Radio signal detected for first time from a planet outside our solar system
4 hours ago
- Astronomers have directly detected the first-ever radio emission from an exoplanet, Beta Pictoris b, located 63 light-years away.
- The signal is produced by the planet's extremely strong magnetic field, at least 200 times stronger than Jupiter's, not by intelligent life.
- The radio emission is linked to auroral activity similar to Earth's northern lights, caused by charged particles interacting with the magnetic field.
- The detection was made using the MeerKAT radio telescope array in South Africa, surprising researchers who expected lower frequency signals.
- The findings have not yet undergone peer review but have been submitted for publication; if confirmed, they will provide new insights into exoplanet magnetic fields.
- The discovery could help scientists understand how exoplanets interact with their space environment and test theories developed in our solar system.