Earth’s magnetic field provides various benefits such as protection from the sun’s harmful rays and the creation of the beautiful aurora borealis.
Other planets in our solar system also have magnetic fields. However, scientists have long wondered whether Earth-like planets in other star systems have magnetic fields.
Recently, a possible answer emerged with the discovery of evidence of a magnetic field on YZ Ceti b, a rocky exoplanet located 12 light years from Earth. The discovery, made using the Very Large Array radio telescope in New Mexico, marks the first possible detection of a magnetic field on an exoplanet, according to a study published in Nature Astronomy on April 3.
“This research not only shows that this rocky exoplanet most likely has a magnetic field, but also provides a promising way to find many more,” study author Joe Pesci, director of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), said in a statement.
The importance of magnetic fields in creating habitable planets makes it a topic of interest to astronomers. Planets that do not have magnetic fields are vulnerable to energetic particles from the star which can erode their atmospheres, making them unsuitable for life.
In the search for habitable worlds in other solar systems, determining whether Earth-like exoplanets have magnetic fields is critical, said Peske.
Although not a habitable planet, YZ Ceti b provides astronomers with the unique opportunity to detect radio waves from the magnetic field of a distant exoplanet. The planet orbits very close to its star, and a year on YZ Ceti b is only two Earth days.
This proximity allows the planet to “plow” through the star’s material, and its magnetic field pushes the electrically charged plasma toward the star, creating bright flashes of energy when it interacts with the star’s magnetic field.
According to the researchers, the detected radio waves are likely auroras on the star, created through interaction with the planet.
The discovery provides promising clues in determining magnetic fields on Earth-like planets in other solar systems and advances the search for potentially habitable worlds beyond our own.
