Jansky Very Large Array telescope, the researchers found that the signal was strong enough to be detected from a considerable distance, indicating the presence of a powerful magnetic field on the planet. When scientists detected a repeating radio signal coming from the exoplanet YZ Ceti b, it raised hopes that the celestial body could potentially sustain life. Sebastian Pineda, an astrophysicist at the University of Colorado, underlines the importance of magnetic fields for a planet’s habitability: “Whether a planet survives with an atmosphere or not can depend on whether the planet has a strong magnetic field or not.” Without this vital protective layer, these particles could strip away the ozone layer, our primary defense against harmful UV radiation. Magnetic fields not only enable compasses to function, but they also protect planets by deflecting charged particles known as “solar wind” and cosmic radiation from outer space. The rotation of the planet on its axis then forms a magnetic field. The heat escaping from the inner core creates convection currents, causing the iron to move and generate powerful electrical currents. Magnetic fields, like Earth’s, are generated by the movement of superheated, swirling liquid iron within a planet’s outer core, which lies approximately 1,900 miles (3,000 km) beneath its surface. ![]() This research shows not only that this particular rocky exoplanet likely has a magnetic field but provides a promising method to find more.” ![]() Joe Pesce, NSF’s program director for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, emphasizes the importance of these findings: “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. Researchers theorize that the signals likely result from an interaction between the planet’s magnetic field and the star it orbits, a phenomenon comparable to Earth’s aurora borealis, or Northern Lights. ![]() YZ Ceti b orbits a small red dwarf star known as YZ Ceti. Scientists from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) have picked up these intriguing radio signals from YZ Ceti b, a rocky planet situated 12 light years away from Earth.
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