Astronomers detect first radio signal from exoplanet Beta Pictoris b
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American astrophysicists detected a radio signal from exoplanet Beta Pictoris b using the MeerKAT telescope in South Africa. The signal, linked to auroras, allowed the first direct measurement of the planet's magnetic field at 1,250 gauss. The planet lies 64 light-years from Earth.
Key Facts
- The signal was detected with the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa.
- Beta Pictoris b is a gas giant about 12 times the mass of Jupiter, located 64 light-years from Earth.
- The planet's magnetic field is at least 1,250 gauss, about 290 times stronger than Jupiter's and 2,500 times stronger than Earth's.
- The radio bursts are linked to auroras, not alien transmissions.
Signal Detection
A team of American astrophysicists detected the signal using the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. The signal consists of repeating radio bursts linked to the exoplanet Beta Pictoris b. Beta Pictoris b is a young gas giant about 12 times the mass of Jupiter, orbiting the star Beta Pictoris. The planet is located approximately 64 light-years from Earth, so the signal traveled for several decades.
Aurora Mechanism
Researchers attribute the radio bursts to auroras on the planet. Particles move along the planet's magnetic field lines and collide with gas in the atmosphere, producing radio waves. The process is similar to auroras on planets in the Solar System.
Magnetic Field Measurement
The signal enabled the first direct estimate of an exoplanet's magnetic field. The magnetic field is at least 1,250 gauss, about 290 times stronger than Jupiter's and 2,500 times stronger than Earth's.
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