Astronomers have detected radio emission coming directly from an exoplanet for the first time, a milestone in the search for distant worlds. The signal comes from Beta Pictoris b, a gas giant about 63 light-years from Earth.

The planet has about 12 times the mass of Jupiter and orbits a young star. Using South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope, researchers found rapid, repeating bursts between 0.85 and 3.5 gigahertz. Some signals were strongly circularly polarised.

The radio waves probably come from auroras combined with an exceptionally powerful magnetic field, researchers said. The signal returned across several observations, letting the team separate it from the star itself.

The finding gives astronomers a new tool for studying distant planets. Magnetic fields can shield atmospheres, and radio observations could eventually help probe the properties of exoplanets in greater detail.

The discovery is not a sign of alien life. It is a natural phenomenon, similar to the auroras that produce radio emissions from planets in our own solar system. The research still needs independent review.