New Method to Hunt for Exoplanets Using Radio Waves Devised by Astronomers, Yields First Results

The astronomers were able to detect the new planet thanks to their knowledge of the interaction between the magnetic field of Jupiter and its moon Io.

A team of scientists has managed to detect a planet via the use of radio waves for the first time, Science Alert reports.

As the media outlet points out, there are currently two main methods of exoplanet detection: one involves spotting a star’s light dip when a planet passes between the observer and the star it orbits; the other is based on detecting a “faint wobble in a star’s position as it is tugged on by the planet”.

This time, however, astronomers studied the radio wave activity emanating from the star, GJ 1151, and detected an apparent interaction between the star’s magnetic field and an orbiting planet, which seems to be akin to the interaction between the magnetic field of Jupiter and its moon Io.

The new method, based on analyzing a star’s radio signals, potentially offers new means to search for smaller exoplanets that are harder to detect by other means, thus affording humanity more opportunities to find potentially habitable worlds.

Sourse: sputniknews.com