Researchers have found a unique light source in a galaxy nearly 90 million light years away. The international team has been analyzing years of observations from various facilities, including NASA’s Swift satellite.

Astronomers remain unsure over the new discovery, noting that it could be one of two scenarios. According to researchers, the object’s unique properties may liken it to a supermassive black hole that has been kicked out of its home galaxy following a merge with another giant black hole.

Another possibility scientists are exploring is that the source is the remains of a massive star destroying itself in a supernova explosion after erupting for an extended period of time. The source is known as SDSS1133.

The study, published in the November 21 edition of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, indicates that the source’s visible light has become increasingly bright over the past six months. Assuming the changes are maintained, the scenario would enhance the black hole interpretation.

Michael Koss, lead researcher and an astronomer at ETH Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, said in a statement, “With the data we have in hand, we can’t yet distinguish between these two scenarios.” He continued, “One exciting discovery made with NASA’s Swift is that the brightness of SDSS1133 has changed little in optical or ultraviolet light for a decade, which is not something typically seen in a young supernova remnant.”

According to the SWIFT Misson home page, Swift is a MIDEX Gamma Ray Burst mission led by NASA with participation of Italy and the UK. The Swift data are available to the scientific community through data centers in the USA, Italy and the UK.