First Signs of Exoplanet Magnetic Fields Seen in Furious Winds

Astronomers using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and Gemini North measured wind speeds on seven tidally locked, hot Jupiter–like exoplanets and found winds up to 15,530 mph, offering the first direct evidence of magnetic fields around planets beyond the solar system. The winds appear to slow with higher planetary temperatures due to magnetospheric braking, allowing researchers to infer magnetic-field strengths—roughly four times Saturn’s and about half Jupiter’s. The findings, published in Nature Astronomy, imply these worlds could host dramatic auroras and provide a new way to study exoplanet magnetospheres and atmospheric evolution.