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Scientists Thrilled: Radio Message from Another World Caught 64 Light-Years Away
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News18•23-09-2026, 21:36
Scientists Thrilled: Radio Message from Another World Caught 64 Light-Years Away
- •Radio waves are emanating from 'Beta Pictoris b', a giant gaseous planet approximately 64 light-years from Earth.
- •This signal is not from an alien civilization but a result of the planet's powerful magnetic field and atmospheric aurora.
- •The historic discovery was made using South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope.
- •Scientists used quasars to pinpoint the signal's origin, confirming it came directly from the planet, not a star.
- •Beta Pictoris b is 10 times heavier than Jupiter and possesses a magnetic field thousands of times stronger than Earth's.
Key Questions Answered
The radio signal is not from an alien civilization, but rather the result of an extremely powerful magnetic field and auroras forming in the planet's atmosphere when high-energy space particles collide with its magnetic environment.
Researchers used distant quasars as fixed markers to create a map, and when the data from South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope was overlaid, the signal directly matched the position of Beta Pictoris b rather than the star.
Beta Pictoris b is a giant gaseous exoplanet located about 64 light-years away that is roughly 10 times heavier than Jupiter, rotates fast enough to complete a day in 8 to 9 hours, and possesses a massive magnetic field exceeding 1250 Gauss.
