MeerKAT Detects First Direct Radio Emission from Exoplanet Beta Pictoris b
Astronomers using the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa have detected the first unambiguous radio signal originating from an exoplanet, Beta Pictoris b. Located 205 light-years away, this young gas giant exhibits auroral activity driven by a magnetic field estimated at over 1,000 gauss, thousands of times stronger than Earth's. This discovery marks a milestone in exoplanetology by allowing direct characterization of planetary magnetism without relying on host star signals.