Astronomers spot 1st-ever coronal mass ejection beyond our solar system
Scientists just caught a coronal mass ejection (CME)—basically a giant burst of plasma—shooting out from a star 40 light-years away, called StKM 1-1262.
Using the LOFAR radio telescope, they picked up a type II radio burst that confirmed what's never been seen outside our solar system before.
Fastest CME ever recorded
This CME was blazing fast—about 2,400km per second—and could actually strip away atmospheres from any nearby planets, especially those in the star's habitable zone.
Since most exoplanets orbit stars like this one (M dwarfs), it raises big questions about whether those worlds could ever support life.
CMEs are rare in the universe
Turns out, these powerful CMEs are pretty rare.
But with new telescopes like the Square Kilometre Array coming soon, scientists expect to catch way more of them and learn how they shape environments on distant worlds.