To date, more than 4,500 exoplanets have been discovered as scientists explore the universe to better understand it and perhaps find signs of life. Despite this, they never found a radio broadcast from any of these distant planets.
Until now.
A group of researchers believe they have detected radio bursts originating in the constellation Boötes, according to their study published in the scientific journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
In this artistic representation of the Tau Boötes b system, the lines representing the invisible magnetic field are shown, protecting the hot planet Jupiter from solar wind. (Jack Madden / Cornell University)
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“We present one of the first clues to detect an exoplanet in the radio world,” said lead author of the study, Cornell University researcher Jake Turner, in a statement. “The signal comes from the Tau Boötes system, which contains a binary star and an exoplanet. We advocate an emission from the planet itself. Based on the strength and polarization of the radio signal and the planet’s magnetic field, it is compatible with theoretical predictions. “
The Tau Boötes System is about 51 light-years from Earth. A light year, which measures distance in space, is about 6 trillion miles.
The researchers made their discovery thanks to the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), a radio telescope in the Netherlands.
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After observing Jupiter’s radio emissions and viewing over 100 hours of radio observations scaled to mimic the gas giant, they discovered the so-called “hot Jupiter” signature, albeit a faint one, in this galaxy.
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“We learned from our own Jupiter what this kind of detection looks like. We went looking for it and found it,” added Turner.
In addition to the possible radio emissions that originated in the constellation of Boötes, they may also have found other radio emissions, including in the constellation Cancer and Upsilon Andromedae systems.
The study’s co-author, Ray Jayawardhana, said that if researchers can confirm that the radio emissions are indeed from the constellation of Boötes, it could open a new window on exoplanets, giving us a new way to see alien worlds. studies that are dozens. from light years away. ”
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More than 4,500 exoplanets have been discovered so far, only a small number of which have the properties to contain life.
A study published in November suggested that the galaxy may contain 300 million planets that can support life.