Scientists pinpoint source of eerie cosmic clockwork

Astronomers have finally identified the origin of mysterious, rhythmic radio pulses coming from a distant pair of stars. The system, known as GPM J071507−114153, consists of a Sun-like star orbiting a dense, spinning white dwarf—the corpse of a dead star. The white dwarf completes a rotation once every eight minutes, and for the first time, researchers have clearly linked the periodic radio signals to its motion.

This discovery cracks a cosmic puzzle, helping scientists understand a broader class of objects called long-period transients. By processing over 100 hours of radio data, the team not only traced the pulses to the white dwarf but also used them to detect stellar flares on the companion Sun-like star. The finding opens a new window into the dynamic and often invisible magnetic interactions between stars, proving that even stellar ghosts can keep perfect time.