- Astronomers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics have detected a radio signal from Beta Pictoris b, an exoplanet located 64 light-years away.
- The discovery marks the first time scientists have directly measured the magnetic field strength of an exoplanet, finding it to be over 1,000 times stronger than Earth's.
- Researchers captured the signal using South Africa's MeerKAT array, linking the short radio bursts to auroral activity on the gas giant.
- Scientists were able to unambiguously trace the radio emission to the planet itself rather than its host star or surrounding celestial bodies.
- Independent experts have described the findings as an exciting advancement for extrasolar planet research, pending final peer review.
IN FULL
Strange signal detected from planet outside our solar system for first time
