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Reseachers detect radio signal from planet beyond Solar System
New York Post • • science
Key Points:
- Astrophysicists from Harvard and the University of Oregon have detected, for the first time, a radio signal originating from an exoplanet, Beta Pictoris b, located about 64 light-years from Earth.
- The radio bursts are believed to be caused by massive auroras on Beta Pictoris b, generated when high-energy particles interact with the planet's atmosphere near its magnetic poles.
- Using the MeerKAT radio telescope array in South Africa, the team confirmed the signal's planetary origin and measured the planet's magnetic field strength at 1,250 gauss, which is nearly 291 times stronger than Jupiter's.
- This marks the first measurement of an exoplanet's magnetic field, which is crucial for protecting its atmosphere and potentially supporting life.
- Researchers plan to apply this detection method to study other giant exoplanets in the future.
