Astronomers have discovered a mysterious space object, ASKAP J1832-0911, sending strong signals every 44 minutes from 16,000 light-years away.

“This object is unlike anything we have seen before,” said Andy Wang of Curtin University. Found accidentally, it emits radio and X-ray pulses with a two-minute delay, unlike typical pulsars that pulse much faster.

ASKAP belongs to a rare group called long period radio transients. Scientists suggest it could be a magnetar or a binary system involving a white dwarf, but, Wang admitted, “even those theories do not fully explain what we are observing.”

Even stranger, its signals changed dramatically in just six months. By August, its radio waves were 1,000 times weaker, and no X-rays were detected—baffling researchers. “So far nothing exactly matches up,” said Nanda Rea from the Institute of Space Sciences in Spain.

ASKAP also appears to align with a supernova remnant, but scientists believe this is likely a coincidence.

Though puzzling, the find is thrilling. “Finding a mystery like this isn’t frustrating,” said Tong Bao of Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics. “It’s what makes science exciting.”