What secrets are hidden behind the mysterious signal coming from the direction of the constellation Scutum!

Whether there are aliens in the universe is an ancient and eternal question.

Different people will have different views, some people firmly believe in the existence of aliens, while others think that it is nonsense. Although there are some reports of UFO sightings, these reports lack convincing evidence and so far no one has been able to confirm the authenticity of aliens.

Not long ago, while astronomers were reviewing historical data, they accidentally discovered a mysterious signal coming from the direction of the constellation Scutum, 15,000 light years away. The signal consisted of a series of 30-300 second radio pulses that repeated every 22 minutes.

What is even more surprising is that this fixed-period signal has been transmitted to Earth since 1988 , lasting for 35 years and still going strong. However, astronomers still do not know the origin of this mysterious signal. Because the properties of this radio wave are so strange, it cannot be explained by existing theories and models.

The mysterious signal is coming from the direction of the constellation Scutum, 15,000 light years away. (Illustration photo).

For curious netizens, these signals coming from 'alien civilizations' are the most appealing and simple explanation. But for cautious scientists, this possibility is always the last consideration. After all, there are still many unknown natural phenomena in the universe that cannot be easily attributed to aliens.

In fact, the Earth receives many strange electromagnetic signals every day, most of which can be traced to the activity of celestial objects such as pulsars. But compared to the pulsar signal, this signal has significantly different characteristics.

Pulsars, or sometimes called pulsars , are highly magnetized, rapidly rotating neutron stars whose magnetic poles emit beams of electromagnetic radiation. When these beams sweep past Earth, we can pick up a pulsating signal. However, it is important to note that neutron stars are a very special type of star, formed by stars that undergo a supernova explosion at the end of their evolution. When the core of the star runs out of available fuel and cannot sustain nuclear fusion, it becomes unbalanced and the outer layers of material collapse inwards, creating enormous pressure.

If the star is large enough, this pressure will cause the electrons and protons in the nucleus to combine into neutrons, forming a substance that is ultimately made of neutrons. This is the main component of neutron stars. Neutron stars are very dense, typically having a mass of about 1.4 to 2 times that of the Sun but a radius of only 10 to 20 km. Not only is it dense, it is also rotating rapidly.

Typically, the mass of a neutron star is about 1.4 to 2 times the mass of the Sun. (Illustration).

This is because it retains the same angular momentum as the original star but its radius is greatly reduced, according to the law of conservation of angular momentum, the rotation speed will increase. The rotation speed of neutron stars has a wide range, from a few milliseconds to tens of seconds. The fastest neutron star, the pulsar, can rotate hundreds of times per second, in addition to its fast rotation speed, it also has a very strong magnetic field.

The magnetic field of a neutron star is generated by the free electrons inside it. Although the majority of the matter of a neutron star is neutrons, there are still a small number of protons and electrons on the surface and inside. Under the rapid rotation of the neutron star, these electrons will form strong electric currents, which in turn generate magnetic fields. The magnetic field strength of a neutron star is usually between 10~8 and 10~11 Tesla, which is several orders of magnitude higher than the magnetic field strength of the Earth.

The magnetic fields of some neutron stars are incredibly strong, reaching 10 to 15 Tesla, such neutron stars are called magnetars . The high rotation speed and strong magnetic fields of neutron stars allow them to emit electromagnetic radiation of different frequencies, mainly emitted from their magnetic poles, like a beam of light. When this beam of light sweeps in the direction of Earth, we can receive a pulsing signal, which is the origin of pulsars.

In general, young pulsars spin rapidly and have short pulsar periods, while older pulsars spin slowly and have long pulsar periods. This is because the pulsars slow down over time, a process known as rotational braking. The reason for rotational braking is that as a pulsar spins, it continues to radiate energy outward, thereby losing angular momentum. This energy is mostly lost in the form of electromagnetic radiation, but some is also lost in the form of matter, such as electrons and positrons escaping from its surface, or plasma ejected from its magnetic poles. This matter forms a phenomenon known as a pulsar wind, which interacts with the surrounding interstellar medium to form a structure known as a pulsar nebula . If this mysterious signal is a pulsar, its behavior does not seem to fit the definition of existing scientific theories.

The magnetic fields of some neutron stars are incredibly strong. (Illustration).

If the gravitational waves were strong enough to be detected on Earth, they would have to be rotating very rapidly. However , 'the target looked very much like a pulsar but was rotating 1,000 times slower.' Second, the period of the signal was too long, reaching 22 minutes, far beyond the range of known pulsar periods. Even the slowest pulsars have periods of only ten seconds. Finally, the signal was too long-lived, being 35 years old and showing no obvious signs of slowing down or decay. This is inconsistent with the laws of rotational braking and energy loss of pulsars.

Therefore, there are other mechanisms that have not been discovered or the observed object may not be a neutron star but a white dwarf . White dwarfs are common stellar remnants that are usually formed after the death of low mass stars. Unlike neutron stars, white dwarfs are in the electron degenerate state rather than the neutron degenerate state, so they are much larger in size than neutron stars.

The observed object may not be a neutron star but a white dwarf. (Illustration).

According to the law of conservation of angular momentum , this causes white dwarfs to rotate much more slowly than neutron stars. In some theoretical models, there may be a mechanism similar to a planetary dynamo inside a white dwarf that generates an extremely strong magnetic field. For such highly magnetic white dwarfs, they are also capable of generating pulse-like bursts of radio waves. With the magnetic field, the radio burst, and the slow rotation, this white dwarf model seems to explain the mysterious 35-year-old signal.

However, this explanation is still a bit far-fetched, although this model has some theoretical basis, the existence of such a white dwarf star has not been confirmed and its radio emission would be much weaker than this signal. So far, this mysterious regular signal remains an unsolved mystery and requires more observations and research to discover its truth. Maybe it is a completely new celestial body, maybe it is an unknown natural phenomenon, or maybe it is something we cannot imagine.