Astronomers detect 'coherent' radio signal from alien planet
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The rocky exoplanet has been given the name "YZ Ceti b" by US astronomers, who suggest that it is possible to have an Earth-like magnetic field that might provide crucial information in the search for extraterrestrial life.
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An artist's conceptual rendering of interactions between an exoplanet and its star. (Alice Kitterman/National Science Foundation)
An alien planet's "coherent" radio signal has been discovered, raising the possibility that it might be more likely to be inhabited.
The signal implies that the planet has a magnetic field of its own, which is regarded to be essential for supporting life on a specific planet.
It is worth noting that Earth's magnetic field helps protect Earth from the high-energy particles and plasma that are blasted from the Sun. As such, any alien life is likely to depend on being protected by a similar field.
Yet up until now, scientists have had trouble determining if distant rocky planets have their own magnetic fields, making it challenging to estimate how probable a planet could be able to support life.
A recurring radio signal that originates from the star and appears to be influenced by the planet has now been emitted by the new candidate, YZ Ceti b, a rocky planet that orbits a star around 12 light years away.
The interaction between the star's magnetic field and the fields of its planets appears to be the source of the radio waves that the researchers picked up from the planet. The new contender is a perfect combination to test theories about whether such magnetic fields could be visible at such a distance because they are so near to one another.
Researchers likened the effect to the aurora borealis. As high-energy particles from the Sun combine with the atmosphere of our planet, they produce the aurora borealis, often known as the northern lights.
Sebastian Pineda, an Astrophysicist at the University of Colorado and one of the researchers who saw the signal, said, “We’re actually seeing the aurora on the star — that’s what this radio emission is,” adding that “there should also be aurora on the planet if it has its own atmosphere.”
“The search for potentially habitable or life-bearing worlds in other solar systems depends in part on being able to determine if rocky, Earth-like exoplanets actually have magnetic fields,” said Joe Pesce, Program Director for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
“This research shows not only that this particular rocky exoplanet likely has a magnetic field but provides a promising method to find more,” Pesce added.
Read next: NASA discovers second Earth-sized planet in 'habitable zone'
