![\"Artist\u2019s](\"https:\/\/de40cj7fpezr7.cloudfront.net\/3927ed13-c92f-4626-b489-63cf38758d9a.jpg\")
\nArtist\u2019s impression shows a hot Jupiter planet orbiting close to its host star. (Representative Image Source: ESO | L. Cal\u00e7ada)<\/p>\n
The relevance of the study’s findings cannot be overstated in light of\u00a0humanity\u2019s search for extraterrestrial life<\/a>, given that we know the importance of a planetary magnetic field for sustaining life. In the absence of one, a planet usually loses its atmospheric gases to space as stellar winds from the host star strip away the air molecules. Without an atmosphere, the chances of life as we know it emerging and thriving on another planet diminish greatly. This was the case for Mars, as established by NASA’s MAVEN mission<\/a> to the Red Planet.<\/p>\n For this research in particular,\u00a0exoplanets<\/a> known as \u2018ultra-hot Jupiters\u2019 were key, as their high atmospheric ionization provided researchers with evidence that correlates to a gas giant’s magnetic field strength. Each of the seven planets in the study is known to have one of its faces perpetually facing its host star in a phenomenon called tidal locking. This contributes to temperature extremes between the day and night sides of the exoplanet, which in turn leads to rapid winds. The data showed that winds on one of the seven ultra-hot Jupiters were speeding at over 15,000 miles per hour. The slowest wind speed was measured at 4,470 miles per hour. These values, collected with the help of the Gemini North Telescope and the ESPRESSO instrument (Echelle SPectrograph for Rocky Exoplanets and Stable Spectroscopic Observations) mounted on the European Southern Observatory\u2019s Very Large Telescope, far exceed those observed on Jupiter, where peak wind speeds are under 1,000 miles per hour.<\/p>\n The way researchers arrived at their findings about magnetism was through the study of these extreme winds. While conventional physics dictates that rising temperatures and consequent increases in kinetic energy should accelerate winds, the astronomers observed the exact opposite: on the hottest planets, wind speeds plummeted. They thus deduced that there had to be some sort of invisible force that was acting as a brake, slowing winds down, and the answer was found in magnetism. Because these ultra-hot Jupiters orbit incredibly close to their stars and have scorching temperatures, their atmospheric gases turn into plasma. When blowing across the planet, this plasma interacts with the planet’s magnetic field, creating a sort of drag that slows the winds down. The hotter the planet, the more plasma is generated, resulting in stronger drag and slower winds. In simple terms, the astronomers were able to establish a direct relation between the observed wind speeds and the strength of the planet’s magnetic field\u2014a first.<\/p>\n “This breakthrough opens a completely new window on exoplanet research,”\u00a0stated<\/a> Julia Seidel, the lead author of the study and an astronomer at the Laboratoire Lagrange, Observatoire de la C\u00f4te d’Azur, France. Describing the unprecedented nature of the findings, she continued, “It\u2019s the first time we can compare the magnetic environments of other worlds \u2014 a key step toward ultimately understanding which planets can stay alive, keep their water, and perhaps even, one day, host life as we know it.” Scientists now hope to be able to not only observe the atmospheres and magnetic fields of gas giants in the future, but also smaller, rocky exoplanets that may actually have the potential to harbour life. This should be possible through the ESO\u2019s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), which is expected to be completed by March 2029 and begin operations by December 2030.<\/p>\n More on Starlust<\/p>\n![\"Aerial](\"https:\/\/de40cj7fpezr7.cloudfront.net\/7ab85a4f-8a8c-457a-b9fb-6d0494a0a948.jpg\")
\nAerial view of ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). (Image Source: J.L. Dauvergne & G. H\u00fcdepohl (atacamaphoto.com) | ESO)<\/p>\n![\"ESO\u2019s](\"https:\/\/de40cj7fpezr7.cloudfront.net\/fcb2dc97-648b-4057-a061-36d36509341a.jpg\")
\nESO\u2019s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) being built. (Image Source: ESO)<\/p>\n