For the first time discovered something like 'armor of life' Earth in an exoplanet

US scientists have discovered the first direct indication of the magnetosphere of an exoplanet, or planet outside the Solar System.

US scientists have discovered the first direct indication of the magnetosphere of an exoplanet, or planet outside the Solar System.

Picture 1 of For the first time discovered something like 'armor of life' Earth in an exoplanet

Graphic image depicting the newly discovered exoplanet in the constellation Swan -

Using ultraviolet data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, a team of scientists led by the University of Arizona (USA) discovered carbon ions - charged particles that interact with magnetic fields - in the magnetosphere of the Neptune-sized exoplanet, HAT-P-11b.

The strange exoplanet orbits a K-type star in the constellation Swan, 122 light-years from Earth. It is a giant planet 4 times the size and 26 times the mass of Earth, extremely hot (surface about 605 degrees Celsius).

Ultraviolet data also revealed that it is a gaseous planet, consisting of a small rocky core and a dense atmosphere. They also found that the atmosphere was extremely dense with metal.

According to Sci-News, the most special thing about this study are its magnetosphere signatures. "This is the first time that an indication of the magnetic field of an exoplanet has been detected directly," said Dr Gilda Ballester from the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory.

For our Earth, the strong magnetosphere is the armor that protects the atmosphere and life from harmful energetic particles from the solar wind, giving life a chance to exist and evolve.

The newly discovered planet has a stronger magnetosphere than Earth, but because it is so hot, it is difficult to live. But finding a direct signature of the exoplanet's magnetosphere will pave the way for more research into more potentially habitable planets as a criterion for assessing planet's habitability. there.

Update 28 December 2021
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