An exoplanet just 12 light-years beyond our solar system is sending out radio signals that may be evidence of an Earth-like magnetic field and atmosphere.
Using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array of telescopes in New Mexico, the researchers detected strong radio waves believed to be created by the star YZ Ceti interacting with the planet YZ Ceti b’s magnetic field.“This is telling us new information about the environment around stars,” said Sebastian Pineda, co-lead author on the new paper, calling the detection “extrasolar space weather.” “We’re actually seeing the aurora on the star—that’s what this radio emission is ...
Detecting the presence of a magnetic field around a distant exoplanet is not easy. This is the first time a magnetic field has been found around a Earth-sized exoplanet, with previous detections at only Jupiter-size worlds. For radio waves to be detected from 12 light-years away requires them to be very strong, which means the exoplanet has to be orbiting very close to its star. YZ Ceti b take just two days to orbit its star. “We’re looking for planets that are really close to their stars and are a similar size to Earth,” said Pineda.
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