r\nNow, researchers have identified the source as the ASKAP J1745-5051 system.<\/p>

\r\nIn it, a white dwarf-what remains of a star similar to the Sun after it has exhausted its fuel, the size of Earth but with the mass of the Sun-orbits a smaller red dwarf star.<\/p>

\r\nThe two are so close that they complete a full orbit in just about 1.3 hours.<\/p>

\r\nThe white dwarf, with its strong gravity, pulls material from its companion, creating an “accretion” process.<\/p>

\r\nThis material spirals towards the white dwarf, heats up intensely, and generates X-ray emissions.<\/p>

\r\nAt the same time, the interactions between the stars’ magnetic fields and the electrically charged material produce regular radio pulses.<\/p>

\r\nIt’s as if the smaller star is being slowly devoured by the larger, denser one.<\/p>

\r\nAstronomers compare this to a cosmic vampire.<\/p>

\r\nThe radio signals are not constant: they vary in intensity, change frequency, and even stop for a few hours.<\/p>

\r\nX-rays also follow a similar pattern, linked to the orbital motion of the stars.<\/p>

\r\nThis shows that both radio and X-ray emission are directly connected to the dance between the two stars.\r\n<\/p>

\r\nThis observation is important because it strengthens the idea that at least some of these long-period transients come from binary white dwarf systems, especially the so-called cataclysmic magnetic variables.<\/p>

\r\nPreviously, some of these signals were associated with isolated white dwarfs, but now there is clear evidence that the interaction between stars, with matter transfer, is fundamental to generating these bursts of energy.\r\n<\/p>

\r\nScientists used an impressive combination of instruments to reach this conclusion: in addition to ASKAP, they relied on the ATCA and MeerKAT telescopes (for radio), optical telescopes in Chile such as SOAR and Magellan, and space observatories such as Swift and Einstein Probe to capture the X-rays.<\/p>

\r\nOptical spectroscopy confirmed the emission lines typical of a system that is actively transferring matter.\r\n<\/p>

\r\nThis discovery not only solves a nearly 20-year-old enigma but also opens doors to better understanding how stars die, interact, and generate different types of radiation in the universe.<\/p>

\r\nThere may be many other similar systems out there, helping astronomers to better map the population of compact objects and magnetic binaries in the Milky Way.\r\n<\/p>

\r\nIn short, what seemed like a random and mysterious signal from the cosmos has revealed itself to be the result of a fascinating stellar drama: a vampire star slowly devouring its partner, releasing energy in the form of radio waves and X-rays that reach us after traveling thousands of light-years.<\/p>

\r\nIt is further proof of how dynamic, violent, and full of surprises the universe is, which we are only now beginning to understand.<\/p>

\r\nThis celestial “Rosetta Stone” will help decipher many other similar signals in the future.

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Published in 06\/06\/2026 04h02<\/em><\/p>\r\n

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Portuguese version<\/a><\/em><\/p>\r\n

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Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.<\/p>\r\n\t\t

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