December 17, 2024
Did you know that almost all stars have at least one planet accompanying them, like the Earth accompanies the Sun? The question that remains unanswered is: does life exist on these planets, which we call exoplanets?
To answer this, scientists must better understand exoplanets and their “skies” (what we call their atmospheres). Although astronomers have found ways to study what these atmospheres are made of, we still don’t really know how they form or whether they can support life.
The role of weather and stars
Astronomers believe that space weather phenomena, such as starstorms, can help us better understand the atmospheres of exoplanets and discover whether they could support life. But how can we study the effects of this weather on a planet that revolves around a very distant star, well outside our Solar System?
To do this, scientists often start by examining similar phenomena that exist in our own spatial “neighborhood.”
Explosions of the Sun: CMEs and auroras
In our Solar System, some of the most impactful phenomena for space weather are coronal mass ejections (or CMEs). These ejections are like gigantic explosions on the surface of the Sun which project a mixture of particles and magnetic fields into space. Sometimes, when this energetic mix reaches a planet with a strong magnetic field, like Earth (or Jupiter), it creates magnificent auroras.
By studying these auroras and the strange radio lights they emit, astronomers can better understand what is happening in the magnetic environment of our Solar System. Next, scientists look for similar, but brighter, phenomena around distant stars and planets. These could provide clues about the atmospheres of these exoplanets and their capacity to support life.
How to detect these strange radio lights?
Thanks to very powerful radio telescopes on Earth, such as LOFAR or FAST, astronomers can capture these invisible lights. These tools allow us to explore planets and stars well beyond our Solar System. Each new discovery brings us a little closer to answering this big question: are we alone in the Universe?
Did you know that?
Observations in radio light reveal details about planets and stars that are often invisible with other types of light. In the years to come, radio astronomy could give us valuable clues to find exoplanets capable of supporting life!
Illustration: an aurora on a planet around a red dwarf star (Credits: Olena Shmahalo / Quanta Magazine)
This space scoop is based on a scientific article from ASTRON adapted into English by Geethu Paulose (UNESCO IDL Communications Coordinator and Space Scoop Editor) and translated into French by Audrey Korczynska (Territoire de Sciences).
Find the Space Scoop on www.spacescoop.org.
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