Repeating Radio Signal Is Coming From Another Planet, Scientists Say

Scientists found a repeated radio signal coming from another planet, like Earth. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Scientists from the University of Colorado and Bucknell University have detected a repeating radio signal coming from a nearby star system, implying the presence of a magnetic field surrounding one of its planets the size of Earth.

This finding is significant because the presence of a magnetic field is essential for a planet’s ability to support life, much like Earth. Confirming the existence of a magnetic field around an Earth-sized planet could further the exploration of the universe in the search for habitable planets and extraterrestrial life.

The presence of a magnetic field is essential for survival

The Earth has a magnetic field that protects us from harmful radiation coming from the Sun. This is important because it helps maintain the air we breathe and supports life on our planet.

Scientists believe that if there are other forms of life out there, they might also need magnetic fields to survive. These magnetic fields would need to be strong and robust, just like Earth’s.

Scientists have studied big planets that are like Jupiter and how their magnetic fields interact with the stars they orbit around. This process is called magnetic star-planet interactions. However, it is hard to detect the magnetic fields of smaller, rocky planets like Earth because they don’t give off as strong signals as the big gas giants.

Magnetic field around ‘M dwarf YZ Ceti’ exoplanet

After years of searching, Sebastian Pineda, a research scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Jacqueline Villadsen, an assistant professor at Bucknell University, have presented new evidence of repeated radio bursts that may be related to a magnetic field around an Earth-sized exoplanet known as YZ Ceti b. This planet is 12 light years away from our solar system.

Even though YZ Ceti b is too close to its star to support life, completing an orbit in only two days, its ultrashort year makes it an exceptional case study for magnetic SPIs.

YZ Ceti b: Researchers have now identified a prospective Earth-sized planet in another solar system as a prime candidate for also having a magnetic field — YZ Ceti b, a rocky planet orbiting a star about 12 light-years away from Earth.1 pic.twitter.com/B1LcjzthmU

— Pacific Joint Space Facility (@PJSF_Launch) April 4, 2023

In a study published in Nature Astronomy on Monday, the researchers suggest that this unique characteristic made it a promising target for studying magnetic fields.

Pineda shared his excitement about their discovery, saying, “It was super exciting to see the radio data sets show this kind of signature. We saw the initial burst detection and immediately went about coordinating observations for more monitoring, based on the published planet period, since we were looking for something that happens at the same time in the planet’s orbit.”

‘YZ Ceti b’ isn’t a habitable planet

The planet YZ Ceti b is not a good candidate for supporting life. However, because of its extreme conditions, astronomers were able to detect the planet’s magnetic field by studying the radio waves it emitted.

The planet’s magnetic field interacts with electrically charged plasma from the star, creating bright flashes of energy known as auroras. While the research team believes that these auroras are caused by the planet’s magnetic field, they are not entirely sure, and more research is needed to confirm this.