New “Hypersoft” X-ray Objects Discovered by NASA Telescope
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New "Hypersoft" X-ray Objects Discovered by NASA Telescope
- Scientists using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have identified 84 "hypersoft X-ray sources" across six nearby galaxies, a new class of celestial objects.
- The research, led by Mustafa Muhibullah of the University of Alabama, was published in Nature Astronomy on September 9, 2026.
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Astronomers have identified a new class of cosmic objects, dubbed “hypersoft X-ray sources,” that emit unusually low-energy X-rays and intense ultraviolet radiation. This discovery, made using archival data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, includes 84 such objects found in six nearby galaxies, including the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and the Pinwheel Galaxy (M101).
These hypersoft sources are particularly challenging to detect because their X-ray emissions are at the lowest energies observable by Chandra, and their significant ultraviolet radiation is largely absorbed by hydrogen and helium gas in space. Despite their elusive nature, these objects are remarkably luminous, with some radiating hundreds of thousands to millions of times more energy than the Sun.
The research, led by Mustafa Muhibullah, a graduate student at the University of Alabama, suggests that these sources are likely compact binary systems, where a black hole, neutron star, or white dwarf pulls material from a companion star. As this material is heated, it produces the observed X-rays and ultraviolet light.
The discovery, published in Nature Astronomy on September 9, 2026, could help resolve two long-standing mysteries in astrophysics. Firstly, these hypersoft X-ray sources may provide clues about the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae, which are crucial for measuring the universe’s expansion. Secondly, their intense ultraviolet radiation could explain the unexplained ionization of gas between stars in some galaxies, a process that influences star formation and galactic evolution.