This information was reported by the scientific journal Nature Astronomy, reports URA-Inform.
What kind of planet?
The discovered planet is called YZ Ceti b. It is a rocky exoplanet orbiting the star YZ Ceti, located approximately 12 light-years from Earth. Recent observations from the VLA (Very Large Array) radio telescopes in New Mexico indicate the likely presence of a magnetic field at YZ Ceti b. This is the first suspected detection of a magnetic field on a planet outside our solar system.
What makes it special?
Researchers suggest that the planet's magnetic field sends radio signals that reach the Earth. YZ Ceti b is very close to its star and orbits it at such a speed that one year on the planet takes only two Earth days.
Why study magnetic fields ?
The discovery and study of the magnetic fields of other planets is of particular interest to astronomers, since they are considered an important characteristic that makes a planet suitable for life. Without a magnetic field, energetic particles from a star could destroy a planet's atmosphere, stripping it of the gaseous envelope it needs to support life.
NRAO Director Joe Pesce stressed that the search for life on exoplanets depends in part on being able to detect the presence of magnetic fields on rocky worlds similar to Earth.
Recall that the 6th mass extinction on Earth was announced: scientists said what human activity led to.
