Source report. A search across six galaxies has produced a catalogue whose objects do not yet have a settled explanation.
Source: NASA / Chandra. Original source published 9 September 2026. Published on Alder Atlas: 14 September 2026.
A discovery in existing observations
Researchers using NASA’s Chandra archive have identified 84 unusual sources across six galaxies. NASA’s 9 September account describes them as hypersoft: their radiation is concentrated at relatively low X-ray energies, alongside strong ultraviolet emission. The findings appear in Nature Astronomy.
The objects behind the light
One possibility involves compact objects drawing in material from a companion star. Black holes, neutron stars and white dwarfs are among the candidates discussed. The observations do not establish a single identity for every source, and an unfamiliar radiation pattern is not proof of a new kind of star.
Why a catalogue helps
A larger sample gives astronomers more examples to compare rather than relying on an isolated curiosity. The useful development is both the collection and the question it opens: which physical processes can produce these signals? Follow-up observations will have to narrow the alternatives.
Sources & further reading
This is an independently worded, source-based report prepared with AI assistance for the Alder Atlas editorial project. It is not first-hand reporting.