As astronomers continue their search for signs of life beyond Earth, they have made a historic discovery. Researchers from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian and the University of Oregon have, for the first time, directly detected radio signals coming from an exoplanet (a planet located outside our solar system).
“Elchi” reports that previously, it was impossible to determine with certainty whether radio signals detected in planetary systems originated from the host star or the planet itself.
The source of the signals is not aliens, but polar auroras
The detected radio signals have no connection to extraterrestrial life. It has been stated that the signals originate from polar auroras – natural phenomena caused by the emission of energy resulting from the interaction of charged particles with atmospheric and magnetic field conditions.
Using the “MeerKAT” radio telescope array in South Africa, researchers detected fast, repeating, and circularly polarized radio bursts in the 0.85 to 3.5 GHz frequency range during four separate observation sessions conducted in 2025 and 2026.
The observations were directed at the “Beta Pictoris” star, located approximately 63.4 light-years from Earth, and its surrounding planets. Using quasars as reference points on the sky map, the researchers determined with high precision that the signals originated not from the star itself, but from the planet “Beta Pictoris b”.
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