SKA may detect magnetic fields on distant exoplanets

Studying exoplanets has given astronomers insights into the characteristics that could help them find life beyond Earth. For years, astronomers thought an exoplanet's location in a star's habitable zone was enough to make it an Earth-like world. But some stars are more active than our sun, exposing planets in their habitable zones to far more radiation than Earth receives. Astronomers have increasingly recognized that a planet's magnetic field, which shields Earth from harmful radiation, could be a key characteristic in identifying Earth-like worlds.

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