New hope in search for extra-terrestrial life after radio signal detected from alien planet  

Finding by researchers after the radio signals were detected suggest the planet could have magnetic fields, making it more likely to be habitable  

A radio signal has been detected from an alien planet by researchers, who suggest that it could be “habitable”. 

According to the findings described in a new paper, ‘Coherent radio bursts from known M-dwarf planet-host YZ Ceti’, which has been published in Nature Astronomy, the signal suggests that the planet could have its own magnetic field.  

“We’re actually seeing the aurora on the star — that’s what this radio emission is,” said Sebastian Pineda, an astrophysicist at the University of Colorado, cited by the Independent.  

Pineda is one of the researchers who saw the signal and stated that “There should also be aurora on the planet if it has its own atmosphere.” 

As per Joe Pesce, program director for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, “The search for potentially habitable or life-bearing worlds in other solar systems depends in part on being able to determine if rocky, Earth-like exoplanets actually have magnetic fields.”  

He added that “This research shows not only that this particular rocky exoplanet likely has a magnetic field but provides a promising method to find more.” 

Experts stated that Earth´s magnetic field, helps protect us from high energy particles and plasma rays that are blasted from the Sun, and any kind of alien life form is also likely to be dependent on being protected by a similar field.  

But detecting magnetic fields on distant plants has been difficult for researchers until this planet called  YZ Ceti b sent repeated radio signals.  

Researchers state that the signal is coming from the star and seems to be affected by the planet.

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