Astronomers detect strange signals coming from star 11 light years away

A star located just 11 light-years away from Earth is sending out strange radio signals that has baffled the scientists.

The mysterious signals appear to be coming from Ross 128, a little-explored red dwarf star which is not known to have any planets surrounding it.

As per the researchers, the unusual signals were picked up in almost periodic bursts. They have stated that further investigation is needed to find the source of the signals.

The radio signals were detected on 12 May 2017 using the Arecibo Observatory, a large radio telescope located in Puerto Rico. On 17 July 2017, the strange signals coming from Ross 128 were reported to have been confirmed.

About Ross 128

• Ross 128 is a small star in the equatorial zodiac constellation of Virgo.

• The apparent magnitude of Ross 128 is 11.13, which is too faint to be seen with the unaided eye.

• It is the twelfth closest star to the Solar System.

• It was first catalogued in 1926 by American astronomer Frank Elmore Ross.

• This low mass star has a stellar classification of M4 V, which places it among a category of stars known as red dwarfs.

• It has 15 per cent of the mass of the Sun and 21 per cent of the Sun's radius, but generates energy so slowly that it has only 0.036 per cent of the Sun's visible luminosity.

• It is an old disk star, which means it has a low abundance of elements other than hydrogen and helium.

• It is classified as an active flare star since it can undergo unpredictable and dramatic increases in luminosity for a period of several minutes.