Alien Planet Radio Ways Possible Cosmic First

Astronomers have spotted radio waves from a planet circling "a star more than 63 light-years from Earth." The waves, which seem to be from an aurora that Beta Pictoris b's poles, "may offer a new tool" in astronomers' hunt for other life in the universe, according to an article in the New York Times ("Radio Waves Coming From an Alien Planet May Be a Cosmic First").

The aurora, probably caused by a magnetic field, could assist in finding worlds that might host life.

Yvette Cendes, an astronomer at the University of Oregan, said, “Habitability is probably one of the main reasons we’re interested in magnetospheres.” Cendes is the author of the paper that reported the find on Sept. 15.

In 2025 and early 2026, a team lead by Kevin Ortiz Ceballows, spotted something on Beta Pictoris b. Follow-up observations helped pinpoint radio emissions from Beta Pictoris b. Mr Ceballows is a grad student at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass.

To read the article in its entirety, go to "Radio Waves Coming From an Alien Planet May Be a Cosmic First".