‘Coherent’ radio signal discovered from alien planet

The possibility of life outside Earth has received a boost from a new discovery: an exoplanet that emits a “coherent” radio signal. This signal could indicate that the planet has a magnetic field, which is essential for protecting life from harmful radiation.

The exoplanet, named YZ Ceti b, is a rocky world that orbits a star about 12 light years away from Earth. It is one of three planets in the system, but the only one that shows signs of radio emission.

This emission is believed to be caused by the interaction between the star and the planet’s magnetic field, creating a phenomenon similar to the aurora borealis or northern lights on Earth.

Astronomers detected the radio signal using a radio telescope called the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico. They observed two bursts of radio waves from YZ Ceti b that repeated after about 3 hours, suggesting a regular pattern. The signal was also “coherent”, meaning that it had a constant frequency and phase....<<<Read More>>>...