Scientists Capture , Radio Signals , From Long-Dormant Star.br 'The Independent' reports that scientists have br been puzzled after receiving unprecedented br radio signals from a previously dormant star.br The star, named XTE J1810-197, is a magnetar. .br Magnetars are a type of neutron star and are br the most powerful magnets in the universe.br XTE J1810-197 is the nearest known magnetar br to Earth, about 8,000 light years away.br Now, scientists have received radio br pulses from the dormant star that br do not fit previous expectations.br Unlike the radio signals we’ve br seen from other magnetars, br this one is emitting enormous br amounts of rapidly changing br circular polarisation. We had never br seen anything like this before, Marcus Lower, Postdoctoral fellow br at Australia’s national science agency, br CSIRO, via 'The Independent'.br Scientists discovered that the new pulses are emitting br a type of spiraling light that is different from thebr polarized light emitted by most other magnetars.br In 2003, XTE J1810-197 became br the first known magnetar to br produce a radio signal.br After being discovered, the magnetar br then went silent for over a decade. .br The team that discovered it said that br the findings could change our br understanding of intense magnetic fields.br The signals emitted from br this magnetar imply that br interactions at the surface br of the star are more complex than br previous theoretical explanations, Manisha Caleb, University of Sydney, br a co-author on the study, via 'The Independent'.br The team's findings were published br in the journal 'Nature Astronomy.