Astronomers have discovered the most distant and powerful 'odd radio circle' (ORC) ever detected. These enormous, mysterious rings of radio emissions are nearly twice as old as our Milky Way. These bizarre rings are a relatively new cosmic phenomenon, first identified only six years ago. Fewer than a dozen confirmed examples exist, most measuring between 10 and 20 times the size of our galaxy. ORCs are vast, faint, ring-shaped structures visible only in radio wavelengths. They are thought to consist of magnetised plasma moving at relativistic speeds, and typically encircle distant galaxies. Previous studies have suggested they might be caused by shockwaves produced when supermassive black holes or entire galaxies collide. A new study, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, proposes a different explanation - that the mysterious rings could be linked to superwind outflows from spiral radio galaxies. The discovery was led by researchers at the University of Mumbai, working through the RAD@home Astronomy Collaboratory, a citizen science initiative, and using the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) - the world's largest and most sensitive low-frequency radio telescope. The source, named RAD J131346.9+500320, lies at a redshift of around 0.94 - a time when the Universe was roughly half its current age. This makes it both the most distant and most powerful ORC known so far. Remarkably, it features two intersecting rings, only the second known example of this kind, leaving scientists with more questions than answers. Dr Ananda Hota, founder of the RAD@home Astronomy Collaboratory, said: "This work shows how professional astronomers and citizen scientists together can push the boundaries of scientific discovery. "ORCs are among the most bizarre and beautiful cosmic structures we've ever seen - and they may hold vital clues about how galaxies and black holes co-evolve, hand-in-hand."