Astronomers Trace 3.5 GHz Radio Bursts to Beta Pictoris b, Measuring 1,250-Gauss Magnetic Field
Updated
Updated · ZME Science · Sep 22
Astronomers Trace 3.5 GHz Radio Bursts to Beta Pictoris b, Measuring 1,250-Gauss Magnetic Field
3 articles · Updated · ZME Science · Sep 22
Summary
MeerKAT observations in 2025 and 2026 picked up repeated, rapidly varying radio bursts from Beta Pictoris b, giving what researchers say is the first securely localized radio emission from a single exoplanet.
Circular polarization and a signal extending to 3.5 gigahertz point to auroral electron cyclotron maser emission, letting the team infer a magnetic field of at least about 1,250 gauss.
Nine Gaia-anchored quasars and a radio calibrator let astronomers pin the source to planet b itself and rule out the host star and neighboring planet c.
Earlier searches in 2022 and 2024 had come up empty; the team says Beta Pictoris b's large mass and 8-to-9-hour rotation may help power a stronger, easier-to-separate auroral signal.
The unreviewed arXiv study could open a new way to probe exoplanet interiors and atmospheres, with seven more directly imaged giant planets flagged as future targets.
Could a magnetic field thousands of times stronger than Earth's be the ultimate key to finding habitable alien worlds?
What secrets do the colossal, invisible auroras of a gas giant 63 light-years away reveal about our universe?
Beta Pictoris b’s Powerful Magnetic Field Unveiled by Direct Radio Burst Detection
Overview
In a historic breakthrough, astronomers directly detected recurring radio bursts from the exoplanet Beta Pictoris b using the MeerKAT radio telescope. By mapping these signals with distant quasars as reference points, they confirmed the bursts came from the planet, not its star. The radio waves are caused by a natural auroral process—Electron Cyclotron Maser Instability—powered by Beta Pictoris b’s rapid 8–9 hour rotation. This allowed scientists to measure the planet’s magnetic field strength for the first time, revealing it to be thousands of times stronger than Earth’s. These findings open new possibilities for studying planetary magnetic fields and their role in protecting atmospheres.