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Exoplanet Beta Pictoris b 'Speaks' with First-Ever Direct Radio Signals
M
Moneycontrol•22-09-2026, 10:50
Exoplanet Beta Pictoris b 'Speaks' with First-Ever Direct Radio Signals
- •Astronomers detected direct radio waves from exoplanet Beta Pictoris b, located 63 light-years away, marking a first.
- •The radio bursts are not alien messages but are linked to auroras and an extremely powerful magnetic field on the planet.
- •Researchers used the MeerKAT radio telescope array to pinpoint the source of the rapid, repeating radio bursts to Beta Pictoris b itself, unlike previous ambiguous detections.
- •The signals are believed to be generated by an auroral process, similar to Earth and Jupiter, and indicate a magnetic field thousands of times stronger than Earth's.
- •This discovery offers a new method to study magnetic fields on distant exoplanets, especially large, fast-spinning worlds like Beta Pictoris b.
Key Questions Answered
The radio signals are produced by an auroral process involving charged particles moving through the exoplanet's powerful magnetic environment, rather than being extraterrestrial technology.
Researchers estimate that Beta Pictoris b possesses a magnetic field of at least 1.25 kilogauss, which is thousands of times stronger than Earth's magnetic field.
Researchers used the MeerKAT radio telescope array located in South Africa to observe the Beta Pictoris system and detect the radio bursts.
