Connect with us

Space

‘Coherent’ radio signal discovered from alien planet

Published

on

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.

“We
saw the initial burst and it looked beautiful,” said Sebastian Pineda,
an astrophysicist at the University of Colorado and one of the
researchers who saw the signal. “When we saw it again, it was very
indicative that, okay, maybe we really have something here.”

The
discovery, published in Nature Astronomy journal, is important because
it could provide a new way to search for habitable planets. Magnetic
fields are thought to be crucial for shielding life from cosmic
radiation and charged particles released from stars. They also help
maintain a stable atmosphere and climate on a planet.

“Magnetic
fields are one of the key ingredients for habitability,” said Jackie
Villadsen, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and
another author of the paper. “They can protect life from harmful
radiation and also prevent atmospheric escape.”

Until now,
astronomers have struggled to confirm whether distant rocky planets have
magnetic fields of their own, and therefore have found it difficult to
say how likely a planet might be able to support life.

The
radio signal from YZ Ceti b could be a sign that it has a magnetic
field similar to Earth’s, which is generated by the movement of molten
iron in its core.

However, having a magnetic field does not
guarantee that a planet is habitable. YZ Ceti b is very close to its
star, which is a red dwarf that emits frequent flares and high-energy
radiation. The planet’s surface temperature could be too hot for liquid
water to exist, and its atmosphere could be stripped away by stellar
winds.

Therefore, more observations are needed to determine if YZ
Ceti b is truly a potential home for life. The researchers plan to use
other radio telescopes, such as the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) in
Europe and the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) in Australia, to confirm
and study the radio signal in more detail.

They also hope to find
more exoplanets that emit radio signals, which could reveal new
information about their magnetic fields and habitability. “This research
shows not only that this particular rocky exoplanet likely has a
magnetic field but provides a promising method to find more,” said Joe
Pesce, program director for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

Continue Reading

Space

Alien space debris stuck in Earth’s orbit, researchers say

Published

on

By

Recently, a group of experts from Harvard University, led by physics
professor Avi Loeb, announced the possible presence of alien space
debris in Earth’s orbit, reports the Daily Star.

Leading
space research expert Professor Loeb is confident that the discovery of
such “interstellar objects could help expand our knowledge of possible
alien civilizations and technologies. A team of scientists is conducting
research to confirm that some of the objects in our orbit may be
connected to other star systems.

During an interview with Live
Science, Professor Loeb explained that these objects could enter the
solar system from interstellar space, defying Jupiter’s gravitational
pull and occupying limited orbits around the sun.

Some of them may
have technological origins similar to the probes sent by mankind into
interstellar space, such as Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, Pioneer 10 and 11
and New Horizons.

However,
despite these interesting assumptions, Professor Loeb did not specify
what specific objects he was talking about. In his research report, he
notes that there could be “a significant number” of potentially
detectable objects in Earth’s orbit.

To confirm their assumptions,
the team of scientists uses computer simulations and the Vera Rubin
Observatory (Chile) with a high-resolution camera of 3.2 billion pixels.
This will allow for regular observations of the Southern sky and the
possibility of detecting several captured objects about the size of a
football field.

It is assumed that these interstellar objects passed through the
boundaries of the solar system and may carry unique information about
other civilizations and their technologies. If we could confirm the
origin of these objects, the mysteries that open before us, this would
be a real breakthrough in space exploration.

Professor Loeb
expresses hope that the new research will not only help expand our
knowledge of extraterrestrial technologies, but may also lead to the
discovery of new alien civilizations . Answers to such questions can be
of global significance and influence our understanding of the place of
mankind in the Universe.

And
while there are still many questions and assumptions, the study by
Professor Loeb and his team opens a new chapter in space exploration.
Each new discovery can be the key to deciphering the mysteries of the
cosmos and the possibility of encountering alien life forms.

Continue Reading

Space

Betelgeuse is acting strange again

Published

on

By

Betelgeuse, a red giant on the brink of death, continues to show
unusual behavior. After the Great Blackout, which occurred in late 2019
and early 2020, the star became unusually bright. It is now the seventh
brightest star in the sky, while it normally ranks tenth. This has led
to speculation that Betelgeuse is preparing to explode in a
spectacularly large supernova.

However, scientists believe it’s too early to tell, and it’s likely
that this behavior is due to ongoing fluctuations after the Great
Blackout of 2019, and the star will return to normal within a decade.

Betelgeuse is one of the most interesting stars in the sky. It is
about 700 light-years from Earth and is a red giant in the last stage of
its life. It is also an unusual star for a red giant because it was
previously a monster blue-white O-type star, the most massive class of
stars.

Betelgeuse has changed its spectral type because it has almost
exhausted its hydrogen reserves. It now burns helium into carbon and
oxygen and has expanded to a gigantic size: about 764 times the size of
the Sun and about 16.5 to 19 times its mass.

Eventually it will run out of fuel to burn, become a supernova, eject
its outer material, and its core will collapse into a neutron star.

Before the Great Blackout, Betelgeuse also had periodic fluctuations
in brightness. The longest of these cycles is about 5.9 years and the
other is 400 days. But it seems that the Great Blackout caused changes
in these oscillations.

A new paper by astrophysicist Morgan McLeod of the
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics has shown that the 400-day
cycle appears to have been halved. This pulsational cycle is probably
caused by expansion and contraction within the star. According to
simulations carried out by MacLeod and his colleagues, the convective
flow inside Betelgeuse may have risen and become material that separates
from the star.

Continue Reading

Trending

Generated by Feedzy